Massacre of Feodosia

The Massacre of Feodosia was a war crime by the Red Army against 160 wounded Wehrmacht POWs between December 29, 1941 and January 1, 1942. The massacre was notable for the relatively high number of victims and the "needless cruelty demonstrated" by the perpetrators, who froze victims into ice alive.

Background
On November 3, the city was captured by elements of the German 46th and 170th Infantry Divisions. On December 29, Soviet marine troops and regular infantry landed on the beach of Feodosia and captured the city. According to Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, who relied solely on materials produced by the Wehrmacht High Command, "[A]n order was issued to kill every single German in Feodosia, whether wounded or not."

Discovery
On January 18, 1942, the Germans were able to reconquer Feodosia. De Zayas states,

On 21 March 1983, the West German Radio (WDR) broadcast a documentary which was based on de Zayas' investigation and also showed propaganda footage of the troops of the Wehrmacht on the Massacre of Broniki; witnesses to the massacre talked to journalists in the documentary.

The special representative of Stavka in Crimea, Lev Mekhlis, personally encouraged the killing of German prisoners of war.

Literature

 * Alfred de Zayas, Wehrmacht-Untersuchungsstelle
 * Franz W. Seidler, Verbrechen an der Wehrmacht