Werner Drechsler cooperated with interrogators at the Joint Interrogation Center located at Fort Hunt., Virginia (just outside Washington, D.C.).  For seven months he assumed two false identities (Limer, and Brabant) and was billeted with a number of POWs from other U-boats.  He engaged them in conversation on specific military topics at the request of interrogating officers.  Below is a list of the POWs that Drechsler had contact with at the Joint Interrogation Center. 

When Drechsler was no longer needed at the Joint Interrogation Center he was returned to Army custody.  Navy interrogators stipulated that he should never be sent to a POW camp where other German naval POWs were held.  Instead, on March 12 1944, the Army sent him to Papago Park, a large POW camp holding many U-boat men near Phoenix, Arizona.  Within six and one half hours of arriving there he was recognized by other U-boat men as a traitor and hung in a shower room.  Seven U-boat POWs (including Henrich Ludwig and Rolf Wizny from the list below) were charged with murder, court-martialed and executed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The story of Drechsler's death, subsequent investigation, courts-martial and execution is set forth in Richard Whittingham's excellent book Martial Justice, The Last Mass Execution in the United States, Bluejacket Books, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1997 (originally published by the Henry Regnery Company in 1971) (IBSN 1-55750-945-X).

 

 
 
 
 
 
Contacts of Werner Drechsler
 
 
 
 
at Fort Hunt
 
 
 
 
(In Chronological Order)
 
     
 
Franz Machon   U-512
     
Herbert Buck Maschinenobergefreiter U 128
     
Joseph Hemmer Matrosengefreiter U 128
     
Friedrich Murza Oberfunkmaat U 487
     
Günther Bleise Matrosengefreiter U 513
     
Henrich Ludwig Matrosengefreiter U 199
     
Paul Buchhols Matrosengefreiter U-199
     
Rolf Wizny Mechanikerobergefreiter U 615
     
Lothar Mandelow Maschinengefreiter U-409
     
Siegfried Elzer Funkmaat U-409
     
Fredrich Wagenführ Maschinenmaat U-604
     
Walter Nieswand Mechanikerobergefreiter U-604
     
Hans Wosnitzka Matrosenobergefreiter U-118
     
Werner Brandt Mechanikermaat U-664
     
Heinz Taubert Matrosengefreiter U-841
     
Helmut Hertz (German Army) Gefreiter (Inf.)  
     
Leopold Plank (German Army) Officer, 52 Flak Abt.  
     
Gustav Kruger (German Army) Civilian Volunteer, French Army
     
Peter Dür Maschinenobergefreiter U-172
 
     
  P/W Werner Dreschler arrived at Fort Hunt 30 June 1943 and departed 8 January 1944.  While there he was known by the following aliases:  (1) Limer, (2) Brabant.  He was turned over to the Army on 17 December 1943.