Jungholzhausen massacre
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| Jungholzhausen massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | Braunsbach and Ilshofen, Württemberg, Germany |
| Date | 14–15 April 1945 |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 13–30 Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht prisoners of war |
| Perpetrators | 254th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division (US Army) |
The Jungholzhausen massacre was a war crime committed by the 63rd Infantry Division of the US Army on 15 April 1945 during the Western Allied invasion of Germany. Between 13 and 30 Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht prisoners of war were executed by the division's 254th Infantry Regiment after heavy fighting near the village of Jungholzhausen.[1][2]
In April 1945, the 254th Infantry Regiment suffered heavy casualties during the battle for the Hohenlohe district.[1] Wehrmacht combat engineers and mostly 17-year old Waffen-SS soldiers from Leoben in Styria engaged the regiment in combat near the village of Jungholzhausen.[1] After the battle, the villagers counted the bodies of 63 German soldiers, out of whom at least 13 had been killed after surrendering.[1][2] An eyewitness observed the US execution with submachine guns of four Waffen-SS troops during the night.[1] According to Harald Zigan, US massacres of German prisoners of war were commonplace in the district of Hohenlohe.[1]
