Wilhelm Reinhold Johannes Kunze (March 5, 1904 – November 4, 1943) was a German

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

prisoner of war (POW) held at Camp Tonkawa, Oklahoma.History of Fort Reno
He was a ''

Gefreiter Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a German, Swiss and Austrian military rank that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted.Duden; D ...

'' in the

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

. Following a trial before a

kangaroo court A kangaroo court is a court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides, and is typically convened ad hoc. A kangaroo court may ignore due process and come ...

on November 4, 1943, he was beaten to death by fellow POWs based on allegations of treason and

spying Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining Secrecy, secret or Confidentiality, confidential information (Intelligence assessment, intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the Consent ...

for the Americans. The unmasking of Kunze happened by accident; he had been in the habit of passing notes to the American doctor at the camp during sick call. These notes contained useful information regarding the activities of various POWs in the camp, some of whom were loyal

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

s. One day a new American doctor was on duty who did not know about Kunze's role as spy and who could not speak German. When Kunze handed over his note, the American doctor accidentally blew Kunze's cover by sending it back via another POW, who read the incriminating note and quickly realised that Kunze was a spy. News of this discovery spread quickly and soon afterwards Kunze was killed inside the camp by his fellow POWs. He is buried in the Fort Reno prisoner of war cemetery. Willi Scholz Headstone

Five German POWs were court-martialed for Kunze's murder. The case was prosecuted by

Leon Jaworski Leonidas "Leon" Jaworski (September 19, 1905 – December 9, 1982) was an American attorney and law professor who served as the second special prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal. He was appointed to that position on November 1, 1973, soon a ...

, later the special prosecutor in the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...

. The trial took place at Camp Gruber near Muskogee. All five defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder, sentenced to death, and subsequently executed by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

on July 10, 1945. Although the death sentences were confirmed by President Roosevelt in October 1944, the executions were delayed until after the end of the war in Europe due to the fear of reprisals against Allied prisoners held by Germany. Afterwards, the bodies of the executed men were buried in Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery. The death of Johannes Kunze is the subject of these nonfiction accounts: Vincent S. Green's ''Extreme Justice'', and Wilma Parnell's ''Killing of Corporal Kunze''.Parnell, Wilma; ''Killing of Corporal Kunze'', (1981: L Stuart) .

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunze, Johannes 1904 births 1943 deaths Deaths by beating in the United States German Army personnel killed in World War II German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States Prisoners murdered in custody Prisoners who died in United States military detention German people who died in prison custody German people murdered abroad Lynching deaths in Oklahoma German Army soldiers of World War II Events that led to courts-martial

See also

Notes and references