I’m really glad I can post this entry on the day after Veteran’s Day. To all those who served or are currently serving, thank you!!

November 19, 1944

With the Regiment now in position on the surrounding high ground, Canon Company announced their intentions with a pre-dawn artillery barrage into Foulcrey at 02:30. Firing from the elevated position below, the fire was undoubtedly effective.

Second and third Batallions started their attack at dawn on Foulcrey and the nearby town of St. George. Company K and M moved up by truck and supported the taking of St. George.

Company M took St. George and moved forward to within 1/2-mile of the town of Lorquin. This map shows the context of these towns and villages in the foothills around Foulcrey.

Reports from companies are changing from being in ‘dug in’ positions to moving by truck to take towns. The reports also mention prisoners being taken in significant numbers and light to no enemy resistance as they advance.

November 20

As perfect example, the introductory report from the HQ company states they “left Leintrey at 0730 and moved by motor 15 miles to St. George. All the companies report they are continuing their rapid advance.

By the end of the day, Company B had moved into Sarrebourg, a primary Divisional objective. In their report they note that the enemy resistance is ‘not very effective’ and prisoners were being taken in very large numbers.

Third Battalion (Companies I, K, L, and M) moved through Landage and Imling, reaching Sarrebourg, where they stopped for the night.

November 21

For the first time since arriving, the 71st found themselves in a somewhat major city. While the Canon company remained dug in about two miles south-west of Sarrebourg, the other companies moved into the city proper. Reports for the day mention ‘mopping up’ the city and conducting house-to-house searches for enemy hold-outs. The reports also mention the various companies setting up CP’s in schoolhouses and bunking the men in houses. Company G set up in a former hospital and had the kitchen join the company and serve hot meals.

One interesting footnote to the liberation of Sarrebourg is the photograph below, taken from the official history of the 71st Infantry Regiment. It corroborates the notations in the Operations Report of large numbers of German prisoners being taken as MP’s from the 71st are inspecting them, presumably on or around the 21st.

Again, through the magic of Google Earth, I have been ‘driving’ around the modern city of Sarrebourg trying to match up the building in the background. I am becoming moderately convinced, based on the size of the building, the proportions of the building face and the size and proportion of the windows, that this photograph may have been taken on the “track” side of the train station. The closest view I can get is this:

I can tell there’s been some renovations done to the building and the Google street image is taken from an upper level where buses now unload. There’s some noticeable fore-shortening of the image as well which I attribute to the dome camera on top of the Google van. All that aside, if the 1944 photo was taken from down below in the lower courtyard area I can see the context working out. I’ve sent the original photograph to an email address for the Sarrebourg Regional Museum and, if Google Translate did it’s job, hopefully I’ll get either confirmation or some additional explanation of where the photo was taken.