Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Objective research on factual information regarding German military related warcrimes.
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Andy H
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Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Post by Andy H »

The massacre of 78 Belgian civillains is well known, though it doesn't show up on Feldgrau's divisional history :wink:

Does anyone have a online source regarding the post war, warcrimes trial regarding this event

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Richard Schoutissen
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Post by Richard Schoutissen »

The German officers Major Kühner and Lieutenant Lohmann were tried, convicted and sentenced to 20 years hard labour. They were both released after five years.

http://www.vinkt.be/pages/home.html

Bibliography
- De oorlogsmisdaden in Deinze, Meigem, Vinkt en Zeveren tijdens en na de Slag aan de Leie in mei 1940 van R. Dhaeyere.
- Vinkt in mei 1940 van F. Michem.

Richard
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Helmut
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Post by Helmut »

Servus,
I do not read Belgian so can someone tell me what happened? I have never heard of this incident before.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Helmut
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Andy H
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Post by Andy H »

There's a decent account within 'Dunkirk-Fight to the Last Man' by
Hugh Sebag-Montefiore and published by Harvard University Press. 305-315pgs

Lt-Col Hodissen 377th CO ordered certain civilians to be shot. Since he died in Russia, its uncertain as to his motives. Possibly as revenge for the loss of 184 Germans lost during the fighting, or perhaps he believed that Belgian civilians had shot at German soldiers during the battle.... Oberleutnant Lohmann stated at the trial that intially Hodissen had talked about burning the village with its inhabitants...Whilst another witness stated that Hodissen reined in Major Kühner who wanted to kill the women as well

You can find more general info via Wikipedia etc

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

And so as I patrol in the valley of the shadow of the tricolour I must fear evil, For I am but mortal and mortals can only die
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Jason Pipes
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Post by Jason Pipes »

Good info, but there is a lot that's not included for the 225th yet. In time this as well as much more info will be included.

I will soon be adding a feature that will allow users to update and submit info for unit histories on the site, it will be a great feature and will allow additions like the one listed in this thread to be made quickly and easily.
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Post by ljadw »

Helmut wrote:Servus,
I do not read Belgian so can someone tell me what happened? I have never heard of this incident before.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Helmut
Off-topic,but there is no Belgian language,the majority is speaking Dutch,40 % French and 1 % German :wink:
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tigre
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Re: Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; just in case someone did not stumble with it...............

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=28525#p211924

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Andy H
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Re: Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Post by Andy H »

Appreciate the link and the associated pictures therin

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

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tigre
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Re: Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Post by tigre »

You're welcome Andy H :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Post by Ypenburg »

If posted this some time ago an the AHF-forum:

From: Walter Miehe, Der Weg der 225. Infanterie-Division (Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall - Hamburg 1980), page 33:
25. Mai 40
Das Regiment 377 kann eine von den Pionieren gebaute Notbrücke über den Lys-Kanal überschreiten und weiter gegen Vynckt vordringen. Durch Heckenschützen, zum Teil als Zivilisten getarnt, aus Häusern und Verstecken partisanenartig kämpfend, erleidet das Regiment unverhältnismäßig hohe Verlusten: allein 60 gefallene kameraden sind zu beklagen. Gegen diesen unsichtbaren Gegner, der auch nach der Kapitulation noch vereinzelt schiesst, hinter der Front mit leuchtzeigen arbeited, hat die Truppe keinen leichten Stand. Mit Rücksicht auf die Zivilbevölkerung wird vom harten Vorgehen abgesehen, d.h. Vernichtung der Dörfer durch Artillerie-Beschuß, Abbrennen der Felder usw..........

.......Um den Ort Meygem wird gekämpft, die Bewohner suchen Schutz vor dem eigenen Artilleriefeuer und flüchten in die Kirche, in der schon Verwundete liegen. Eine Belgische Granate trifft das Kirchendach und läßt es einstürzen. Viele Tote und Verletzte gibt es unter der Zivilbevölkerung; deutsche Soldaten versuchen zu helfen, soweit es die Kriegshandlungen erlauben."

and:

I just looked in "Der lange Weg 1939-1945 - Chronik eines deutschen Soldatenschicksals" by Gerhard Siegle, wich tells about his live in the German Army, starting 1939 in the Reichsarbeidsdienst, and via 225. ID, Gren.Rgt. 1144 ends after over 700 pages on 14.04.1945. During 1940 he served in 6./IR376. It will take to much time to translate all pages about Belgium but I'll translate the parts that i.m.o. mention interesting info about what this topic is all about:

27.05.1940
It starts when at 03:00 hrs they get ready to move.

......."We couldn't know that before we did, units of our neighbouring Regiment forced their way over the Lys-canal, but shortly after they did the bridge, builded by pioneers, took a direct hit and our soldiers had to use "Schlaugboten" to cross the canal while under a rain of granates. This IR377 have also stormed Meygem before we did and moved further to Vinkt. And just in front of and in the village of Vinkt, they were pinnend down by fire from units of the Belgium Army, but even more by that of "Heckenschützen" dressed in civilians clothes."........

He then mentions his IR376 moves through the burning village of Meygem into the area between Meygem and Vinkt. Sinds the Belgium units where partly overrun, and partly not, they recieve fire from everywhere. Even a heavy Belgium arty-piece fire a granate in their direction every 3 minutes. After some time the orders come in that they have to attack again in order to give IR377 some space to breath and take the village of Vinkt. They have to take positions near the entry of the village when morning breaks. The attack is planned to start at 09:45, whit all units of the involved regiments.

The attack starts with a artillery-barrage, that is placed forwards after they started to move towards the village.

…… “We where constantly with no mercy shot at from all sides. Although the PAK we had with us fored at everything that moved, we were kept under pressure.

At 12:00 hrs. we reached the edge of the village of Vinkt……. There was no change to get any further. What IR377 couldn’t ménage the day before, we couldn’t to. We where shot at from all locations in the village. We were pinnend down in gardens, in fields, in weatfields and everywhere.”……

He then mentions they receive the order to pull back so the artillery can bombard the village “sturmreif”. The PAK they took with them is of no use since it was shot to pieces.

At 17:00 hrs. what is left of the Regiment attacks again, being shot at from all over the place again, whilest the artillery shoots direct into the village.

…….”At 18:00 hrs. we again have reached the first houses of the village. We hold on to these houses as firm as we can and now need our handgranates. With desperate courage we fight for every house. Almost at all times we can’t see the enemy. Everything that happens is like assassination. From behind, from the flanks, from above, we can’t catch anybody.

We already have one street. Now it’s about the next houses. It has become dark. The nuisance noise becomes a little less. We’re in, but only on the edge. Now we can’t count on our artillery. The forward-observers can’t help us anymore while where fighting house to house. We get ready for the night, barricade everything. We don’t see civilians anymore. Everything is spooky, and I fear the morning braking…….

…… It’s already after midnight. Suddenly the artillery stops firing. The enemy also stopped firing. What has happened? We can’t understand it. Then a messenger comes, screaming out of the top of his lungs:”Belgium has capitulated, truce at once.”.........

On 28.05.1940 his units is send to a village he believes to be “Ruiselede”.

So no mentioning of what was done to those civilians or “Heckenschützen” dressed as civilians.
Since Siegle wrote this book using his wartime-diary it could be he didn’t know at the time, or even after. But I find that a little hard to believe.

Even the Geschichte of 225. ID I cited before didn’t mention it although it does mention sort off reprisal-actions: “Mit Rücksicht auf die Zivilbevölkerung wird vom harten Vorgehen abgesehen….” So no hard messure’s, which leaves open that some messure’s were taken.
And since it was written by the “Kameradschaft” we can be pretty sure that they knew, or must have known, about the 2 officers who stood trial in Belgium.

It is however not a big surprise that it is not mentioned. Some years ago I bought the original manuscript of a Regiments-Geschichte. Written by a former Feldwebel, and “dubbelchecked” by the former Regiment-Kommandeur before it was printed by the Kameradschaft. A small remark about a soldier “gathering supplies” for the unit was marked with the words: “war-crime” . I didn’t find the story in the book I bought severall years earlier.
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Andy H
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Re: Warcrime commited by 225th ID in Vinkt Belgium 1940

Post by Andy H »

Thanks Ypenburg

One wonders what 'hard measures' could involve

Regards
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

And so as I patrol in the valley of the shadow of the tricolour I must fear evil, For I am but mortal and mortals can only die
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