How many surrendering German soldiers did American soldiers shoot on sight in WW2?

How many surrendering German soldiers did American soldiers shoot on sight in WW2? There are no definitive statistics on how many surrendering German soldiers were shot on sight by American troops during World War II. However, such incidents did occur. Some soldiers were shot during the chaos and confusion of battle, or because of mistrust and fear that the enemy might feign surrender. In some cases, animosity from earlier combat or rumors of German atrocities also contributed to these actions.

Accounts of surrendering soldiers being shot are present in memoirs, oral histories, and wartime reports, but the frequency and scope are debated. Both Allied and Axis troops sometimes disregarded the rules of war in extreme circumstances, though the deliberate killing of surrendering soldiers was generally against military regulations and international law, such as the Geneva Conventions.

Historians have noted that in the heat of combat, the distinction between a legitimate surrender and an enemy attempting to deceive or continue fighting was sometimes blurred. However, intentional and widespread shooting of surrendering soldiers was not part of official U.S. military policy.

The events at Dachau during the liberation of the concentration camp, for example, where some German SS soldiers were executed by American troops, is one of the more notable incidents of prisoners being shot. Nonetheless, these incidents remain exceptions rather than the rule, and they do not represent the conduct of American forces as a whole.