How the Nazis Paid for 317 Victims in Kommeno: Retribution

On the morning of August 16, 1943, in the quiet village of Kommeno in Epirus, Greece, a brutal massacre unfolded. Just days earlier, a small group of partisans had briefly passed through the village, collecting food and supplies. Though the villagers did not engage in any combat, this short encounter would serve as the pretext for one of the most horrific Nazi atrocities committed in occupied Greece. At dawn, around 120 heavily armed soldiers from the 12th Company of the 98th Mountain Regiment, part of the infamous 1st Mountain Division, entered Kommeno under the command of Oberleutnant Willibald Röser. Without warning, they attacked. Grenades were thrown into homes, machine guns cut down fleeing civilians, and entire families were massacred. Men were shot, women were raped and executed, and infants were torn from their mothers’ arms and murdered. The local priest was among the first to die, executed as he begged for mercy. The attack had been deliberately timed. Villagers were celebrating a wedding and the Feast of the Assumption. Guests from neighboring villages had gathered, making Kommeno especially crowded. The massacre lasted for six hours. By the end, 317 civilians were dead—172 women, 97 children, two priests, and the newlyweds. Nearly every house was burned to the ground. In the days that followed, German authorities issued false reports, claiming they had fought a battle against armed resistance. The truth was buried—literally and politically. Yet some justice came. The officer who ordered the attack, Josef Salminger, was ambushed and killed by partisans weeks later. His superior, General Walter Stettner, vanished in 1944, presumed executed by Yugoslav forces. Today, the Kommeno massacre stands as a solemn symbol of Nazi terror in Greece—remembered each year on August 16 by those who survived and the generations that followed. Narrator: Marchand Steenkamp. Join World History channel and get access to benefits:    / @worldhistoryvideos   Disclaimer: All opinions and comments below are from members of the public and do not reflect the views of the World History channel. We do not accept promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on attributes such as: race, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation. World History has the right to review the comments and delete them if they are deemed inappropriate. ► CLICK the SUBSCRIBE button for more interesting clips:    / @worldhistoryvideos   #Kommenomassacre #WWII #ww2documentary #nazigermany #kommando #greekhistory #documentary #persecution #greece #worldwar2videos #history #worldhistory #greek #worldwartwo #warcriminals #warcrime #revenge #axis #wehrmacht #crimes #resistance #operationbarbarossa #revengestory Kommeno massacre, Greek resistance WW2, Andartes Greece, Elas Greece, Nazi occupation of Greece, German war crimes, Nazi war crimes, WW2 war crimes, War trials, Nazi criminals, War criminals, War criminals WW2, German invasion of Greece, Nazi SS, Greece World War 2, Second World War Greece, Greece during WW2, Greece WW2, WW2 Greece, Invasion of Greece, Greece German, Axis occupation of Greece, The 1st Mountain Division of the German army, Edelweiss Division, Edelweiss WW2, Wedding massacre, Mousiotitsa massacre, Stories about revenge, Stories of revenge, Generalmajor Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen,