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Wiltz, Luxembourg


damoli
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I just wanted to share my photos from Wiltz in Luxembourg. It's quite close to where the "Band of brothers" episode 7 took place. (When they defended against Germans in the Ardennes offensive). You can still see fox holes from the battle. The little charming city has many monuments and a little museum packed with amazing war relics from the fighting in the area, and gifts from american soldiers. I talked to one old man who had lived there hes whole life. He was a kid when all this happened and he told me how heavily the city was bombed, hes whole family had to sit in the cellar and pray to survive.

 

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(American fox holes in the ardennes forest)

 

 

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There are also German artillery pieces to be seen in the immediate surroundings (Nothum, Niederwiltz, etc).

Wiltz was defended by the 28th Infantry Division, (part of) 707th Tank Battalion, 447th AAA AW Bn and 44th Engineer Combat Battalion in The Bulge.

Got recaptured by the 26th Infantry Division.

 

I don't see the relation with the 101st Airborne as they were nowhere near this town at that time.

They weren't even in Luxembourg(!).

 

Erwin

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There are also German artillery pieces to be seen in the immediate surroundings (Nothum, Niederwiltz, etc).

Wiltz was defended by the 28th Infantry Division, (part of) 707th Tank Battalion, 447th AAA AW Bn and 44th Engineer Combat Battalion in The Bulge.

Got recaptured by the 26th Infantry Division.

 

I don't see the relation with the 101st Airborne as they were nowhere near this town at that time.

They weren't even in Luxembourg(!).

 

Erwin

 

The 101 were not in Luxembourg but not to far from the border, I went on a tour to the fox holes where they were defending :)

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Looks like you have been to Mon Schumann Cross Roads. Severe combat was seen here.

 

@Erwin where are the German artillery pieces near Nothum? As I have visited it many times before but never saw them?

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The troops withdrawing from Wiltz were taken under fire by elements of the German 5th Fallschirmjäger Division at The Mon Schumann Crossroads.

Wiltz itself was taken by the 5th FJD and elements of the German Panzer Lehr.

If I recall correctly, the Sherman tank in Wiltz is one of those left behind in the area during these fightings.

 

Erwin

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 years later...

Capt. Richter was killed by a nebelwerfer shell fragment inside the room just to the left of his memorial. Some years later parts of a nebelwerfer shell were found under the lawn.  I met his son back in 1995, he had come to the area to try and find out what had happened to his Dad and where. When we met he was standing in front of a map trying to find a small village called Nothum. I was able to explain where it was and off they went to take a look around. Little did I know this chance meeting was to lead to the start of some good friendships with a local Gendarme and a couple of US Veterans from later conflicts.......... all linked by our interest in the Battle of the Bulge. The memorial was unveiled on April 20th ( Capt. Richters birthday ) 1997. The location was found after much research by Gilbert ( Gendarme ) and confirmed by others in that room at the time on 9th jan 1945 who survived...... it was via Capt. Richters son Duane that I was introduced to Gilbert.

  Duane was just a young boy when his Dad was killed and he wrote a book  titled  I WANT MY DAD.  MY HEARTFELT CRY FOR 50 YEARS.

i was honoured to receive a copy of what is a small private number of these books given to friends and family .

Capt. Richter is buried in Hamm US Military Cemetary E11-32

 

Memorial to Captain Richter, Nothum.png

Captain Richter 915th Field Art'y 90th Inf. div, killed here 9th Jan. 45 at Nothum.png

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