What a terrific film. The American troops are from the 16th Armored Division, can’t tell about the Germans but it’s a mixed bunch.
Note that the Germans are practicing good march order discipline, are still under control of unit leaders and are following instructions from the Americans. Many are still armed. Also note that the tires of the German vehicles are worn to the core, no tread in sight. Very common at this stage of the war.
für Sie ist der Krieg vorbei
One of my favorite stories was from an American lieutenant who went out scouting with a driver in a jeep during the last days of the war. He came head to head with what was left of a German Panzer Corps, thousands of men, and hundreds of tanks and vehicles. He pulled up to the lead vehicle, got out, and demanded to see the commanding officer. After a bit a Major General came up and asked in English what he wanted. He told them “I’m here to take your surrender”.
The general said “You want all of us to surrender to you?”
The American told him, “Well, I have a whole division of paratroopers and tanks coming up the road behind me, and you have the whole Red Army coming up the road behind you. You can either surrender to me, or deal with them in a little while.”
The general opened the flap on his holster and pulled out his pistol, and the lieutenant thought he was going to die right there. The general turned the pistol around, handed it over to the lieutenant, and ordered his men to stack arms.
It is a mixed bunch. Probably no way of knowing if they met and mixed together on the road or what? These people just look happy to be surrendering to anyone other than Russians.
I suspect the vehicles containing a mix of SS and non-SS men may be due to their being part of the same ad-hoc unit. Towards the end, defensive lines would be formed with one SS man separated by 4 or 5 men from other units and the men from the other units taking their lead from the SS man.
At 2:23 there is a staff car PD-3865 with some men in mufti that don't quite look the part of medics. I'm sure they received "special attention". At 2:49 an SS officer in a staff car talks to an American officer. At about 2:51 there is a partial tag on the right front of the halftrack. At 3:25 there is a Wolfsangle rune (2nd SS Division Das Reich?) on the left rear of the halftrack above an insignia that is the same as the left rear of the halftrack at 3:28.