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Branch Engineer; Major General Russwurm, Chief of Signal Troops, Replacement Army; Brigadier
General Doctor Deyrer, G4 and Judge Advocate for Wehrkreis XIII.
"When photographers tried to take pictures of Von Kleist, the Field Marshall refused to pose, but
Brigadier General Ralph J. Canine, Terre Haute, Indiana, veteran Chief of Staff of the XII Corps, gave
photographers the 'go' sign and 11 pictures were taken. All of the PW Generals and the adjutants were
interviewed by Sgt Kurt Diamant of 54 Fayette St, Cambridge, Massachusetts."
In a similar manner other Orthodox German units, or what was left to them, and their
commanders, rolled into the XII Corps cages. But behind them they left a ghost to haunt the future
American occupation. This was the organization loudly proclaimed by the German radio as the one
designed to make life hell for US troops after the conventional fighting was over, – the "Werewolves."
To this day it is difficult to know whether the "Werewolves" were as much of the myth as the "National
Redoubt," or only as much of the myth as the Volksturm proved to be when it came to effective last-
ditch defense of the Vaterland. True, S/Sgt Ib J Melchoir, of the MII Team 425-G, XII Corps, and Spec
Agt William G Hock and Agents Seaton and Schroepfer, of the 97th CIC Detachment, XII Corps, on 28
April 45 effected the capture of six German officers and 25 EM, hiding in the woods north of Schonsee
along the check frontier due north of Cham in 2nd Cavalry Group zone. These individuals, upon
interrogation by XII Corps Headquarters personnel, claim to be "Werewolves." They were in civilian
clothes, and appeared to have the means to operate along the announced "Werewolf" lines. But if so, it
was impossible to suppose this to be the only such group. Others must have existed, if this one was
actually a "Werewolf" unit, and if so, not all could have been caught. And evidence of bona fide
"Werewolf" activities were conspicuously absent during XII Corps' period of occupation of this section
of Bavaria, which was shortly to begin.
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