![]() Although it had been invested several times, most notably in the Franco-Prussian War and in the 1940 campaign, Bitche had never fallen. Since the erection of the enormous sandstone citadel there in the early 1700s, the town had been continuously fortified with concentric rings of outworks, including several major Maginot forts, dozens of concrete pillboxes, and thickets of barbed wire and minefields. Highlighted the Seventh Army's drive into Germany in March, 1945 with the seizure of the Bitche, a heavily-fortified town in the Low Vosges Mountains. In December of 1944, the 100th Infantry Division took the 14-story deep fortress, replete with disappearing gun turrets and 12-foot thick steel-reinforced concrete walls, in a four-day assault, 17 - 20 December 1944.ĭefeated the combined attacks of two German divisions, which were strongly supported by tanks, super-heavy tank destroyers, artillery and rockets, in early January 1945, during the last German offensive in the West, Operation NORDWIND. In 1940, the German 257th Infantry Division failed to take Schiesseck, whose French garrison only surrendered a week after the rest of the French Army. ![]() (3/399th Infantry won a Presidential Unit Citation for its assault of Lemberg.) Attacking into the Maginot, elements of the Division seized Fort Schiesseck, one of the Maginot forts attacked by the Germans in 1940, from the same direction, i.e. Overcame stiff resistance by the 361st Volks-Grenadier Division at Mouterhouse and Lemberg and advanced on the Maginot Line. Pursued elements of the German 1st Army through the Low Vosges to the Maginot Line. Lieutenant Edward Silk, of the 2d Battalion, 398th, won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the rout of the German forces. For its success in ripping the Germans out of their trenches on the formidable heights overlooking Raon L'Etape, the 1st Battalion, 399th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Division's first Presidential Unit Citation, the collective equivalent of the Distinguished Service Cross for individual valor. Practically destroyed the brand-new, full-strength German 708th Volks-Grenadier Division in the process of penetrating the Vosges Mountains by assault for the first time in history Since the 1st century BC, Romans, Huns, Burgundians, Swedes, Austrians, Bavarians, Germans and even French forces had tried and failed, but in the late autumn of 1944, in the face of nearly constant rain, snow, ice and mud, the US Seventh Army did what no other army had ever done before. Tore through deeply-entrenched German resistance in the craggy High Vosges Mountains in two weeks of savage fighting. ![]() Some Highlights of the 100th Infantry Division They travelled to Jersey city and boarded four ships, they weathered a hurricane at sea and spent 12 days en route before landing in Marseille, France. Late in the afternoon of October 5 the entire division comprising 762 officers, 44 warrant officers and 13,189 enlisted men began the Exodus from camp Kilmer. The 100th infantry arrived at Camp Kilmer around September 30, 1944. All I ask that that anything that is used is properly credited to Zeke Zederbaum and pls let me know, where and when, it will be used. ![]() My father was an amateur photographer, and also wrote 22 pages of memoirs after he landed in France and include some chilling descriptions with his first brushes with combat. He saw combat in the European theater of operations in France and Germany. He was a decorated explosive/demolition expert. My father died in June of 1975 and was part of the 100th Infantry 325th Engineers Battalion Company C. My father was the late Herman (Zeke) Zederbaum. The camera went all across Europe with my dad, in combat and in the liberation of a concentration camp. The italicized portions are from his dad’s memoirs:Įnjoy the camera. Below is the email I received from his son, Scott Zederbaum. So when the opportunity came up to put my hands on, and shoot with, a camera that had travelled extensively through the European Theatre in the hands of an American GI, I jumped on that chance.įirst I want to tell you about the prior owner – the late Herman (Zeke) Zederbaum. The generation that banded together to put an end to one of the greatest evils the planet had seen in a very long while. Especially anything that involves the WWII era – and what is known as “The Greatest Generation”.
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