Unsung Heroes of the Dachau Trials

The U.S. Army 7708 War Crimes Group investigated atrocities committed in Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. These young Americans—many barely out of their teens—gathered evidence, interviewed witnesses, apprehended suspects and prosecuted defendants at trials held at Dachau. Their work often put them in harm’s way—some suspects facing arrest preferred to shoot it out.
The War Crimes Group successfully prosecuted the perpetrators of the Malmedy Massacre, in which 84 American prisoners of war were shot by their German captors; and Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny, aptly described as “the most dangerous man in Europe.” Operation Paperclip, however, placed some war criminals—scientists and engineers recruited by the U.S. government—beyond their reach. From the ruins of the Third Reich arose a Nazi underground that preyed on Americans, especially members of the Group.

John J. Dunphy is an author, book shop owner and retired community college instructor who lives in Godfrey, Illinois.

John J. Dunphy
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 218
Bibliographic Info: 13 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9540-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5342-6
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Introduction 5
1. Of Lies and Truth 9
2. The Necessity of the War Crimes Trials 17
3. Report of the Deputy Judge Advocate for War Crimes 28
4. Bill Kasich: A ­Nineteen-Year-Old in ­Post-War Germany 53
5. Ralph Schulz: Seminarian Turned Record Keeper 65
6. The Malmédy Massacre 73
7. Otto Skorzeny: “The Most Dangerous Man in Europe” 90
8. Downed American Airmen: Descent into Hell 112
9. Project Paperclip: The Harvest of Nazi Technology 116
10. Barbie and Bormann: War Criminals 140
11. The Buchenwald Case 145
12. The Nazi Underground in ­Post-War Germany 156
13. Walter Kirkland: Family Man 171
14. Otto Ludwig Stein: Refugee and Interpreter 174
15. John Henry Pohlman: War Crimes Attorney from the Gateway City 180
16. The Struggle Continues 195
Epilogue 197
Bibliography 203
Index 209