Shooted POW's at Eismeerfront, Then and Now

[Dimas]

Actually this is not my work, I just complete the translations from Russian and just add the document from a Russian archive. The name of other soldier is not identified, due the remains has been heavily destroyed by artillery barrage later, as the stones itself.
It is exists some documents in German and Russian languages, where Germans said- Russians shoot the wounded German soldiers , and Russians said that they supply medical help to them, but I think both sides will never say true in paper. That was the war, and it was horrible, and to be honest, as me myself- I will not have such a brave posing, knowing I'll be killed over a couple of minutes

[Paul D]

Yes it's interesting that quite a few of the Gebirgsjager are pointing at and past the Russian soldiers in a clearly agitated way as though accusing them of something !! The confusion and fog of war in action !

[harryamb2]

frightful deeds were done by both all sides.

[FJR6]

Very sobering photos. Thanks for posting them.

[Nikolaus]

Respect and Honour for all fallen soldiers!

[Wagriff]

It is never said outloud in "Official Channels" and will never be heard being ordered by your Commanding Officer, But....The terrible but unspoken fact is that in War-time and on the Battlefield, in far too many cases, the 2 sides are simply Unable to take prisoners or tend to the enemy wounded. If you are at the Front, you may, basically, have no way to Do so. To spare men to guard,feed,tend and transport a handful of enemy combatants back to "somewhere" in the rear lines, is just Not Possible. Sometimes, a quick and merciful death with a bullet is the only option left. Certainly, the British, for example, were not able to hospitalize and rescue the thousands of Zulu warriors that were wounded at Rourke's Drift. And no Way was it possible to take,guard, feed and tend Any prisoners-they had everything they could do and Then some just to barely deal with their Own casualties. What other options did they have left? A 450/577 bullet...

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks for posting this Dim.

Cheers, Ade.

[Gary J]

Note the soldiers belt buckle .. in the picture as he is marched up the hill, and then, .... in the present day photo of the remains .....
Untouched from the original photo ... and then found "as was" in the present day ....

[bananamafia]

a chilling reminder of all that was lost.
thankyou for posting.

[Dimas]

As The Gebirgsjagers said, the Soviets has been " camouflaged" as dead or heavily wounded, then "reborned" again, and shoot from the back, it has been dissapoint them, due they did not wait this unfaithfull behaviour they did not met before, and count that like a bad game. What I think personally, this is not a bad behaviour, due the operation Barbarossa was also not declared, and as said by my grandpa- he was asleep, when th German grenades has been exploded in the garden of his casarms, he runs this time to his howitzer at 4. 00 morning in his underwear, they run away with a guns from a artillery barrage, which safe his life, but did't make the posibility to die as a hero, but give the posssibility to run this forum