Jochen Peiper's quote denouncing his own?

[Jaegerhando]

I came upon this quote by Jochen Peiper. Does anyone know the context within which it was said? What I mean is, was he specifically denouncing/disowning the men in the defence? Who were the defence? were they his former comrades?
Were they denouncing/disowning him? It is hard to imagine that they would denounce their own commander whom they had served during the war and for him to do likewise. Were they even close comrades at one time or never? I thought that after the war, Peiper had contact with some of his war time comrades, so it is confusing to think that he said all his "old comrades and and friends have gone before (KIA)."

Thank you

"My men are the products of total war, grown up in the streets of scattered towns without any education. The only thing they knew was to handle weapons for the Reich. They were young people with a hot heart and the desire to win or die: right or wrong – my country. When seeing today the defendants in the dock, don't believe them to be the old Kampfgruppe Peiper. All of my old friends and comrades have gone before. The real outfit is waiting for me in Valhalla."

From Wikipedia.

[billbert]

Sounds to me like its during the malmedy atrocity trials 1946-..Billbert

[Dr. Strangelove]

Translation

I do not think he slighting anyone by this comment and I would like to see the original German to know how it was translated. If half of what Agte said is true they really tortured Peiper badly.

[Jaegerhando]

Sounds to me like its during the malmedy atrocity trials 1946-..Billbert

Yes, I realize that, but that was not my question. Thank you.

[Norman LaBarge]

Another problem with the quote is that it came from "wikipedia" Look at any wikipedia site and you can find an edit link, This will allow any viewer the option of editing the contents. Some wikipedia pages have had this locked out because of abuse.

Wikipedia is open to anyone who want to submit anything. Colleges and Universities do not accept content from wikipedia as being acceptable historic material and advise students that wikipedia can be and is full of BS.

If the quote can be found at a different site or in a book, then it carries much more weight than anything found on wikipedia.

[Mike Davis]

...I do not think he slighting anyone by this comment....

Agreed. I do not think he intended this remark as a criticism but rather one of praise for brave soldiers.

[gijoe002us]

It does sound of praise for his soldiers with a seperate distinction to them versus the higher defendants on trial.
Agree on the grain of salt with wikipedia, there seems to be a high degree of misinformation regarding certain topics.

Joe

[Tim O'Keefe]

Hello

Sounds to me like he is missing his old comrades from his earlier dashing days (who are all dead) and the Kampfgruppe Pieper from the Bulge is just a bunch of young boys (unprofessionals) trying to do their job unsuccessfully compared to his earlier solders exploits. Typical of men trying to vindicate themselves somewhat for the mistakes made...

"Agree on the grain of salt with wikipedia" Yes sometimes its like watching a movie

regards
Tim

[MikeP]

Tim O'Keefe pretty much gets it.

It is however, the statement of a weakling not man enough to back his troops no matter who they were.
He was their commander. His is responsible for them thick or thin.

This is a rat jumping ship while his mates burn.

"Honor is Loyalty" yuk yuk.

[Jaegerhando]

Tim O'Keefe pretty much gets it.

This is a rat jumping ship while his mates burn.

"Honor is Loyalty" yuk yuk.

In what way is he allowing them to burn? Is he allowing the defendants to get what the prosecution wants from them? I do not know exactly what you mean by allowing them to burn. Is he so,e how ratting on them etc?

[leibermuster]

The US army took POW's that were not members of 1st SS Panzer Korp. Kampfgruppe Peiper, beat and tortured them until they confessed to the Malmedy deaths and put them on the stand. There are pictures of old men and men in Heer uniforms with bruised and bloody faces. It is my suspicion that the quote that started all this refers to the fact that Peiper did not consider these men his boys. I believe he also did not respect the political men on trial as he was asked to join the NSDAP and refused several times. He and Sepp Dietrich both took full responsibility as officers for the actions of their men. Although it is obvious that neither one was personally involved in the tragic mistake at Malmedy.

[Tim O'Keefe]

Malmedy was not a "tragic mistake" it was one of a number of War Crimes committed by this unit The "mistakes" refered to were tactical decisions made and results not achieved by the inexperienced troops and perhaps the commander himself which led to frustration and this disgusting atrocity. Pieper was trying to distance himself from these young solders but He was still their commander so this was his responsibility which he paid for later.....

regards
Tim

[Tony K]

Peiper

Peiper at all times took responsibility for his actions, so it is likely those were actually not his men in the stands. From what I've researched of the American accounts, a U.S. Soldier was openly defiant after they surrendered, and as a result was shot creating panic/fleeing resulting in the death of his fellow prisoners. The incident was deliberately inflated to keep further Allied forces from surrendering.

[John Hodgin]

There is no condemnation, nor excuses, in Pieper's testimony. His comment is a straightforward statement about the soldiers of the Waffen SS and missed fallen comrades. Read the Agte biography on him.

[leibermuster]

Peiper at all times took responsibility for his actions, so it is likely those were actually not his men in the stands. From what I've researched of the American accounts, a U.S. Soldier was openly defiant after they surrendered, and as a result was shot creating panic/fleeing resulting in the death of his fellow prisoners. The incident was deliberately inflated to keep further Allied forces from surrendering.

Several US soldiers did run and hide when they were being held. It is believed that a young Hungarian volkdeutsche teenager was the first to open fire on the fleeing soldiers. This created a situation where the sleep deprived and nervous SS men shot and killed the POWs