During the closing weeks of the war it was estimated that the Germans lorded over as many as 65,000 American POWs. Likewise, in the United States, there were 320,118 German Prisoners of War held captive. This article compares and contrasts how each army chose to treat their prisoners.
“On the particular point most interesting to the home front -that charge that Nazi POWs are being fed too well – US Army General B.M Bryan told the House Military affairs Committee investigation that originally, when there had been ‘plenty of food’, Nazi POWs were given the same diet as GIs in this country (steak, chicken, ham, etc); that on July 1, 1944, a change in POW menus was authorized ‘in the interest of food conservation’ and that on February 2 of this year a new directive ordered sugar and butter substitutes and no more 4 ounces of meat daily. Because of discretion vested in each service command, ‘mistakes’ had occured, Bryan admitted. Nevertheless, he insisted:”
“We do not coddle prisoners of war but treat them firmly and fairly.”
