April 12 left Herford for Osterberg. It was a long tiresome, dangerous ride. Went through towns that had had no GIs go into yet. We rolled into Osterberg 1 hour behind the tanks. Got a nice pistol (Nazi lugar) from a woman in the street the following morning (April 13, 1945).
The 5th sure is roaring ahead today.
Left Herford April 12 for Osterberg on the Elbe. We drove 140 ahead with the tanks. It was a long, tiresome dangerous ride. German soldiers are standing around waiting to be taken prisoner. Passed through towns that had no GI's in them yet. The pigeoneers are spearheading. We rolled into Osterberg 1 hour behind the tanks. A Panzer Division was bypassed on our way here. They cut our M.S.R. for 3 days which cut us off and we had no supplies coming up to us. Took a house on the outside of town and set up.
Westerman, one of the boys, went rabbit hunting and fell over 3 jerries in a wooded area.
Opened window one morning just in time to see a jerry plane come strafing over the hillside. I ducked plenty fast, he shot up our roof and houses adjoining us. One slug went through my jeep floor.
Wre getting strafed and bombed every night. A A>A. set up this morning and had some good shooting. Got 3 109's in 1/2 hour.
Got a nice Walter .32 this morning from a woman who was turning in all her weapons.
Made runs to Hagenow where airborne troops were dropped and made their hdqs. Some runs were 15 hours long.
[On September 30, 2010 I received from Germany the following comment that Osterberg should be Osterode:
My name is Andreas Maak, I´m living in Osterode / Germany, a small town in the southwest of the Harz-Mountains, about 80 km south of Hannover. One of the pictures of your site has been taken in this town. It shows a large german tank (Tiger II - "Kingtiger") in front of several buildings and is named "dusseldorfgermantank". Osterode has been liberated on 12th April 1945. Following your site, Mr Frank Hauck stayed at "Osterberg" from 12th to 28th April 1945. So I´m sure, Osterberg = Osterode.
The tank was abandoned in the small road ("Dörgestrasse") you can see in the left background and blocked it. So it was pulled aside some days later to the place ("Königsplatz") shown in the photo...The attached airview gives you an idea, where the tank was located (at the open area near the center of the photo).
Andreas Maak has a private / non-profit website about the last weeks of WWII in Osterode and the vicinity with additional photos of the tank at www.alpha64.de/1945.htm that show the tank at www.alpha64.de/tiger.htm.]
Tank in Osterode photo by Louis Lee Sapienza.
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