Dostler tied to a stake before his execution
Anton Dostler (May 10 1891 - December 1, 1945) was a General of infantry in the regular German army during World War II (see Germany and Nazi party). In the first allied war trial after the war, Dostler was tried and found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death by firing squad. In the trial, Dostler was accused of carrying out an illegal order, while Dostler maintained that he did not issue the order, but only passed along an order to General Almers from supreme command.
On March 22, 1944, fifteen men of the U.S. Army (including two officers) landed on the Italian coast about 100 kilometres north of La Spezia, 250 miles behind the then established front. Their mission was to demolish a railroad tunnel between La Spezia and Genoa. Two days later, the group was captured by a party of Italian Fascist soldiers and members of the German army. They were brought to La Spezia where they were confined near the headquarters of the 135th Fortress Brigade , which was under the command of German Colonel Almers. Almers' next higher headquarters was that of the 75th German Army Corps , commanded by Dostler.
The captured U.S. soldiers were interrogated and one of the U.S. officers revealed the story of the mission. This information was then sent to Dostler at the 75th German Army Corps. The following day (March 25), Dostler sent a telegram to the 135th Fortress Brigade ordering that the captured soldiers be executed. Officers at the 135th Fortress Brigade contacted Dostler to bring a stay of the execution. Dostler then sent another telegram ordering Almers to carry out the execution. Two last attempts were made by the officers at the 135th, including some by telephone. All these attempts were unsuccessful and the 15 Americans were executed on the morning of March 26.
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