A German General meets his death

It would appear to be relatively humane as death seems immediate.

KTK

http://tmqblog.com/2007/05/30/video-...h-during-wwii/

 

No need for the disrespectful banter that is presented with this video.

 

I remember seeing the stills of this in After the Battle a long time ago. You could clearly see the bullets hitting the earth behind him before his body reacted to the shock.
Not that I'm sympathising.

 

So if the 15 landed posing as Italians, would that not make them spies? Guess the victors make up the rules.

 

It wasn´t restless clear if he were really guilty for that, but we have a saying that goes " Mitgefangen ist Mitgehangen!" ( very free translated: You´re catched with them, you´re hang with them!)

 

I wondered the same thing, was he not correct in executing the 15 as spies since they were not in umiform? What did the Americans do to those Germans in the Battle of the Bulge who were caught wearing American uniforms?

But still being a hunter and having seen animals die and reading about hangings and death by the electric chair, this death looks like it would be a better way to go.

KTK

 

The article was actually about a 16 yr old German executed in June 1945. Seems a bit extreme to me.

Perhaps if you could post a short explanation when you post a link so that we know what it's about?

 

The video which was linked was that to which I refered to. Now your point is well taken and absolutely correct and I must offer my apology for my laziness, I should of clarified that it was only the video that I was posting about. The link itself was not clear and I did nothing to clarify that.

KTK

 

I agree with others in thinking that he was not out of line for having them executed as spies. I respect the brave soldiers who went behind enemy lines in civilian garb to carry out the mission but I do not think he was wrong.

 

Since wearing civilian clothes is a violation of the rules of war, therefore the rules of war don't apply with full force in this case: if you don't respect the rules you cannot expect that they will respect your rights.

 

Some more information regarding this incident.

KTK

Common Sense: March 2003

 

From what I remember, the Americans were in fact captured in American uniforms. Dostler ordered them executed, but was questioned as to the legality by the commander on the ground due to the fact they were POW's. Dostler insisted again they be executed and they were summarily executed.

If they were in fact OSS agents, and this was just victors justice, why werent there executions for the OSS agents killed inFrance?

 

That firing squad was sloppy pathetic....

 

Dostler was charged with failing summarily executing these men as spies without trial. Under the prevailing treaties of the period, even an accused spy in wartime is entitled to a trial. Dostler and his superiors made no effort to provide the fifteen Americans with a trial of any sort before shooting them. Seventeen German soldiers were executed by the United States Army for unlawful use of American uniforms and for acting as spies during the Battle of the Bulge. These seventeen German soldiers received trials by military commission prior to their execution, army judge advocates reviewed the proceedings and the First Army Commanding General approved the adjudged sentences in accordance with regulations. Three other German soldiers charged with improper use of the American uniform and acting as spies were actually acquitted. Dostler may or may not have received a fair trial-that's certainly an arguable position-and the Germans shot during the Battle of the Bulge may or may not have received a fair trial, but at least they received some semblance of a facially legal trial in which it was at least remotely possible to be acquitted. The men shot by Dostler received no trial at all, fair or otherwise, and their execution was in violation of Germany's treaty obligations. had he given them such a trial, he could have argued that his actions were facially legal, and therefore correct. Since he did not, I'd argue his actions were not correct.