11 Black soldiers killed by the Germans.

[mustang1944]

Hi,

Can someone tell me something about the following:

In a book I read about the fact that the German SS had executed 11 black soldiers from the 106th Infantry Division on December 17,1944.

Does someone knowns about this incident,would like to known more about this subject.

Regards,
Mustang1944.

[Carl W.]

Hi Mustang1944,

the men and the incident you are referring to are the "Wereth 11". During the early stages of the Battle of the Bulge, 11 black U.S. soldiers assigned to the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion were tortured and executed by German SS officers. The 333rd was a Corps unit attached to the 106th Infantry Division.

After being reactivated in the regular Army as a 155 mm howitzer battalion just a year before their deployment, the 333rd Field Artillery soldiers spent their first six months in combat supporting the 2nd Infantry Division and 7th Corps, while holding the front line against German troops. When the Battle of the Bulge began, the unit was located near St. Vith, Belgium.

During the second day of the fight, 11 members of the Headquarters and Service Battery became separated from their unit while evading German armor and infantry units.
While searching for food and shelter, the men spotted a farm owned by Matthias Langer, who offered the soldiers part of his family’s meager rations.
At dawn, after receiving a tip from a female German sympathiser from the village, a group of Nazi SS stopped in front of the Langer house. After surrendering, the soldiers were forced to sit in the cold and mud while their fate was decided. Marched to a cow pasture behind the house, they were tortured and later shot or bayoneted to death.
In the morning, villagers saw the bodies of the men in a ditch. Since they were afraid that the Germans might return, they didn’t touch the dead Americans. The bodies remained covered by snowfall until mid-February 1945 when villagers directed a U.S. Army graves registration unit to the scene.

Unlike similar war crimes, the slaying of these men wasn’t well documented or prosecuted. After an investigation proved fruitless and didn’t turn up any positive identification of those whom committed the murders, the investigation was closed.



for more info: www.wereth.org/

Best regards
Carl

[mustang1944]

Dear Mr. Wouters,

Thank you so much for this information,it's good to known more about this episode of the fightings in the Ardennes.
It was a story that I never knew,and I can asure you that I will go to this Monuments for the 11th black soldiers.
And now I known the story behind this tragedy,I can tell you that I will pay my respect to these men whenever I will visit Henri-Chapelle.

Best Regards,
Jan de Wilde
(The Netherlands).

[Carl W.]

Hi Jan,

sure do. A beautifull new monument has been erected in 2004.
It's a part of history that can't be forgotten...

Best regards
Carl
(from Belgium )