General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: unpleasant topic/beatings interrogations
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: April 24, 2001 06:00PM
<HTML>Hi Eric,
The U.S. had two secret interrogation camps that I am aware of during the war. One of them was at Byron Hot Springs in California. Prisoners were harshly interrogated here. The torture used was nothing like the Gestapo interrogations but it was none the less torture and it was just as illegal.
Case in point: Otto Stengel (U-352).
Otto Stengel was one of the U-boat men who hanged Werner Dreschler (U-118) at the POW camp located at Papago Park.
In a prior camp, Dreschler had worked for the U.S. interrogators by getting other U-boat men to talk in a room he knew was bugged. He had also given his interrogators considerable information on his U-boat. He was then turned over to the U.S. Army with orders to keep him separated from any other U-boat prisoners. The Army sent him to Papago Park where there were 4,000 U-boat POW’s. He was recognized and hung there by his fellow U-boat men. In my opinion, we would have done the same if the situation had been reversed.
The Army conducted an investigation into Dreschler’s hanging and Otto Stengel failed the lie detector test. As a result, the Army sent him to the special camp at Byron Hot springs where he was to be made to talk. They succeeded. He implicated 6 other U-boat men. They were all tried and hung. Their hanging was known as the “Last Mass Executionâ€. It took place 4 months after the war was over.
During the trial Stengel described his torture:
1. He was deprived of food and sleep for days on end.
2. He was forced to sit on a hot radiator with his genitals exposed.
3. He was made to wear a gas mask filled with crushed garlic and onions. The air intake was taped shut until he passed out.
4. Finally he developed an appendicitis. I don’t know if this condition occurred due to his treatment or is it was just a coincidence but they did use it against him. They refused him medical treatment until he talked. It burst and he talked.
It must be understood that he was not treated this way in order to get vital military information out of him. Under certain conditions, I could condone that. This was done to him to make him tell who helped him hang a traitor (to Germany). He was a POW in the hands of the U.S. Army during a war. His trial was a military trial and occurred during the war. All 12 jurors were military officers. It should also be noted that his treatment (indeed the whole camp) was against the Geneva Convention.
It should also be understood that as a result of his failing the lie detector test they new he was guilty when they sent him to be made to talk.
The position of the U-boat men was that Dreschler was a soldier who had committed high treason to their country and as soldiers they did their duty when they hanged him. I agree with them and I think most who have served in the military would also agree. This was not our finest hour.
Source: The History Channel Video Tape “Last Mass Execution†Cat. No AAE-40207 (www.historychannel.com). There is also a book entitled “Martial Justice – The Last Mass Execution†by Richard Whittingham which I have not read.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
</HTML>
The U.S. had two secret interrogation camps that I am aware of during the war. One of them was at Byron Hot Springs in California. Prisoners were harshly interrogated here. The torture used was nothing like the Gestapo interrogations but it was none the less torture and it was just as illegal.
Case in point: Otto Stengel (U-352).
Otto Stengel was one of the U-boat men who hanged Werner Dreschler (U-118) at the POW camp located at Papago Park.
In a prior camp, Dreschler had worked for the U.S. interrogators by getting other U-boat men to talk in a room he knew was bugged. He had also given his interrogators considerable information on his U-boat. He was then turned over to the U.S. Army with orders to keep him separated from any other U-boat prisoners. The Army sent him to Papago Park where there were 4,000 U-boat POW’s. He was recognized and hung there by his fellow U-boat men. In my opinion, we would have done the same if the situation had been reversed.
The Army conducted an investigation into Dreschler’s hanging and Otto Stengel failed the lie detector test. As a result, the Army sent him to the special camp at Byron Hot springs where he was to be made to talk. They succeeded. He implicated 6 other U-boat men. They were all tried and hung. Their hanging was known as the “Last Mass Executionâ€. It took place 4 months after the war was over.
During the trial Stengel described his torture:
1. He was deprived of food and sleep for days on end.
2. He was forced to sit on a hot radiator with his genitals exposed.
3. He was made to wear a gas mask filled with crushed garlic and onions. The air intake was taped shut until he passed out.
4. Finally he developed an appendicitis. I don’t know if this condition occurred due to his treatment or is it was just a coincidence but they did use it against him. They refused him medical treatment until he talked. It burst and he talked.
It must be understood that he was not treated this way in order to get vital military information out of him. Under certain conditions, I could condone that. This was done to him to make him tell who helped him hang a traitor (to Germany). He was a POW in the hands of the U.S. Army during a war. His trial was a military trial and occurred during the war. All 12 jurors were military officers. It should also be noted that his treatment (indeed the whole camp) was against the Geneva Convention.
It should also be understood that as a result of his failing the lie detector test they new he was guilty when they sent him to be made to talk.
The position of the U-boat men was that Dreschler was a soldier who had committed high treason to their country and as soldiers they did their duty when they hanged him. I agree with them and I think most who have served in the military would also agree. This was not our finest hour.
Source: The History Channel Video Tape “Last Mass Execution†Cat. No AAE-40207 (www.historychannel.com). There is also a book entitled “Martial Justice – The Last Mass Execution†by Richard Whittingham which I have not read.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
unpleasant topic/beatings interrogations
|
eric petersen | 04/24/2001 02:59PM |
|
RE: unpleasant topic/beatings interrogations
|
Ken Dunn | 04/24/2001 06:00PM |
|
The beatings of the crew of U-546
|
Dave McQueen | 04/24/2001 09:05PM |
|
RE: The beatings of the crew of U-546
|
Craig McLean | 04/28/2001 01:39AM |
|
RE: The beatings of the crew of U-546
|
Craig McLean | 04/28/2001 01:53AM |
|
Re: RE: The beatings of the crew of U-546
|
KD | 01/16/2015 09:58PM |