Americans killing SS guards at Dachau

Discussion in 'General' started by Franek, Jul 15, 2009.

  1. Swiper

    Swiper Resident Sospan

    I'd say that this was pretty common. A good friend of mine's grandfather (British) was a Captain who liberated one of the German camps. He died when my friend was young and his journal written describes how he ordered some of the Germans guards to be rounded up, put into a hut, surrounded the building with infantry and set fire to it. Anyone trying to escape was gunned down. He was only stopped when a higher ranking officer arrived and ordered him to do so.
     
  2. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Pretty common? You give us 1 (one) second instance (hearsay, unsubstantiated, no time, no location, no unit, no names, no nothing), say it was prohibited by a higher ranking officer (implying this was not the official policy), and you say this was pretty common?

    This is how irresponsible rumours and slander start.
     
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  3. Formerjughead

    Formerjughead Senior Member

    I'd say that this was pretty common. A good friend of mine's grandfather (British) was a Captain who liberated one of the German camps. He died when my friend was young and his journal written describes how he ordered some of the Germans guards to be rounded up, put into a hut, surrounded the building with infantry and set fire to it. Anyone trying to escape was gunned down. He was only stopped when a higher ranking officer arrived and ordered him to do so.


    I am thinking a "grain of salt" is in need for this anecdote.
     
  4. Takumar

    Takumar New Member

    Excellent recount of the true history of Dachau. I too have done a bit of research on the subject as my father was in the 42nd Rainbow Division, Easy Company at that time. You are correct the number of SS troops killed was not 560, but was closer to 40 to 50. Also, many of those SS that were there at the time had only recently been assigned to the camp, and although knew what was going on, did not commit the crimes (at least at that location). Also, from everything I could determine, the killing of the SS troops at Dachau was done by elements of the 45th Division and not the 42nd. I have read accounts of a junior officer recalling how his men in the 45th went beserk and started the mass killing, and he recalls that he had to stop it and calm his men down.

    That is not to say the 42nd was not without blame for killing SS troops. In fact just before the discovery of Dachau, on 19 April, in the outskirts of Nuemberg, elements of the 42nd gunned down, at close range, in cold blood, about 200 men from the I Battalion, 38tth SS Regiment from the 17-SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen. The mass grave was only discovered in the late 1970's (either 1976 or 1978, I think the latter). Of course the official declassified action reports that were written by division headquarters for the month of April (I have a copy), make no mention of this. But then again why would they, it was a war crime.

    I have more than 30 references in my bibliography concerning the 42nd Division and what they did etc. from 31 March until VE Day. Many of those references are about Dachau and are very interesting.

    Again, good post. I enjoy those who want to get into the meat of all this rich history.
     
  5. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    Nerin E. Gun, a Turkish journalist and Dachau prisoner, was a witness to the killing of SS guards by US troops. See his fascinating book, The Day of the Americans.
     
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