A C&P reply to an earlier question re seeing Krauts in GI Uniforms around the time of the Battle of the Bulge(This was on another Forum)
"Possibly you have misinterpreted what Recon and J3rd said when each they said THEY had never seen a Kraut in an American uniform and I was able to reaffirm their statements. They were much further South rather than in the Bulge Area.
I can assure you that it did happen to the Americans and those Krauts caught in an American uniform were shot as spies. "Operation Greif Commandos" were the ones that wore GI equipment.
From what I recall from being in an Intel Unit is that there were four groups on reconnaissance commandos and two groups of demolition commandos sent out in the first few days of the Operation. Each unit consisted of 3 or 4 men and were thought to be quite able to pass for GIs.They had the uniforms,weapons and vehicles(captured) and were able to lose their Kraut accents. However through changing passwords on short notice,trick questions,calling a halt to all troop movements sparodically for a short period etc the ruse was seen through.
General Bradley was briefly detained at a check point because the men there didn't really know him by sight and another General(forget the name) was taken into custody because he answered the question about the Capital of the State of Illinois correctly BUT the man in charge thought it was another city which was HIS mistake. Thankfully the General was generous to his "captors".
The American solution to the Greif Commandos was simple and effective. Any Krauts captured wearing US Uniforms were shot as spies and no more groups showed up after December 20,1944."
One of the original facets of the operation was the capture of Gen. Ike but there was never a chance for that to happen with his security!!!
Sgtleo
