I’d have to give ‘last German holdouts’ prize to the 11 men in the weather forecast unit under the command of lieutenant Wilhelm Dege stranded at a weather station on the Norwegian island of Nordausandet (near Spitsbergen), in the arctic. They had been deposited by U-Boat at the remote site in August of 1944 with a two year food supply and rifles to defend them from marauding polar bears.
They broadcast weather reports until 7 May, 1945, when they got news of the German surrender (along with orders to “destroy everything”). Not wishing to spend another winter in the arctic, they sent distress signals with no response. After several months they began broadcasting on allied channels as well and received a reply from the Norwegians, who dispatched a seal hunting boat to pick them up.
On Sept. 4, 1945, the rescuers arrived, whereupon Dege and his men hosted a large dinner for them (presumably with the best of the remaining supplies). Afterward, Dege handed his Luger to the boat’s captain and formally surrendered, becoming the last German military unit to surrender in WW2.
What did the German soldiers think of the American soldiers during World War 2?
Many were frustrated by the American way of warfare, especially the officers who could not call upon the resources that their enemy could. The common soldier was annoyed that the American... (Read Full)
