Events at Wollendorf

[Horst Weber]

David !

Since I live very close to the village of Wallendorf at the Luxembourg-German border, I may give you some more information to the cartoon.

During the appraoch of the American troops through France and Luxembourg towards the German border on 11/12th September 1944, Wallendorf was one of the first German villages in sight of the American troops, becoming a rapid and quick bridgehead for for further operations into Germany.

So, all power of the approaching 5th (US) Armoured Division was concentrated to this place, to cross the border-rivers of Sauer and Our and form a quick bridgehead on German soil. The briddgehead was expended in the next days and Wallendorf was in the hand of American troops on September 14th, 1944. From here, a little approach was started in direction Bitburg, which then finally failed due to German counter-attacks. On September 22nd, this bridgehead had been cleared by German forces.

This was the first Allied attack to German soil with a massive engagement of heavy weapons and all the warfare-instruments of quick approachng troops. Since the whole approach was so quick, there was in this stage of operations no time, to evacuate the civilin population out of the battle-zone, like it happened a few days later at the whole western-front area.

Those events around 12th September 1944 made Wallendorf to a myth for German propaganda to blame the Americans slaughter German civilians.

If not have fled due to the very quick approachng front-line, most of the Wallendorf civilians were in there basements and their cellars and let the war-events stream over their heads. I do not know, how many civilians of Wallendorf were killed by war-events during those days, but it doesn't seem many.

This leaflet is a pure propaganda thing which was born in the fact, that allied troops suddenly and inexpected came to the first German soil, which was in the German propaganda impossible.

Though, at least, the behaviour of those occupants must be horrible.

All the best,

Horst Weber