Lippach Massacre: US Troops Executed Teenage Nazi Prisoners of War in 1945

The Lippach massacre in 1945 saw U.S. troops execute unarmed German soldiers in one of the most controversial and little-known incidents at the end of World War II. On April 22, 1945, as the Second World War neared its end, the quiet German village of Lippach found itself in the path of advancing U.S. troops from the 23rd Tank Battalion of the 12th Armored Division. Expecting surrender from a retreating SS unit made up largely of teenage conscripts, the American soldiers instead responded with extreme violence. Over the course of a single day, 36 unarmed German soldiers—some as young as 16—were brutally executed, many with crushed skulls, machine gun wounds, or shot in the back. What began as a military engagement quickly escalated into a war crime. After the battle, a number of soldiers from the 3rd Provisional Company—an African American unit—remained in Lippach. Under the influence of alcohol and the strain of prolonged combat, these soldiers committed unspeakable acts. At least twenty local women were assaulted, homes were looted, and several villagers hid in fear as the violence spread. Only the courageous intervention of local priest Josef Boy helped prevent further atrocities. The events at Lippach remained buried in silence for decades. It wasn’t until 1995 that the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division opened an inquiry, but no one was held accountable. Today, the massacre is a haunting reminder that even the liberators of Nazi Germany were not immune to committing atrocities in the chaos of war.This episode is part of the series The Forgotten Massacres of Defenseless Soldiers in WWII.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv