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    #1

    What procedure would the Germans have followed in 1944 to execute one of their own?

    Hi guys

    I would like to know how the procedure for the Germans to execute one of their own officers for whatever reason would have been carried out in August 1944?
    Is the following scenario plausible?

    A front line officer with the rank of Colonel partly disobayed orders by not destroying monuments in a French town, and by communicating with the French resistance. The officer is executed 3 to 4 days later just behind the front.

    Would something like this be possible? Does any database of executed officers exist?

    Jean-Loup
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    #2
    In the book "Frontsoldaten" or "In Deadly Comabt" it speaks of an execution of a German soldier for stealing I think . I cant remember for sure also seems as it was in Russia.

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      #3
      Jean-Loup, it would have depended on whether the officer in question was dishonorably expelled from the Wehrmacht or not. For instance, the officers of the July 20th plot were thrown out of the army, then tried as civilians, then executed 'durch den strang', or strangulation, something which would have been unheard of for an active officer, who would have expected the firing squad.

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        #4
        My friend Edgar the uboot vet related an incident where a sailor from a uboot was stopped at a check point and had a tin of butter he had taken from the uboot's stores and was brought back to the base and my friend Edgar and his ship mates were hauled out of bed to witness the execution of the young sailor for theft.
        In Hans von Lucks book Panzer Commander there was an incedent where a flying courts marshall arrested, tried, and executed two of his men. They had taken some vehicles in for repair and were in a resturaunt eating with their feldwebel when they were arrested. They were convicted for not haveing written orders to be there, the nco wasn't tried, and dispite protest by the nco the two men were still executed.

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          #5
          What about Rommel's execution, poison or firing squad was his choice....

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            #6
            Originally posted by Tim O'Keefe View Post
            What about Rommel's execution, poison or firing squad was his choice....
            Yes, to spare his family from the Gestapo. That is why Rommel is one of the few Germans who has my total respect. Even though he was on the wrong side he always fought with honor & dignity.

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by Jean-Loup View Post
              Hi guys

              I would like to know how the procedure for the Germans to execute one of their own officers for whatever reason would have been carried out in August 1944?
              Is the following scenario plausible?

              A front line officer with the rank of Colonel partly disobayed orders by not destroying monuments in a French town, and by communicating with the French resistance. The officer is executed 3 to 4 days later just behind the front.

              Would something like this be possible? Does any database of executed officers exist?

              Jean-Loup
              J-L, IMO this is plausible, the charge most likely "treason in the face of the enemy" and the method of execution would have been firing squad...I no of no database that contains such information!
              Cheers, Steve
              ----------------------------------------------------------------
              "Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won." Arthur Wellesley — Duke of Wellington

              Comment

                #8
                Hi Jean-Loup!

                I also think that it's plausible. Do you know if the officer was orderd to destroy the monuments as such, or if they were "just" in an area in which demolitions had to be carried out, inevitably damaging them? In the first case, the charges would be for disobeying orders, but if the second scenario happened, that would maybe mean that a possible retreat would be in danger, if roads and bridges were left intact to be used by the advancing enemy. I guess that this would make the case worse.

                Judging from the court martial and execution of 4 officers for leaving the bridge at Remagen intact to allied hands, I guess that this is quite probable. A quick court martial with an execution carried out in the nearest place possible, is a quite plausible scenario for a retreating army in times of war I think.

                Cheers, Giorgos

                Comment

                  #9
                  I have to wonder why the monuments were not destroyed before August 1944 if the Germans wanted them destroyed since they had already occuppied France for quite some time. If this was an order to destroy something of military value before retreating I could understand the destruction but a monument or monuments? Sounds like there is more to the story or the facts have become unclear.

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                    #10
                    The story goes that the officer was supposed to destroy both military objectives and a bunch of monuments just before retreating. He decided not to destroy the monuments.
                    I just read one romantisised account of the story, and would like to check it out to see if it is true or not.

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                      #11
                      Somewhere in my attic I have several manuals of German military law which detail how death sentences were to be passed, confirmed and the procedures for carrying them out. I'll try and locate them.

                      I also have several volumes on civil law, which I think also contains sections on executions - these run to several thousand pages though, so finding the relevant sections may take a while (especially as I can't speak German...!).

                      Dave
                      Last edited by Dave Page; 12-12-2009, 12:52 PM. Reason: Spelling

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