Hello, I was hoping someone here has some knowledge that will help confirm or disprove of something I saw during a documentary years ago.
This documentary made the claim that some Waffen SS units would set up a fake surrender. They would do this by hiding their troops in a field with high grass then sending a message to the allied unit in the area that they wanted to surrender. They would set up the rendezvous point in the field where their comrades would be lying in wait. A few unarmed SS soldiers would make their way to the middle of the field with their hands up to draw the allied unit out to greet and capture them. When the allied unit was close enough, the surrendering soldiers would throw themselves down while the hidden soldiers would pop up and kill the allied soldiers where they stood.
Certainly seems like something the SS would do but I can't find a single mention or documented occurance of this happening. It's been several years since I've seen the documentary that made this claim so I can't recall it's name. Has anyone heard this as well?
You know where this incident was supposed to have happened?
Fake surrenders were certainly not uncommon but I doubt most were that elaborate. Most likely last ditch efforts by surrounded soldiers who thought they had nothing to lose. It's obviously a war crime according to the law of war in WWII.
I don't remember reading something like this but not because the Waffen SS wouldn't do something like that but rather because it seems impractical to me. Setting up such trap is difficult and you wouldn't get much out of it. That doesn't mean it did not happen tho. Allied soldiers were no fools either they would likely have a lot of soldiers and or tanks as back up and mow down those who lay the "trap". Assuming they would even go there in the first place. Taking prisoners is a delicate situation which was handled with caution by experienced troops, it's rather unlikely an Allied unit would act in a way you would gain something out of this. Everybody was aware of the potential threats.
But something comparable from Tim Saunders book about Epsom:
"On one occasion a soldier ( 12th SS ) was seen coming cautiously coming towards a platoon locality with his hands up above his head, but when he got close he suddenly threw a grenade, which luckily did not do any damage, and the only loser was the man himself, who was immediately shot. This soon got around and from then on, no one had the slightest compassion for the other side. Few or no prisoners were taken"
This was not rare but like i said before more as last ditch effort of single soldiers or small groups. To add context to the above quote, the soldiers of this unit were told they would be excecuted by British soldiers upon capture anyways.