shoot the two Germans who had thrown down their weapons, and put their hands up? They were obviously surrendering.
Earlier in the movie Captain Miller spared the life of Steamboat Willie (which turned out to be a mistake) because killing a prisoner is murder. Was this just done to emphasize the extreme brutality of war?
Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.
Yes
shareI guess you're right.
Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.
If I remember correctly, they weren't even German, as many of the soldiers on the Atlantic wall defenses were conscripts from other countries. (I think in the movie, they might have been speaking Polish? I'm sure someone here can correct me if I'm wrong, though...haha)
"Oh yeah, one more thing....where can I get a pizza?."
I believe you are correct. Others have said that as well.
TNSTAAFL
It just occurred to me that perhaps their mistake was walking towards the two GIs. They should have just frozen after they put their hands up. If I had been one of the GIs I would have been suspicious about that. Shoot first and ask questions later.
Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.
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The 916th Grenadier Regiment and its parent command the 352d Infantry Division were who opposed the Allies at Omaha. It is very true that the 352d included many Eastern Europeans. However this fact is often very much overstated and used by some to say that well "Omaha was manned by less capable Slavs". When in reality this is far from the truth. Almost all of the Officers in the 352d were veteran Wehrmacht. A great deal of the NCOs were also German Ost front Vets. Only roughly a third of the grunts in the Division were Russian and Ukrainian Volunteers, hardly a majority and not slave labor. 2 thirds of the Grunts were young German boys between 16 and 18.
shareThe two "German" soldiers who are shot trying to surrender were speaking Czech. They were saying, "Please don't shoot me, I am not German, I am Czech, I didn't kill anyone, I am Czech!" They were members of what the Germans called Ost [East] Battalions, men, mostly Czech and Polish, taken prisoner in eastern European countries invaded by Germany and forced into the German army.
Sheer bad luck on their part to find the only two American soldiers in that entire operation who didn't speak Czech, huh?
Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
Or sheer bad luck on their part they were the only two Czech soldiers who didn't speak some English. I know when you put it like that it seems a bit ludicrous but I guess desperation is a powerful thing. They probably thought the Americans would recognise the pleading in their voice regardless of the language.
Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!
The original post asked about Omaha beach but then said earlier in the movie he let Steamboat Willie go. Miller let Steamboat Willie go later in the movie. I only point that out to make sure we are talking about the same scene. After taking the beach, I always had the take that after seeing so many friends and other soldiers die at the hands of these men, it was a form of revenge. They didn't care about capturing them alive. They wanted revenge for what they had done to their friends. It didn't matter if these 2 had not fired a shot, the Americans didn't know, and didn't care. They wanted to get back at them. That's my take anyway.
sharethe Americans didn't know, and didn't care. They wanted to get back at them. That's my take anyway.
Upham was right when he advised Miller not too kill the prisoner. The German had surrendered, to simply shoot him would have even a war crime, Miller and co could easily have been court-martialled for such an act.
shareIt was much later in the film that Captain Miller spared Steamboat Willie's life. Miller looked disappointed when the two GIs killed the surrendering soldiers.
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