AMERICANS IN ARC AROUND ST. LO; VILNA FALLS AFTER 5-DAY BATTLE (7/14/44)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 7/14/44 | Drew Middleton, Hanson W. Baldwin, W.H. Lawrence, David Anderson, Richard J.H. Johnston, more

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For henkster, Western Sector map:

[Tax-chick]

Fascinating!

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For henkster, Eastern Sector map:

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This, from Wiki:

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the formal written narrative of a 20 year old American B-17 navigator – shot down over Avord, France in late April, 1944 and thereafter hidden by the French Resistance until he was finally flown to England on 6 August, 1944 – was obtained in 2011. The report includes the following hand-written notation, dated August 15, 1944:[4] "About 3 weeks ago, I saw a town within 4 hours bicycle ride up the Gerbeau farm where some 500 men, women, and children had been murdered by the Germans. I saw one baby who had been crucified."

[fso301]

I came across this article and images reportedly a translation of the interrogation report of a captured SS staff officer from the 17th SS division who was captured circa 11/44 and describes his experience at Normandy.

If I received it via anonymous email, I'd say it was a hoax. The text has that certain "feel" to it one notices in anonymous email stories. However, BI claims it's authentic. Any comments?

http://www.businessinsider.com/never-before-seen-document-reveals-nazi-soldiers-struggle-2014-7

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The account does track with the 17th's experience in Normandy. It was badly mauled in the bocage fighting and smashed in Cobra, which coincides with the account of bombardment on 26th July (maybe a day off). The remnants were mauled again in the battle for the Falaise Pocket.

I don't feel sorry for this officer. Soldiers in this division committed war crimes in Normandy, killing the occupants of an aid station and massacring and burning the village of Graignes.

[fso301]

The account does track with the 17th's experience in Normandy. It was badly mauled in the bocage fighting and smashed in Cobra, which coincides with the account of bombardment on 26th July (maybe a day off). The remnants were mauled again in the battle for the Falaise Pocket.

Perhaps the translator took liberties with the original because it "feels" like what I would expect a writer to produce rather than 6 month old recollections of an exhausted enemy officer in response to interrogation questions.

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Yes it could be a "free" translation because it does have that feel.

It's an interesting insight into the effectiveness of our air attacks and the bitterness the ground troops felt for the Luftwaffe. The P-47 was a beast in the ground attack. Or maybe that's just his scapegoat for his unit's misfortunes.

[BroJoeK]

Mikey_1962: "More curious is that the NYT always refers to Germans as Nazis."

I noticed that too.
Also noticed that Russians are never called "Communists".

It'll be interesting to note when, if ever, the Grey Lady begins to call Soviets "Communists".