Quote:
Originally Posted by Norme
Hi Jerry, It was widely known by US troops that there were at least two incidents of surrendering GIs being machine gunned by the Germans, towards the end of the war during the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge). I doubt that, when it came time for the Germans to surrender, the victorious GIs would have been as trusting as you make them out to be. All the best, Norm
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Hi:
My father was one of the 35 survivors of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, attached to the "All American" 82nd Airborne, at the Battle of the Bulge. They were trucked in early in the battle and their unit was "committed to the engagement" meaning: stop the German advance or let no man return alive!
Dad was granted Knighthood (Second Order) by the King of Belgium and decorated by the United States, France and Lux. for his efforts during that battle. Like most combat GIs, Dad never discussed his war experience. I only found out about his Knighthood after his death in 1995.
No Norm, the US Army handled it in a different way. After it was reported and verified that GIs had been murdered while surrendering or murdered after having already surrendered, the order was given "not to take any enemy prisoners".
The overriding "rule of engagement", during that war, was to give the enemy back the same medicine that they were giving us.
Sieger