14. Oct. 1944, F/B attack in Lorraine

[Nasenbär]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and I have to be true that I'm not focused on the war in the air, but in tank warfare. For that purpose I'm trying to made interviews with as many surviving veterans as possible in order to keep their experiences for the future.

One of those veterans from the german II./Panzerregiment 15 told me an story about an allied fighter-bomber attack against his train while on the transport from Germany to the Lorraine (Lothringen). He said, that they have no tanks but cars and lorries etc. on the train. The fighter-bombers strafed this transport, the soldiers running to both sides of the train into the fields, but there were no casualties. He said, that those allied pilots most probably there british ones as the americans would have fired on the troops ! But that only as an sidenote.

To be more specific I have the following details:

In the daily report for 14.10.1944 of the LVIII. Panzerkorps one can find the following entry:

...
j) Transportzug II./Pz.Rgt. 15 in Zuführung zu 11. Pz.Div. bei Sarraltroff (3 km nördl. Saarburg) von Jabos angegriffen. Verluste 15 Tote, 30 Verwundete. Erheblicher Sachschaden an Kfz. und Gerät.


= rail transport of II. Batl., tank regt. 15 in shipment to the 11th Panzerdivision was attacked at Sarraltroff (3 kilometres north of Saarburg) by fighter-bombers. Casualties 15 dead, 30 wounded. Considerable damage to vehicles and equipment.

So, to be true there were casualties and we have the date and the exact location. Sarraltroff is to the North of Sarrebourg in the Lorraine, you may look for it at google.maps or google earth.

As I said I'm not very familar with the war in the air, but I would like to know the "other side" of the story. Which unit, what aircraft and how many and maybe, possibly, also the report from that allied unit ?

Obviously we have a lot of experts here in the forum, would be glad to hear from you!

Oliver

[Laurent Rizzotti]

In the area of the attack most Allied FBs will be American ones of 9th AF.

You will have to do some more research but here is the story of a P-47 pilot shot down and captured on 14 October 1944 while attacking a train in the same general area:
http://www.co.collin.tx.us/veterans/...s_mcdowell.jsp

McDowell was flying the P-47 42-76219 (see http://p-47.database.pagesperso-oran...e/42-7xxxx.htm), MACR 9647. The MACR says it was lost in the area coded P-9883 but I have no idea where it is exactly.

On the footnote site, the free view of the MACR allows to see there is a map and a German document in the MACR, the latter giving the crashplace and time usually, but to be able to read them you have to pay.

As a first step you may ask for the following documents:
_ action report of 371st FG
_ MACR 9647

[Nasenbär]

Thanks Laurent, sounds interesting, despite this action obviously was against an "trap"-train !? Will try that one...

Oliver

[Joschi]

where could i find the combat repüorts about the 14 and the 15. october 1944 ???

Joschi

[Nasenbär]

Hi all,

I have asked the veteran again after presenting him with the details of the german Korps report:

He thought of just 3 casualties. He remembers running to the left of the train (looking in the driving direction), there was a slight uphill slope on that side (the direction he ran), they were not shot at there.

The casualties must have occured because some of the men take cover directly beside the train in roadside ditches on the other side of the train.

He also said, that the fighter bombers made two runs on the train.

Last weekend while driving to the german archives at Freiburg I made a little detour directly to Sarraltroff to have a look there. There is an cementery there but just with french and german fallen from the First World War (fightings there in August 1914). No casualties from the Second War.

I also found this slight uphill slope on the left side of the train line while looking into the direction to Sarrebourg, on both sides of the village.

You may have a look at google.maps, streetview is available for that village, look for (as an example)

Sarraltroff, 1, Rue de la Schneymuhle

and than change for "street view"...

Next time I'm there I may try to find some older people and ask them, if they can remember the story of an german train being attacked by allied planes... (hope they can speak german because I can't speak french)...

Oliver

[Nasenbär]

Hi again,

on another trip to the Schwarzwald I again made a slight detour to Sarraltroff. Time was limited, found on man who knows from his mother, that the train really was standing in Sarraltroff and had ammunition and alcohol on board.

They thought it to be american planes who made the attack (no surprise).

Additionally there were one boy and one girl (17 years) killed in the village!

Unfortunately my visit was on Saturdays, so the town hall was closed. There's also one local historican there, but he was not at home, have to try that later...

Oliver