Massacre of Feodosia
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II
Victims' corpses in front of the main hospital on the coast
LocationFeodosia, Crimea
DateDecember 29, 1941 (1941-12-29)-
January 1, 1942 (1942-01-01)
Attack type
Deaths160 German POWs[1]
PerpetratorsRed Army

The Massacre of Feodosia was a war crime by the Red Army against 160 wounded Wehrmacht POWs between December 29, 1941 and January 1, 1942. The massacre was notable for the relatively high number of victims and the "needless cruelty demonstrated" by the Red Army murderers,[1] who froze victims into ice alive.[2]

Background

On November 3, the city was captured by elements of the German 46th and 170th Infantry Divisions.[1] On December 29, Soviet marine troops and regular infantry landed on the beach of Feodosia and captured the city.[1] According to Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, "[A]n order was issued to kill every single German in Feodosia, whether wounded or not."[3]

Discovery

On January 18, 1942, the Germans were able to reconquer Feodosia.[4] De Zayas states,

They found that around 150 wounded German military personnel had been murdered. Wounded soldiers had been thrown out of the windows of the hospital to make room for Soviet wounded, then water was poured on the heavily wounded soldiers who were then left to freeze. On the beach in front of the field hospital, piles of bodies were found where they were thrown from a wall several metres high, after being beaten and mutilated, and left in the surf so that the sea water froze and covered them with a sheet of ice. Some of the dead bodies showed severe signs of mutilation.[2]

In some cases, their genitals were cut off. Twelve German soldiers survived the massacre hidden in cellars. Their testimony before the Wehrmacht War Crimes Bureau confirmed the number: Red Army soldiers murdered 160 wounded POWs.

On 21 March 1983, the West German Radio (WDR) broadcast a documentary which was based on de Zayas' investigation and also showed propaganda footage of the troops of the Wehrmacht on the Massacre of Broniki; witnesses to the massacre talked to journalists in the documentary.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 de Zayas 2000, p. 180.
  2. 1 2 A. de Zayas, Die Wehrmacht und das Voelkerrecht, Vortrag vor der Staats- und Wirtschaftspolitische Gesellschaft e.V., Hamburg, 27. Februar 2004; ders. Wehrmacht-Untersuchungsstelle, p. 61. (in German)
  3. ↑ de Zayas 2000, p. 183.
  4. ↑ de Zayas 2000, p. 181.
  5. ↑ A. de Zayas, Die Wehrmacht und das Voelkerrecht, Vortrag vor der Staats- und Wirtschaftspolitische Gesellschaft e.V., Hamburg, 27. Februar 2004; ders. Wehrmacht-Untersuchungsstelle, p. 84. (in German)

Bibliography

  • de Zayas, Alfred-Maurice (December 2000) [November 1979]. "Feodosia". The Wehrmacht War Crimes Bureau, 1939–1945. Rockport: Picton Press. pp. 180–186. ISBN 0-89725-421-X.

Literature

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