Victims of the Malmedy Massacre

Here are the names to all of the G.I.s who were murdered at Malmedy on December 17 1944--during the Battle of the Bulge. Lets never forget....

These men were killed by being shot in the head:

Donald Bloom--Private.
Joseph A. Brozowski--Corporal.
Samuel P. Burkett--T/5.
L.M.Burney--PFC.
Homer S.Carson--PFC.
Robert Cohen--PFC.
John D. Collier--T/5.
Howard C. Desch--PFC.
William J. Dunbar--PVT.
Carl B.Fitt--CPL.
Donald P.Flack--PFC.
Carl B. Frey--PFC.
Donald E.Geisler--Staff-Sergeant.
Carl R. Genthner--1st Lieutenant.
Sylvester V.Herchelroth--CPL.
Lloyd A.Iames--2nd Lieutenant.
Ralph J.Indelicato--CPL.
Raymond E.Lester--CPL.
Selmer H.Leu--T/4.
Benjamin Lindt--SGT.
James E. Luers--T/5.
Lawrence Martin--CPL.
Thomas E.McDermott--1st Lieutenant.
Halsey J.Miller--CPL.
Roger J.Mills--Captain.
Keston E. Mullen--PVT.
John S. Munzinger--1st Lieutenant.
Thomas W. Oliver--PFC.
Paul L.Paden--PFC.
Peter R.Phillips--PVT.
Stanley F. Piasecki--PVT.
Carl H.Rullman--CPL.
Max Schwitzgold--T/5.
Wayne L.Scott--PVT.
Irwin M.Sheets--T/4.
John M.Shingler--PVT.
Carl M.Stevens--CPL.
Luke S.Swartz--T/5.
Elmer W.Wald--PFC.
Dayton E.Wusterbarth--T/5.

These men were killed by Schrapnel:

Warren Davis--PFC.
Walter J.Perkowski--PVT.
John M.Rupp Jr.--T/4.

These men died from bleeding:

Carl H.Blough--T/5.
Paul R. Carr--PVT.
John Klukavy--PFC.
Richard B.Walker--PFC.

These men died from a blow to the head:

Charles R.Breon--T/5.
Howard W.Laufer--T/5.
John D.Osborne--S/Sgt.

These men died from High-Explosive shell-fire:

John J.Clymire--PFC.
Charles F.Haines--T/5.
George R.Rosenfeld--T/5.

This man died from concussion:
Frederick Clark--PFC.

These men died from MG and small-arms fire:

James H. Coates--PVT.
John H.Cobbler--PVT.
Walter A.Franz--SGT.
Solomon S. Goffman--2nd Lieutenant.
Samuel A.Hallman--PVT.
Wilson M.Jones Jr.--T/5.
Oscar R.Jordan--CPL.
Alfred Lengyel Jr.--T/5.
James G.McGee-T/3.
William T.McGovern--T/SGT.
David T.O'Grady--CPL.
Gilbert R.Pittman--PVT.
Perry L.Reardon--1st Lieutenant.
Oscar Saylor--PVT.
Robert J.Snyder--SGT.
Alphonse J.Stabulis--SGT.
George B.Steffy--T/4.
Thomas F.Watt--T/5
Vester H.Wiles--T/5.

These men died by being crushed:

Allen M.Lucas--T/4.
Robert L.McKinney--T/5.
William H.Moore--CPL.

These men died from an unknown causes:

Paul G.Davidson--T/SGT.
Charles E.Hall--PFC.
Alfred Kinsman--SGT.
David M.Murray--PFC.

Finally and officially declared dead:
Elwood E.Thomas--PVT.

May they rest in peace.

 

Carl,

You have done these men a great service. I thank you for posting their names for all to see. They deserve recognition for their sacrifice during the greatest conflagration the world has seen...hopefully that it will ever see.

"...we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . . we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."--Abraham Lincoln, 19 Nov 1863

 

Years ago I saw a piece on TV about the Malmedy Massacre and they said that the SS Officer in charge was named Piper, I forgot what rank, but anyway they wanted to put him on trial as a war criminal but Senator Joe McCarthy of Minn. put a stop to it because his district had alot of German-American voters and he did not want to offend them. (He is the same guy who ruined alot of Hollywood actors careers because he said they had communest connections.)
It has been too long ago for me to remember all the details and perhaps it is not true, but it probaby is knowing how low politicians can stoop!

 

† Wereth, 17 December 1944. Murdered by LSSAH:

Staff Sergeant Forte
Cpl. Mager Bradley
Pfc. George Davis
Pfc. George Motten
Pfc. Due Turner
Pfc. Jim Leatherwood
Pvt. Curtis Adams
Pvt. Nathaniel Moss
Pvt. W.E. Pritchett
Technician 4th Class James Stewart
Technician 5th Class Rob Green

No offense, but its allways Malmedy. Nobody ever mentions these guys.

 

Agreed Herr Kaleun. Thank you for posting these names Carl and Timo.

[ 20. August 2003, 11:43 PM: Message edited by: Crapgame ]

 

Army Quartermaster Foundation: Mortuary Affairs Operations At Malmedy - Lessons Learned From A Historic Tragedy

[ 20. August 2003, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: Crapgame ]

 

Seems this topic shows up once in a while, so I'll post my opinion once more:

In September 2001 I spoke with a German LAH veteran, a former Oberscharführer from Nachrichtenkompanie LAH, who was attached to KG Peiper in the Ardennes. He has his own theory about what happened and I tend to believe he's right. First of all he stated that he can't deny what happened (as many other veterans do). He believes the men in the field were killed by the crew of the present 251's, not by the Panzers. Must say this makes sense to me since he showed me on location why the tanks are out of the question. He also gave me a psychological profile on the men who did it. He said: "imagine these 17-year old grenadiers, green as grass the only thing that makes them feel strong is their gun. A small group of these teenagers is ordered to guard this large group of Americans". He said that he's convinced that the SS-men were probabely more scared of the American prisoners then vise versa. And then all over sudden the Americans start moving. As a reflex the grenadiers opened fire. Like all men without sufficient training would do (whoever trained young recrutes knows this is a fact).

I don't say its right to open fire, no way, but I guess I understand the reflex that made them do it.

After they stopped firing the soldiers realized the consequenses of what they did (they knew the war would be over soon) and they decided to kill all survivors. Had they been battle harden veterans nobody whould have lived to tell, but even this (fortunately) these rookies couldn't do "right".

That, executing survivors, was their real crime. And a crime that was. No doubt about it.

Last week, on December 26 2002, a fellow reseacher talked to Hans Siptrott on the phone. Siptrott was one of the defendants of the Malmedy trial as he was the commander of the Panzer that supposedly opened fire on the POW's. He gave yet another version of the events at the Baugnez crossroads which puts the blame for the incident with the Americans.

 

Indeed,

and Malmedy will pop up a few times in the future I guess again...

Anyway, thanx for the info,Timo. That sounds very much what must have happened. Unfortunately the truth has somewhat distorted in the press by the legal process trying to nail Peiper for that massacre.This is discussed earlier in this forum.

And on that view on blowtorch, which every now and then is twisted back to something it was not:


"For a long time I commanded III./Panzergrenadierregiment 2 of the Leibstandarte. This unit had made quite a name for its night attacks in Russia and was known in divisional and Korps areas as the 'Blowtorch Battalion'. Our troops used this highly practical tool in the winter to pre-heat the engines in our vehicles, to heat water quickly for cooking and many other things. There was also a saying among the soldiers in those days when they were given a task: "we will soon torch that". The vehicles even used a blowtorch as a tactical symbol. During post-war interrogations, however, this name was twisted from the "Blowtorch battalion" to the "Arson Battalion". It was suggested that the blowtorches were used to burn down houses. In action our armoured personnel carriers were in the habit of going into the attack at full speed and with all guns blazing. As the Russian houses mostly had thatched roofs, it was inevitable that they would catch fire during the battle. It would certainly be unnecessary for troops to dismount from their vehicles and use blowtorches to set houses on fire when they would already catch fire during the firing, but it was just one more allegation with which to blacken the image of Waffen-SS troops."
----------

And something to remember, as the Germans were bitter about the bombing of Germany to kingdom come.

November 1944;Peiper commented on his troops:

"A good deal of them had lost their parents, their sisters and brothers during the bombing...Their hatred for the enemy was such, I swear it, I could not always keep it under control."

----------

And something I did not know previously..

Dec 24: Peiper and 800 men troops of the kampfgruppe destroy their remaining vehicles (28 tanks & 70 SPW's) and march out of La Gleize on foot. 300 German wounded and 150 US prisoners are left behind. The SS troops, who during the Ardennes Offensive had looted the warm clothing off of dead, wounded and captured GI's are marched to the town square by the US 117th Battalion CO. The crying SS troops are forced to remove all GI boots and pants in the bitter cold and give the articles back to their former prisoners. In a postwar interview, Private J. Frank Brumbaugh of the US 82nd Airborne Division commented that the action tought the Germans "You don't fuck with US paratroopers."

 

Interesting. Do you have the source for this info?

Regards,
Timo

 

Sure Timo,

http://www.wssob.com/peiperkpg.html

and go to the Unit history and Dec 24.

 

Thanks, I just found that this story is mentioned in Reynolds book too. Probabely the source used by wssob

 

I have seen a couple of documentaries that are finding interviews and investigations that point to the fact that the killings at Malmedy were not by a given order nor intentional. It was triggered by the reaction of nervous guards to either an intentional break for freedom by some of the prisoners or a perceived break. Either way, no intentional massacre ordered. It does not of course detract from the fact that it was a massacre. Just something that grew into a folktale just because of the reputation given to the Waffen SS.

 

Hi Ivan--and thank you--and I also agree with you--they chould be remembered.

Hi TA152--Peiper was not near Malmedy and was not the commander who gave the order to kill them--more liklely it --IF there ever was one--most likely it camr from LSSAHs commander or even Sepp Dietrich--tho I dont think either of them would give that order. Like Timo posted--most likely it was given by a junior officer who was on the scene.

Peiper was not involved nor ever found guilty of being involved with this crime. When I get back tomorrow--ill be posting the names to the LSSAH men who were thought to and are known to be responsible for it.

Thank you for the additional names Timo--I had not known about these.

Thank you Crapgame.

 

The responsible NCO was SS-Sturmbannführer Werner Plötschke, carrier of the Oak leaves to the KC. Most probably the U.S. POW's were executed to free up the SS-men guarding the U.S. POW's for a further advance.

Details on this crime can be found in Volker Riess' study: "Malmedy - Verbrechen, Justiz und Nachkriegspolitik" ("Malmedy - Crime, Justice and post-war politics") in: W.Wette/G. Ueberschaer: "Kriegsverbrechen im 20. Jahrhundert" ("War Crimes in the XX. Century"), 2001, pp. 247-258, with more examples of mass executions commited by LSSAH during the Campaign in the Ardennes (Baugenz, LaGleize, Stavelot).

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

[ 02. January 2003, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: AndyW ]

 

Andy :

check your post again please. Werner was not an NCO but a Major and I beleive he was not in the area of Malmedy. Besides if Timo's deductions are correct with his interviews of 1st SS vets then Pz. IV's, Panthers and Königstigers were not even in the area of the road junction and fields on this date......

E

 

Sturmbannführer Werner Pötschke, Kommandeur I./SS-PzRgt 1 "LSSAH", had nothing to do with Baugnez. He was a convenient scapegoat for his former comrades who stood trial for Malmédy because he was killed in action in March 1945 and thus could not defend himself.

All very nice sources but all very much based on the "findings" of the American and Belgian prosecutors who tried to prove the alleged orders from LSSAH high command to shoot all prisoners. De decision for this was made under pressure from the home front, which wanted revenge and were hardly interested in the real killers.

This was a big mistake. The decision to make up an order to kill all prisoners kept them from doing fact based research to find the real criminals, which means that 60 years later we still don't know what happened. Those who were responsible for the massacre might have been among those we were tried, but if they were this was a coincidence because they simply tried everybody who could be linked with the LSSAH at the time.

On the other hand the SS veterans who do know what happened keep their mouth shut. Because they feel it would not make a difference. Their wartime comrades were tried and sentenced to death in 1948, despite the fact that most were innocent and if they bring out the truth it would not make a difference because public opinion had decided, based on the absurd 1948 Malmédy trial, that LSSAH was a bunch of murderers. Nobody would believe them anyway.

 

Yet another version of what happened comes from Hans Siptrott, the LSSAH tank commander who was accused of giving the order to shoot.

He says that the Americans at Baugnez surrendered to the "Panzerspitze" (front guard) of Peipers advance column. The Panzers, including Peiper, Pötschke and also Siptrott's Panzer IV, had orders to move on as quick as possible so the POW's were told to wait for the infantry that followed the tanks. However, after the German tanks left it took some time before the infantry arrived on the scene and the Americans decided to pick up their guns again and sneak out. At that moment the German infantry did show up. They had received orders by radio from the "Panzerspitze" to collect the waiting prisoners and to move them behind the front. Finding the POW's armed caused quite a shock to the approaching Germans, which resulted in a fire fight which killed many Americans.

This is HIS version of what happened on the Baugnez crossroads on December 17, 1944. But it's as plausible as every other version of what happened there, because the truth cannot be found in the smokescreens which were created after the war.

Just another 2 cents,
Timo

[ 02. January 2003, 01:55 PM: Message edited by: Timo ]

 

The eleven from Wereth were African-Americans from 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, stationed around Schoenberg (7 km south of Wereth). It was attached to 10th Infantry Division which was defending this region. This battalion was composed of black soldiers commanded by white officers.

The After Action Report, no too explicit, indicated that batteries A and B and headquarters moved towards the rear starting at 1:00 a.m. the night of the 16th to 17th. Battery C, which stayed in position, fired on Bleialf until 8:00 a.m. At 8:15, the enemy infantry in half-tracks with machine gun and mortar support attacked this battery. In the ensuing confusion, certain Americans took off in the direction of Schoenberg, while others were made prisoner. The eleven Black Americans who arrived in Wereth towards 1600, were very probably some who escaped from this C Battery. Leaving Schoenberg, they climbed the hill over woods and fields to arrive at the end Of the afternoon at the entrance to Wereth were the found shelter with some Belgians, but when elements of Kampfgruppe Hansen arrived they were pointed out by a Belgian who collaborated with the Germans.

[ 02. January 2003, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Timo ]

 

Thank you again Timo--and now I know why they werent mentioned

Id like to see this thread continued instead of making a seperate one for the W-SS guys involved. here are some names of W-SS guys involved in the killings--according to the informative book put out by John M. Bauserman.

Waffen SS men involved in the Malmedy Massacre killings:

Now according to Massacre survivors--the first shots were fired by a Sturmann Georg Fleps of Panzer # 731 as identified by Lieutenant Virgil Lary of B Battery. But I think this has to be taken with a grain of salt--being that this Lieutenant identified this man during the trials in 1946--being supposedly able to recall this man in detail when in reality--he had less than a few seconds to look at anything--under combat conditions and who was appx 60 or so yards away from him. Its said that no other American survivors could I.D Fleps as the 1st shooter.

Now supposedly 3rd Panzer Pioneer Company, 2nd Platoon Leaders Schutzenpanzerwagon under the command of Unterscharfuhrer Max Beutner supposedly positioned his SPW on the leftside of the road N23 to get into position to shoot the prisoners. Supposedly that was on the orders of Sturmbannfuhrer Poetschke.

Beutners SPW Platoon deployed. The 1st Beutner Platoon SPW was commanded by Unterscharfunrer Sepp Witkowski and his vehicle went on the right side of N23.

Im not sure of the positioning of the remaining two SPWs of Beutners Platoon.

This is from the german version of the massacre:

German soldiers had stated that Obersturmfuhrer Erich Runpf CO of the 9th Panzer Pioneer Kompanie, and Unterscharfuhrer Max Beutner platoon leader of 2nd Platoon, 3rd Panzer Pioneer Kompanie, gave the orders to shoot. Sturmmann Max Rieder jumped off Rumpfs SPW in order to loot some American vehicles that were parked alongside the road headed sounth.

Rieder noticed that Rumpf was talking with an officer in front of the Cafe: Bodarwe. While Rieder was looking through a truck-- Rumpf yelled at him to grab his weapon and come with him. Rumpf then made his way to the Cafe--and this is where he also joined several members of the Penal Platoon of the 9th Panzer Pioneers. After standing around for several minutes-- Rumpf supposedly gave the orders to: "Bump off the POWS."

At this time-- Oberscharfuhrer Wendeleit, and Unterscharfuhrers: Helmuth Haas, Willi von Chamier and Biotta, fired their weapons. Reider fired 5 shots at an American who hit the ground but did not move and assumed he was dead.

((((I'll post more of their version tomorrow--when I have more time.))))

 

Hans Siptrott commanded Panzer 731. Georg Flepps was his loader.

Several problems occur when dealing with Flepps guilt. I fully understand the traumatic conditions for Lt. Lary and the others, but how could he identify, two years later, a man who he claimed fired a pistol at him through a pistol port in the side of the turret over a distance of close to 300 mtr.?

Siptrott stated during the telephone call a fellow researcher had with him last week (26 December 2002) that he never ordered Flepps to open fire.

"If I wanted to open fire at the POW's, why would I order Flepps to fire his pistol through the pistol port if all I had to do is turn the turret 90 deg. in order to machinegun them?"

He continued that, even if Flepps would go against all regulations and acted on his own, why on earth would Flepps fire a pistol from inside the turret over a distance of 300 meters? A pistol hardly has any accuracy or power at such a range.