Lieutenant Friedrich Lengfeld (1921–1944)
Lieutenant Friedrich Lengfeld was an officer in the German 275th Infantry Division, stationed at the Hürtgen Forest, one of the most brutal battlegrounds of WWII.
At the time, the German army had laid a massive minefield south of the Hürtgen Forest. Upon hearing screams for help, Lengfeld and his men headed toward the sound.
They found a wounded US soldier begging for help. It looked like the rest of the American troops had retreated, as no others were in sight. Seeing this, Lengfeld couldn't just ignore a helpless wounded soldier, even if he was the enemy, and decided to personally enter the minefield to rescue him.
Before heading in, he reportedly ordered his men not to open fire if an American rescue team showed up.
Lengfeld carefully advanced into the minefield to save the soldier, but tragically, he was caught in a mine explosion and severely wounded. He was evacuated by his men but passed away that evening.
To this day, there is no exact record of whether that American soldier survived, died, or if his body was eventually recovered.
The incident was forgotten during the war but was brought to light later through a report and testimony by Hubert Gees, Lengfeld's radio operator, who witnessed the event firsthand.
On the US side, it’s believed the soldier was likely from the 4th Infantry Division, which had retreated after fighting in that area. Eventually, veterans from both Germany and the US 4th Infantry Division joined forces to erect a memorial at the Hürtgen cemetery, honoring his bravery in risking his life to save an enemy.
"Users are moved by the rare story of humanity in the midst of a brutal war, leading to a discussion about chivalry in the regular army versus the atrocities of the SS and the Eastern Front."
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