Gardelegen (war crime)

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On April 13, 1945 (less than a month from the end of the Second World War), German SS and Luftwaffe troops, retreating from the Allied advance, murdered 1016 political and military prisoners near the German town of Gardelegen. The crime was discovered two days later by F Company, 2d Battalion, 405th Regiment, U.S. 102nd Infantry Division.

1 Discovery
2 Details
3 Investigation
4 Current situation
5 External links

[edit] Discovery

Discovery of the massacre seems to be by chance. Consensus is that American Lieutenant Emerson Hunt, a liaison officer (____unit____) between Ozark HQ and the 701st Tank Battalion was captured by German forces on April 14, 1945. Lt. Hunt bluffed the German forces defending the town of Gardelegen into believing that American tanks were approaching the city, leading the German commander to surrender to American forces. The Americans arrived at the site before the Germans had time to bury all of the bodies.

[edit] Details

On Friday, April 13, 1945, 1016 political and military prisoners were locked inside a barn on the Isenschnibbe estate and burned to death. Victims who escaped the burning barn were shot.

About 700 of the bodies were buried in mass graves near the site. American troops arrived before the evidence was completely hidden.

[edit] Investigation

An investigation was undertaken by Lt. Col. Edward E. Cruise, Investigating Officer, Ninth Army War Crimes Branch.

Text of Lt. Cruise's report and text of other exhibits are stored in US Army file 000-12-242.

[edit] Current situation

Several days after discovering the atrocity, American troops forced the German residents of the town of Gardelegen to rebury the dead in individually marked graves.

Gardelegen is now a national memorial.

The sign at the cemetery reads:

Gardelegen Military Cemetery

Here lie 1016 allied prisoners of war who were murdered by their captors.

They were buried by citizens of Gardelegen, who are charged with responsibility that graves are for- ever kept as green as the memory of these unfortunates will be kept in the hearts of freedom-loving men everywhere.

Established under supervision of 102d Infantry Division. United States Army Vandalism will be punished by maximum penalties under laws of military government.

Frank A. Keating Major General, U.S.A. Commanding