That is a sad photograph of a Polish man who naively expected Joe Stalin to do the honorable thing and fight alongside his allies to defeat the common enemy, Nazi Germany. Joe Stalin was a bastard.
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75th anniversary of D-Day...
- Thread starter crimsonaudio
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I did make a misleading or erroneous statement on the conclusions of the video investigating Wittmann's death. I watched it some time ago and had interpreted the fact that they located a rocket from a Typhoon at the site that there was a strong likelihood that there had been aircraft overhead during the battle. In the fog of war and life and death situations more often than not there are many different versions of events. Regardless it was a very well done video. I do find it interesting that Wittmann is still regarded as a hero in Germany and his grave always has fresh flowers. Fascinating that his wife visited the small museum there in France.
In all of the Canadian videos I was impressed with the flowers growing in the cemeteries they visited from both wars. As it is said "lest we forget". We are doomed to relive history.
And with modern-day DNA sequencing, they probably almost all could be identified...
Here is a noble sentiment admirably expressed.
The French realized that three wars against the Germans was enough and they'd better find a way to get along with them, so they started with places like La Cambe.
And another noble sentiment from Mark Clark.
Mark Clark got a crap theater and fought it in poor manner, but he is spot on here.
Mark Clark got a crap theater and fought it in poor manner, but he is spot on here.
August 24, 1944: The US 5th Armored Division still progresses very slowly in the Eure region, particularly in the area of Elbeuf and Louviers. The Germans order the rearguard to stop the Allied advance as the they retreat, allowing them to reach the far bank of the Seine where they can regroup. Due to the disorganization of the troops and their attacks, the German rearguard causes a lot problems for the Americans, and the Allied air force ends its day with low scores.
In the evening, the 2nd Armored Division of General Leclerc (as part of the US 5th Corps) enters Paris from the South. The French Resistance in Paris, who have been fighting the German soldiers for several days, welcome the French Sherman tanks as heroes as they reach the Hotel de Ville at 09:20 pm. Paris had been ruled by Nazi Germany since the signing of the Second Compiègne Armistice on June 22, 1940, when the German Army occupied northern and western France.
To the east of the Orne river, the motorized units of the Piron’s Belgian Brigade reach the towns of Honfleur and Pont-L'Evêque, while the remaining German defenders of Deauville and Trouville surrender.
In southern France, elements of the US 7th Army advancing northeast along the coast capture Cannes. In the advance northward, Grenoble is occupied while forces moving west take Arles on the Rhone River, south of Avignon.
Over France, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force conducting operations across and beyond the front of advancing ground forces. US 9th Air Force fighters attack transportation lines and German columns on the march. RAF Bomber Command sends 53 aircraft to attack Brest during the day.
Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks various targets with 1,074 bombers (26 lost), escorted by 626 fighters.
Six members of a Liberator bomber crew shot down near Hanover, Germany are beaten to death by a mob of German civilians led by sisters Margarethe Witzler and Kathe Reinhardt. One of the victims, left for dead in the pile of battered bodies, survives to tell the tale. In Aug 1945, seven of the mob, including the sisters, are sentenced to hang by a US military commission.
On the eastern front, the line of German Army Group South Ukraine (Freissner) is shattered by the defection of the Romanian forces and the encirclement of 6th Army. Soviet forces continue to advance rapidly. Kishinev is captured by Soviet troops.
In Italy, British 8th Army ready to launch offensive against the Gothic Line. British 13th Corps of US 5th Army establishes bridgehead across the Arno River east of Florence without opposition. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets throughout northern Italy. US 15th Air Force attacks targets in Ferrara.
Pictured: US vehicles and crowds of civilians, photo taken from a window overlooking the Place Mirabeau in Montargis. The city was liberated August 24, 1944 by the 35th of Maj US ID. Gen. Paul W. Baade US attached to XII Corps of the Third Army of Gen. US. George S. Patton.; German POWs being escorted past French patriots, August 24, 1944 ; Concrete U-boat pens at Brest, France showing damage sustained after bombing attacks by the British Royal Air Force, August 24, 1944; Prudential building in Warsaw, Poland exploding as it was hit by a 24" / 4,780 lbs shell from a German Karl-Gerät self-propelled howitzer, August 24, 1944
In the evening, the 2nd Armored Division of General Leclerc (as part of the US 5th Corps) enters Paris from the South. The French Resistance in Paris, who have been fighting the German soldiers for several days, welcome the French Sherman tanks as heroes as they reach the Hotel de Ville at 09:20 pm. Paris had been ruled by Nazi Germany since the signing of the Second Compiègne Armistice on June 22, 1940, when the German Army occupied northern and western France.
To the east of the Orne river, the motorized units of the Piron’s Belgian Brigade reach the towns of Honfleur and Pont-L'Evêque, while the remaining German defenders of Deauville and Trouville surrender.
In southern France, elements of the US 7th Army advancing northeast along the coast capture Cannes. In the advance northward, Grenoble is occupied while forces moving west take Arles on the Rhone River, south of Avignon.
Over France, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force conducting operations across and beyond the front of advancing ground forces. US 9th Air Force fighters attack transportation lines and German columns on the march. RAF Bomber Command sends 53 aircraft to attack Brest during the day.
Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks various targets with 1,074 bombers (26 lost), escorted by 626 fighters.
Six members of a Liberator bomber crew shot down near Hanover, Germany are beaten to death by a mob of German civilians led by sisters Margarethe Witzler and Kathe Reinhardt. One of the victims, left for dead in the pile of battered bodies, survives to tell the tale. In Aug 1945, seven of the mob, including the sisters, are sentenced to hang by a US military commission.
On the eastern front, the line of German Army Group South Ukraine (Freissner) is shattered by the defection of the Romanian forces and the encirclement of 6th Army. Soviet forces continue to advance rapidly. Kishinev is captured by Soviet troops.
In Italy, British 8th Army ready to launch offensive against the Gothic Line. British 13th Corps of US 5th Army establishes bridgehead across the Arno River east of Florence without opposition. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets throughout northern Italy. US 15th Air Force attacks targets in Ferrara.
Pictured: US vehicles and crowds of civilians, photo taken from a window overlooking the Place Mirabeau in Montargis. The city was liberated August 24, 1944 by the 35th of Maj US ID. Gen. Paul W. Baade US attached to XII Corps of the Third Army of Gen. US. George S. Patton.; German POWs being escorted past French patriots, August 24, 1944 ; Concrete U-boat pens at Brest, France showing damage sustained after bombing attacks by the British Royal Air Force, August 24, 1944; Prudential building in Warsaw, Poland exploding as it was hit by a 24" / 4,780 lbs shell from a German Karl-Gerät self-propelled howitzer, August 24, 1944
Montargis is the first town I've noticed so far which was liberated without being destroyed...
August 25, 1944: The French 4th Armored Division (General Leclerc) enters Paris. German garrison commander, General Chollitz, disobeys orders to the contrary and surrenders the city. North and south of Paris, the Germans continue their rapid retreat across the Seine river. Despite the US armored attacks and incessant air raids, a majority of the Germans who were positioned in Normandy over the last few weeks manage to reach the relative safety of the east bank of the Seine. The Americans and British troops cross the bridges over the Seine and progress towards the north and south of Paris in an attempt to cut off the retreating German forces.
Northeast of Caen the soldiers of the Belgian Brigade, accompanied by the 5th Parachute Brigade, cleanse the area of the German defenders who have been ordered to slow the Allied advance in this sector. The town of Honfleur is fully liberated, and Belgian squadrons of armored vehicles reach the villages of Saint-Gatien, Beuzeville and Fiquefleur. To the northwest of Paris, forces of British 21st Army Group capture Vernon, Louviers and Elbeuf on the approach to the Seine River line. In Brittany, the US 8th Corps launches an attack on Brest were the German garrison continues to resist. The HMS Warspite shells the town.
In southern France, American forces of US 7th Army capture Avignon in the advance westward. Most of the German 19th Army is withdrawing northward up the Rhone valley. The garrisons in Marseilles and Toulon continue to resist.
Over France, RAF Bomber Command sends 161 aircraft to attack V-weapons sites during the day. RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force concentrating on attacks against German transport, roads, rail lines, bridges, river crossings, etc. US 9th Air Force attacks German positions at Brest with 278 bombers. In unusually heavy air-to-air combat, US 9th Air Force fighters claim 77 Luftwaffe fighters downed. Overnight, RAF Bomber Command sends 334 aircraft to attack Brest.
Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks multiple targets with 1,116 bombers (18 lost), escorted by 629 fighters. RAF Bomber Command sends 412 aircraft to attack Russelheim , 190 aircraft to attack Darmstadt, and 36 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.
On the eastern front, in Estonia, Soviet troops of the 3rd Baltic Front capture Tartu, unhinging the German defense in the area. German 6th Army remains under heavy pressure and is unable to break out of the Leovo pocket. German Group Meith attacks around Husi in an unsuccessful effort to avoid encirclement.
In Italy, the British 8th Army launches a new offensive over the Metauro River on the eastern side, catching the German defenders by surprise. The British 5th Corps, Polish 2nd Corps and Canadian 1st Corps are involved in the attack. British 13th Corps of US 5th Army expands bridgehead across the Arno River east of Florence. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets along the Arno River.
Pictured: Germans surrender in Paris, August 25, 1944 ; Tens of thousands of Parisians - and untold numbers of refugees from other countries, trapped in Paris since the Germans captured the capital in 1940 - pour into the streets on August 25, 1944; American soldiers watch as the French flag flies from the Eiffel Tower again, August 25, 1944; Wounded aircrewmen are helped off B-24H Liberator “Liberty Lib” of the 752nd Bomb Squadron at RAF Horsham St Faith, Norfolk, England, UK after a raid on the Dornier factory at Lubeck, Germany, Aug 25 1944. Note the WC54 Ambulance.
Northeast of Caen the soldiers of the Belgian Brigade, accompanied by the 5th Parachute Brigade, cleanse the area of the German defenders who have been ordered to slow the Allied advance in this sector. The town of Honfleur is fully liberated, and Belgian squadrons of armored vehicles reach the villages of Saint-Gatien, Beuzeville and Fiquefleur. To the northwest of Paris, forces of British 21st Army Group capture Vernon, Louviers and Elbeuf on the approach to the Seine River line. In Brittany, the US 8th Corps launches an attack on Brest were the German garrison continues to resist. The HMS Warspite shells the town.
In southern France, American forces of US 7th Army capture Avignon in the advance westward. Most of the German 19th Army is withdrawing northward up the Rhone valley. The garrisons in Marseilles and Toulon continue to resist.
Over France, RAF Bomber Command sends 161 aircraft to attack V-weapons sites during the day. RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force concentrating on attacks against German transport, roads, rail lines, bridges, river crossings, etc. US 9th Air Force attacks German positions at Brest with 278 bombers. In unusually heavy air-to-air combat, US 9th Air Force fighters claim 77 Luftwaffe fighters downed. Overnight, RAF Bomber Command sends 334 aircraft to attack Brest.
Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks multiple targets with 1,116 bombers (18 lost), escorted by 629 fighters. RAF Bomber Command sends 412 aircraft to attack Russelheim , 190 aircraft to attack Darmstadt, and 36 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.
On the eastern front, in Estonia, Soviet troops of the 3rd Baltic Front capture Tartu, unhinging the German defense in the area. German 6th Army remains under heavy pressure and is unable to break out of the Leovo pocket. German Group Meith attacks around Husi in an unsuccessful effort to avoid encirclement.
In Italy, the British 8th Army launches a new offensive over the Metauro River on the eastern side, catching the German defenders by surprise. The British 5th Corps, Polish 2nd Corps and Canadian 1st Corps are involved in the attack. British 13th Corps of US 5th Army expands bridgehead across the Arno River east of Florence. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets along the Arno River.
Pictured: Germans surrender in Paris, August 25, 1944 ; Tens of thousands of Parisians - and untold numbers of refugees from other countries, trapped in Paris since the Germans captured the capital in 1940 - pour into the streets on August 25, 1944; American soldiers watch as the French flag flies from the Eiffel Tower again, August 25, 1944; Wounded aircrewmen are helped off B-24H Liberator “Liberty Lib” of the 752nd Bomb Squadron at RAF Horsham St Faith, Norfolk, England, UK after a raid on the Dornier factory at Lubeck, Germany, Aug 25 1944. Note the WC54 Ambulance.
The AP story from 1944.
Allied forces liberate Paris from Nazis
Allied forces liberate Paris from Nazis
The rest of the article is at the link above.
August 26, 1944: Over the next three days the Germans will continue crossing the Seine river on floating bridges to the north and south of Paris. They are closely pursued by American and British troops, giving them no time to regroup and to counter-attack. However, the German rear guards do enough to prevent the Allies to advance quickly and help the rapid retreat of the Wehrmacht and Panzer armies.
Northeast of Caen, the paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division, backed by the soldiers of Colonel Piron’s Belgian Brigade, liberate the villages still in the hands of the German forces in Normandy: the village of Conteville is liberated, and Belgian armored units reach the villages of Saint-Maclou, Toutainville and Pont-Audemer, which are gradually evacuated by the German defenders, who destroy bridges during their retreat.
The Battle of Normandy is coming to an end as the Allied forces continue to push east.
Enraged by Choltitz's disobedience (not burning Paris upon retreat), Hitler orders Luftwaffe and V-weapon attacks against Paris and counterattacks on the ground to recapture the city.
Over France, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force concentrates on attacks against German transport, roads, rail lines, bridges, river crossings, etc. US 8th Air Force fighters attack transportation lines and attacks German positions at Brest with 138 bombers escorted by 48 fighters. US 9th Air Force aircraft support ground troops and attack supply dumps and German ground units.
The Luftwaffe attacks Paris overnight, killing 213 people and injuring 914.
Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks Gelsenkirchen and secondary targets with 174 bombers, Ludwigshafen and secondary targets with 95 bombers, and Emmerich, Salzbergen, and Dulmen with 116 bombers. US 8th Air Force fighters attack transportation lines. Overnight, RAF Bomber Command sends 372 aircraft to attack Kiel, 174 aircraft to attack Koenigsberg, 21 aircraft to attack Berlin , and 13 aircraft to attack Hamburg.
On the eastern front, in the Balkans, Soviet forces reach the Danube River east of Galati. The main direction of the offensive is southwestward between Galati and Focsani toward Bucharest.
Allied Balkan Air Force sends five Polish bombers from Italian bases to drop supplies to Home Army in Warsaw overnight, three of which are lost.
In Italy, forces of the British 8th Army establish bridgeheads over the Metauro River. The British 5th Corps forces the German 71st Division to retreat. US 15th Air Force attacks transportation lines at Avisio, Latisana, and Venzone.
Pictured: Troops from the 2nd Armored Division parade in front of City Hall in liberated Paris; General Patton crosses a pontoon bridge over the Seine river, later sending a message to General Eisenhower: "Dear Ike: Today I spat in the Seine.”; On August 26, 1944, American Army trucks parade down the Champs Elysees the day after the liberation of Paris by Allied troops.; American Infantryman, his Thompson SMG carried low, stands behind a hedgerow outside of Brest, August 26, 1944
Northeast of Caen, the paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division, backed by the soldiers of Colonel Piron’s Belgian Brigade, liberate the villages still in the hands of the German forces in Normandy: the village of Conteville is liberated, and Belgian armored units reach the villages of Saint-Maclou, Toutainville and Pont-Audemer, which are gradually evacuated by the German defenders, who destroy bridges during their retreat.
The Battle of Normandy is coming to an end as the Allied forces continue to push east.
Enraged by Choltitz's disobedience (not burning Paris upon retreat), Hitler orders Luftwaffe and V-weapon attacks against Paris and counterattacks on the ground to recapture the city.
Over France, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force concentrates on attacks against German transport, roads, rail lines, bridges, river crossings, etc. US 8th Air Force fighters attack transportation lines and attacks German positions at Brest with 138 bombers escorted by 48 fighters. US 9th Air Force aircraft support ground troops and attack supply dumps and German ground units.
The Luftwaffe attacks Paris overnight, killing 213 people and injuring 914.
Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks Gelsenkirchen and secondary targets with 174 bombers, Ludwigshafen and secondary targets with 95 bombers, and Emmerich, Salzbergen, and Dulmen with 116 bombers. US 8th Air Force fighters attack transportation lines. Overnight, RAF Bomber Command sends 372 aircraft to attack Kiel, 174 aircraft to attack Koenigsberg, 21 aircraft to attack Berlin , and 13 aircraft to attack Hamburg.
On the eastern front, in the Balkans, Soviet forces reach the Danube River east of Galati. The main direction of the offensive is southwestward between Galati and Focsani toward Bucharest.
Allied Balkan Air Force sends five Polish bombers from Italian bases to drop supplies to Home Army in Warsaw overnight, three of which are lost.
In Italy, forces of the British 8th Army establish bridgeheads over the Metauro River. The British 5th Corps forces the German 71st Division to retreat. US 15th Air Force attacks transportation lines at Avisio, Latisana, and Venzone.
Pictured: Troops from the 2nd Armored Division parade in front of City Hall in liberated Paris; General Patton crosses a pontoon bridge over the Seine river, later sending a message to General Eisenhower: "Dear Ike: Today I spat in the Seine.”; On August 26, 1944, American Army trucks parade down the Champs Elysees the day after the liberation of Paris by Allied troops.; American Infantryman, his Thompson SMG carried low, stands behind a hedgerow outside of Brest, August 26, 1944
So Patton really did ride standing up in a Jeep. I assumed that was just for photos or artistic license in the movies.
Here is an exhaustive, and long, treatment of all the events surrounding the battle for Paris, including the very real threat of the Communists...
HistoryNet
HistoryNet
Both Patton and MacArthur had an insatiable desire to appear as heroic larger than life figures unlike Ike who lived his life practically speaking as a common man. The differences between Patton, Montgomery and MacArthur vs Bradley and Eisenhower who viewed themselves as primarily soldiers are remarkable. IMO
The US lost 9,831 killed and wounded taking Brest, which held out until 19 Sep 44. That was enough to convince the Allies to leave Lorient, St. Nazaire and La Rochelle alone until Germany's surrender in May 1945. They just surrounded the port cities and sat looking at the Germans inside. After slogging through Normandy, the GIs with this duty probably did not mind too much.
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