In combat in World War II who was the most vicious in combat?

By all accounts the Japanese were the most vicious. But the Germans were more effective.

Yeah, that's what I heard too. Good way to put it.

The Russians really hated the Germans. Something like 90-95% of all captured German soldiers didn't survive to see a POW camp. Those that did remained as slaves long after the war was over. Then there was the orgy of rape the Russians committed as they crossed eastern Europe.

Ugly times all around.

Probably the Japanese and the later Russians (i.e., 1942-1945.) If a man is going to fight to the death because surrender is forbidden, he's obviously going to be a more brutal opponent than one who'll give up... and over a million Germans surrendered between 1941-1944. Around a total of 5,000 Japanese surrendered prior to August-September 1945, many of those in the last months of the war when they finally realized how badly they'd been snookered by the Emporer Cult.

For an indication of the Japanese fanaticism for fighting to the finish you only have to look at Iwo Jima, out of around 22,000 Japanese only around 200 surrendered, less than 1 per cent.

depends what you consider vicious, murdering 6 million jews is pretty vicious.

I'm not discussing the SS and it's military branches, but only the German Army in combat in warfare.

Well first up there were one and the same. Second the idea of the German army being detached from the war crimes was a myth the allies made up because they needed to rearm Germany as part of the cold war.

The Germany military were bloody butchers particularly on the eastern front.

He's a fun quote from the head of the German army science division
" "America must be attacked simultaneously with various human and animal epidemic pathogens, as well as plant pests"

Because Hitler thought offensive biological warfare was morally wrong and should only be studied for defence.

Oh really you mind explaining to me how they are one and the same?