Johannes Kunze

For the German politician, see Johannes Kunze (politician).

Wilhelm Reinhold Johannes Kunze (March 5, 1904 – November 4, 1943) was a German World War II prisoner of war (POW) held at Camp Tonkawa, Oklahoma.[1] He was a Gefreiter in the Afrika Korps. Following a trial before a kangaroo court on November 4, 1943, he was beaten to death by his fellow POWs since he had been spying for the Americans. He became a suspect of fellow prisoners of war after expressing defeatist comments and indifference to the outcome of the war.[2]

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 still loyal Nazis. 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 realized that Kunze was a spy.[1] 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.[1]

The headstone of Willi Scholz, who was convicted and hanged for murdering Kunze.

Five German POWs were court-martialed for Kunze's murder.[1] The case was prosecuted by Leon Jaworski, later the special prosecutor in the Watergate scandal.[3] The trial took place at Camp Gruber near Muskogee.[3] All five defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder, sentenced to death, and subsequently executed by hanging at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on July 10, 1945.[3] Although the death sentences were confirmed by President Franklin D. 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.[4] Afterwards, the bodies of the executed men were buried in Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery.[5]

Kunze's death is the subject of two nonfiction accounts: Vincent S. Green's Extreme Justice,[6] and Wilma Parnell's Killing of Corporal Kunze.[7]

  1. ^ a b c d History of Fort Reno Archived 2007-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Thompson, Antonio (2010-11-16). Men in German Uniform: POWs in America during World War II. Univ. of Tennessee Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-57233-742-8.
  3. ^ a b c Curtis, Gene (2007-03-06). "Only in Oklahoma: Prosecutor had task in state". Tulsa World Centennial. Tulsa, OK. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  4. ^ WWII German POWs buried at Fort Leavenworth
  5. ^ Fort Leavenworth Military Prison cemetery Archived April 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Green, Vincent; Extreme Justice, (1995: Pocket Books), "Nonfiction", p. [iv], ISBN 978-0-671-79906-9 .
  7. ^ Parnell, Wilma; Killing of Corporal Kunze, (1981: L Stuart) ISBN 978-0-8184-0313-2 .