*** war and social upheaval: World War II -- prisoners of war POWs Germany








American Treatment of World War II Prisoners of War (POWs)


Figure 1.--Here we see an unamed German boy who was presumably was drafted into the Volksstrum. That would mean that he was 16 years old, but he looks younger -- perhaps about 13-14 years old. We don't nbelieve that the Volkstrum drafted many younger boys, but younger boys coulkd volunteer. We are not sure to what exctent this occurred. Looking at his face he looks both bewildered and relieved to be out of the War and being treated correctly. Notice the ill-fiting cap and jacket. The photograph was taken in the final weeks of the War. The press caotion read, "NAZI boy soldier captured: This young Nazi boy soldier pictured April 15, 1945, was captured by the 11th Armored Division, Third U.S. Army near Kulmbach, Germany. Although wearing a German Army uniform, he had not been issued arms. He was one of a group being marched toward the Czechoslovak border, 35 miles west of Kulmbach. We are not sure why thaey were headed toward the Czech border. We suspect that the Wehrmacht officers involved were simplly trying to avoid combat. Source: U.S. Army Signal Corps. Photo NTO-HQ-45-32638.

The Axis POWs varied a great deal on how they felt about being captured by the Americans. The Japanese with few exceptions were horrified. Many of the men take captive were wounded an unable to continue fighting or even kill themselves. They though surrebder dishonest and shameful. They even thought that they were dishoring their family. It is notable that Gen. Tojo had little interest in commting suiside after the War, making only a face saving gesture with a pistol. Manyu of his yoong soldiers were fanatical in their devotion to the Emperor, either commiting suiside or engadinfg in suisidal Banzai charges. There were some surenders in Okinawa in the final months of the War, but very few before that. Most Italians were overjoyed about surrendering to the Americans and being out of the War. Gen Patton apparently complained about instrctions he was getting about sanitation in the POW camps. He is said to have told reporters, Hell, they didn't even know what a latrine was before we captuted them." That was crude and unfair. There is no doubt, howwver, that there were better fed and housed by the U.S. Arny than theor own Army. There was no fear of the Siviets at the time, just a felling that they were going to survive and a generally favotable attitiude towaed the American. Most Italians did not understand why they were fighting the Americans. The Germans were different. The United States took its fist German POWs in North Africa when large numbers surrendered in Tunisia. Many were sullen and believed that the Americans were a poor excuse for an Army and sure that Germany would still win the War. OKW's assesment of theAmericn Army was also low. This changed when more Germans were captured after D-Day, especially in the final months of the War. Many were more like the Italians, thankful to be out of the War and alove--and not captured by the Red Aemy. There was for the most part no doubt that Germany had been defeated and defeated disasterously. Unlike World war I, there were no dounts in Germany that they had been defeated. There were still arrogant officers who believed that the Wehrmacht was the most profesional of all World War II militaries and werw only defated by weight of numbers. Actually they were probably correct about this, but all their great victories were against unpreaored opponnts and it was their ladrship that decided to fight Britain, the Soviet Union, and America at the same time. Another exception was some of the Hitler Youth boys. They believed in Hitler and took Goebbels radio speeches as fact. They could not believe that they were defeated. Many were confused and disoriented, not understanding what was happening to them and their country. Some of these boys boys unlike older Wehrmacht soldiets fought to the death in Berlin and other locatioms. Often they fought in their Hiler Youth uniforms. Axis POWs were veey correctly treted by the U.S. Army, largely out of coencern over over how American POWs in German hands were being treated.

Japanese POWs

The Axis POWs varied a great deal on how they felt about being captured by the Americans. The Japanese with few exceptions were horrified at the very idea. Not so much that the Americans were capturing them, but that they allowed themselves to be captured at all. It was commonly seen as dishoinorable. Many of the men take captive were wounded an unable to continue fighting or even kill themselves. They though surrebder dishonest and shameful. They even thought that they were dishoring their entire family. It is notable that Gen. Tojo had little interest in commiting suiside after the War, making only a face saving gesture with a pistol. Many of his young soldiers, however, were fanatical in their devotion to the Emperor. The ide was inclcated in them by the military. Most facing capture, either commiting suiside or engaged in suisidal Banzai charges. There were some surenders in Okinawa in the final months of the War, but very few before that. Almost all of the Japanese soldiers who syrrendered to the Americans survived the war. Ironically, large numbers of Japanese soldiers at the ebd of the War did surender to the Soviet Red Army in Mancguria. Few of these POWs survived to return to Japan. Given the refusal of so many Japanese soldiers to surrender and the fierceness of their resistance on one Pacific Island after another, it is virtually beyond belieft that the surrender of Japan went to smoothly. The difference of course was that the Emperor ordred them to surrender.

Italian POWs

Most Italians were overjoyed about surrendering to the Americans and being out of the War. Gen Patton apparently complained about instrctions he was getting about sanitation in the POW camps. He is said to have told reporters, Hell, they didn't even know what a latrine was before we captuted them." That was crude and unfair. There is no doubt, howwver, that there were better fed and housed by the U.S. Arny than theor own Army. There was no fear of the Siviets at the time, just a felling that they were going to survive and a generally favotable attitiude towaed the American. Most Italians did not understand why they were fighting the Americans.

German POWS

The United States conducted its first offenib=ve action of the war in North Africa--Operation Torch (November 1942). The German POWs captured in Tunisia were very different than the Italians. The United States took its fist German POWs in North Africa when large numbers surrendered in Tunisia (May 1943). Many were sullen and believed that the Americans were a poor excuse for an Army and sure that Germany would still win the War. OKW's assesment of theAmericn Army was also low. This changed when more Germans were captured after D-Day (June 1944). The Germans fought fircely, but this changed in the final months of the War. German reaistabce begn to collapse after the allies crossed the Rhine (March 1945). Many at this time were more like the Italians, thankful to be out of the War and above all not captured by the Red Army. There was for the most part no doubt that Germany had been defeated and defeated disasterously. Unlike World war I, there were no dounts in Germany that they had been defeated. There were still arrogant officers who believed that the Wehrmacht was the most profesional of all World War II militaries and werw only defated by weight of numbers. Actually they were probably correct about this, but all their great victories were against unpreaored opponnts and it was their ladrship that decided to fight Britain, the Soviet Union, and America at the same time. Another exception was some of the Hitler Youth boys. They believed in Hitler and took Goebbels radio speeches as fact. They could not believe that they were defeated. Many were confused and disoriented, not understanding what was happening to them and their country. Some of these boys unlike older Wehrmacht soldiets fought to the death in Berlin and other locatioms. Often they fought in their Hiler Youth uniforms. Axis POWs were veey correctly treted by the U.S. Army, largely out of coencern over over how American POWs in German hands were being treated. Treatment changed, especially the rations issued after the German surrender. There were also serioua problems coping with the tidal wave of German surrenders at the end of the war.





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Created: 9:48 PM 7/13/2015
Last updated: 5:15 AM 5/12/2018