Lippach massacre
The Lippach massacre was a war crime committed by the 12th Armored Division of the US Army on 22 April 1945 during the Western Allied invasion of Germany. Some 25 US soldiers from the 3rd Provisional Company killed approximately 24 Waffen-SS prisoners of war and allegedly raped 20 women.[1][2]
| Lippach massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | near Westhausen, Gau Württemberg-Hohenzollern |
| Date | 22 April 1945 |
Attack type | Mass murder War rape |
| Deaths | 24 Waffen-SS prisoners of war. |
| Perpetrators | 23rd Tank Battalion, 12th Armored Division (US Army) |
Battle
At noon on 22 April, the 12th Armored Division's 23rd Tank Battalion attacked 300 Waffen-SS troops, mostly 16-year-olds, at the village of Lippach.[2][3] German artillery, Nebelwerfer, Panzerfaust and small arms fire held the Americans back until 16:00.[3] Perhaps 12 SS soldiers were killed in the battle.[1]
Massacre and mass rape
As the rest of the 23rd Tank Battalion advanced toward Lauchheim, the 3rd Provisional Company came across an alcohol warehouse.[3] Some 25 drunken US soldiers then shot 10 German prisoners of war in the back of the head at a meadow, while six more had their skulls bashed in.[4] Thirty-six Waffen-SS soldiers lost their lives near Lippach, two-thirds of them killed after the battle.[1][2] The US soldiers proceeded to rape about 20 women in the village.[1][2]
Citations
- Fritz 2004, p. 182.
- Zigan 2015.
- Fritz 2004, p. 180.
- Fritz 2004, pp. 180–182.
Bibliography
- Fritz, Stephen (2004). Endkampf: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Death of the Third Reich. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2325-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Zigan, Harald (16 April 2015). "Kriegsende 1945 (Teil 10): US-Soldaten nehmen blutige Rache in Jungholzhausen und Ilshofen". swp.de (in German). Südwest Presse. Retrieved 3 March 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)