One man of each rank is hanged
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:33 am
Hi all,
Paul Carell's book Scorched Earth (Ballantine books 1971) had this story (page 332-333):
"After the war, they picked out from their POW camps the German troops who had fought at Velikeye Luki (Battle of Velikeye Luki 1942-43- my note); took them back to the fortress and there tried them by court-martial. One man of each rank was sentenced to death--one general, one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, one captain, one lieutenant, one top sergeant, one sergeant, one senior corporal, one corporal and one private. On 29th January 1946, the men were publicly hanged in Lenin Suqare in Velikeye Luki. Among them were the commander of 277th Infantry Regiment and the former town commandant, company commanders, railway officials, junior commanders and rankers. All others who could be rounded up were sentenced to twenty or twenty-five years imprisonment. Only eleven of them survived to return to Germany between 1953 and 1955"
Does anyone knew what criminal acts that these men were charged for and were sentenced to death? Anyone knew who these men are?
Thanks
Panzermahn
Paul Carell's book Scorched Earth (Ballantine books 1971) had this story (page 332-333):
"After the war, they picked out from their POW camps the German troops who had fought at Velikeye Luki (Battle of Velikeye Luki 1942-43- my note); took them back to the fortress and there tried them by court-martial. One man of each rank was sentenced to death--one general, one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, one captain, one lieutenant, one top sergeant, one sergeant, one senior corporal, one corporal and one private. On 29th January 1946, the men were publicly hanged in Lenin Suqare in Velikeye Luki. Among them were the commander of 277th Infantry Regiment and the former town commandant, company commanders, railway officials, junior commanders and rankers. All others who could be rounded up were sentenced to twenty or twenty-five years imprisonment. Only eleven of them survived to return to Germany between 1953 and 1955"
Does anyone knew what criminal acts that these men were charged for and were sentenced to death? Anyone knew who these men are?
Thanks
Panzermahn