I know American soldiers had dog tags; did they carry any other identification? Also, how difficult would it have been for an enemy to impersonate an American solider (perhaps using captured documents/uniforms/dog tags)? Obviously language and physical traits would be an issue, but assuming those could be overcome, are there any instances of, say, Germans impersonating American soldiers? In particular I'm wondering if any Germans might have impersonated a dead soldier to escape Germany near the end of the war, or if this would even be possible.
are there any instances of, say, Germans impersonating American soldiers?
Yes. I recall an attempt by German forces to impersonate Allied soldiers from my reading. The plan was part of a pre-'Bulge' offensive; the idea was that this operation, led by famed Axis daring-doer Otto Skorenzy, would soften up the Allies before the Axis really attacked in earnest. The idea was to insert operatives in disguise, who would confuse the defending Allies and seize key crossing points, which would allow the Axis forces to advance with less resistance. Some accounts allege that a plot to kill/kidnap Eisenhower was on the cards, but consensus is lacking.
The success of the ruse was mixed. The operatives were poorly trained in subterfuge and many were uncovered and killed by firing squad (wearing enemy uniforms was an act of espionage, which was liable for execution). Allied paranoia against infiltrators ran high, and by some accounts one Major General was detained for several hours for failing an 'American' question concerning baseball leagues.
Sources and further reading:
A. Bednar (2009), 'Operation Greif and the Trial of the “Most Dangerous Man in Europe”'. Western Illinois Historical Review vol. 1. (fun reading).
H.M Cole (1965), 'The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge'. Chapter 11.
In case you were wondering, the book which taught me about this is 'The World at Arms' (1989), published by The Reader's digest. I've owned this book since I was about ten, pic related is from when I took it into school. It has great pictures although the historical info is a tad outdated. The page concerning the 'Greif Commandos' is 328.
