On 25 August 1944, German SS troops killed 124 civilians in the French village of Maillé, one of the deadliest Nazi massacres on French soil.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 August 1944
- Victims killed
- 124 people
- Village population
- approximately 500 residents
- Children among the dead
- 48 children
- Unit responsible
- SS-Feldersatzbataillon 17, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division
- Commanding officer
- Second Lieutenant Gustav Schlüter
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In the days preceding the massacre, German forces suffered an ambush in the area, attributed to French Resistance activity. In reprisal for this attack and ongoing Resistance operations, SS Second Lieutenant Gustav Schlüter was ordered to take punitive action against the local population of Maillé.
On 25 August 1944, SS-Feldersatzbataillon 17 of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen descended on Maillé, murdering 124 of its roughly 500 inhabitants, including 48 children. Schlüter and his men also set fire to the village, destroying much of the commune.
The massacre left Maillé devastated, but unlike Oradour-sur-Glane, the village was subsequently rebuilt to its pre-war appearance. The event remained relatively obscure for decades before gaining broader recognition as one of the most lethal German reprisal killings against French civilians during the Occupation.