Camp Clinton facts for kids
Camp Clinton was a special place during World War II. It was a prisoner of war (POW) camp located in Clinton, Mississippi. A POW camp is where soldiers captured by the enemy are held.
About 3,000 German and Italian soldiers lived at Camp Clinton. Most of these prisoners were captured in Africa. Many were part of a famous German army group called the Afrika Korps.
Camp Clinton: A WWII POW Camp
What Did the Prisoners Do?
The prisoners at Camp Clinton did important work. They helped build a huge model of the Mississippi River. This model was called the Mississippi River Basin Model.
It was like a giant map, but with real water! The model was one square mile in size. It showed the entire Mississippi River and all its smaller rivers.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers used this model. They studied how water flowed to plan flood control projects. This helped protect towns from floods.
Important Prisoners
Camp Clinton also held some very important German military leaders. These included several generals and admirals.
One famous prisoner was Hans-Jürgen von Arnim. He was a commander of the Afrika Korps. Other notable prisoners were General Ferdinand Neuling and Dietrich von Choltitz.
Von Choltitz was the last German governor of Paris during the war. He surrendered the city to the Free French forces.
