German civilians on trial for murder of American flyer.

German civilians on trial for murder of American flyer. General civilians, the first to be tried as war criminals, are shown as they went on trial June 1, 1945, in Ahrweiler, Germany, charged with the murder of an American airman who bailed out over Germany. The accused are, left to right, Peter Kohn, 32,of Preist, Germany, a crane operator; Matthias Gierens, 37, of Preist, a railroad worker, and Matthias Krein, 44, a blacksmith and former member of the Preist rural police force. The court hearing the case is composed of eight officers appointed by Major General Leonard T. Gerow, Commander of the 15th U.S. Army. The votes of at least two-thirds of the court are necessary for a conviction or a sentence.