Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Postcard, Picture |
Scope & Content |
Postcards Removed From Joseph Dutilh WWII Scrapbook, Page 48. Page contains seven black-and-white postcards, three on the page and four loose. The three postcards on the page depict snow-covered buildings in Badgastein, Germany. Three of the loose postcards show buildings in Diedenhofen, and the last loose one shows a stately building in Saarbrücken. |
Date |
c. 1941-1945 |
Catalog Number |
2017.045.001.48A-G |
Collection |
Archival Collection |
Notes |
"Bad Gastein (formerly Badgastein[2]) is a spa town in the district of St. Johann im Pongau, in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Picturesquely situated in a high valley of the Hohe Tauern mountain range, it is known for the Gastein Waterfall and a variety of Belle Époque hotel buildings." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Gastein] "The name "Bad" means "spa", reflecting the town's history as a health resort" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Gastein] "Thionville (German: Diedenhofen ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thionville] and part of the Alsace-Lorraine/Alsace-Moselle Territory. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace-Lorraine#Towns_and_cities] "During the Second World War, Lorraine was placed under a German civilian administration and was thus once again officially part of the German Reich (though unrecognized by the Western Allies). In 1944, US troops entered Thionville, which has belonged to France since then. In the winter of 1944-45, the Displaced Persons Camp No. 8 was established here. In the following years it was home to the thousands of former concentration camp prisoners and POWs." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thionville] "Saarbrücken is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is Saarland's administrative, commercial and cultural centre and is situated next to the French border." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saarbr%C3%BCcken#World_War_II] "Saarbrücken was heavily bombed in World War II.[16] In total 1,234 people (1.1 percent of the population) in Saarbrücken were killed in bombing raids 1942-45.[17]11,000 homes were destroyed and 75 percent of the city left in ruins. The Royal Air Force raided Saarbrücken at least 10 times. Often employing area bombing, the Royal Air Force used total of at least 1495 planes to attack Saarbrücken, killing a minimum of 635 people and heavily damaging more than 8400 buildings, of which more than 7700 were completely destroyed, thus dehousing more than 50,000 people.[16] The first major raid on Saarbrücken was done by 291 aircraft of the Royal Air Force on July 29, 1942, targeting industrial facilities. Losing 9 aircraft, the bombers destroyed almost 400 buildings, damaging more than 300 others, and killed more than 150 people.[18] On August 28, 1942, 113 Royal Air Force planes raided Saarbrücken doing comparably little damage due to widely scattered bombing.[18] After the Royal Air Force mistakenly bombed Saarlouis instead of Saarbrücken on September 1, 1942, it raided Saarbrücken with 118 planes on September 19, 1942, causing comparably little damage as the bombing scattered to the west of Saarbrücken due to ground haze.[18] There were small raids with 28 Mosquitos[18] on April 30, 1944, with 33 Mosquitos[18] on June 29, 1944, and with just 2 Mosquitos[18] on July 26, 1944. At the request of the American Third Army, the Royal Air Force massively raided Saarbrücken on October 5, 1944, in order to destroy supply lines, especially the railway. The 531 Lancasters and 20 Mosquitos achieved these goals, but lost 3 Lancasters and destroyed large parts of Malstatt and nearly all of Alt-Saarbrücken.[18] From January 13 to January 14, the Royal Air Force raided Saarbrücken three times, targeting the railway yard. The attacks with 158, 274, and 134 planes, respectively, were very effective.[18] The 8th US Air Force raided Saarbrücken at least 16 times, from October 4, 1943, to November 9, 1944. Targeting mostly the marshalling yards, a total of at least 2387 planes of the 8th. USAF killed a minimum of 543 people and heavily damaged more than 4400 buildings, of which more than 700 were completely destroyed, thus depriving more than 2300 people of shelter.[16] The US 70th Infantry Division was tasked with punching through the Siegfried Line and taking Saarbrücken. The 70th Infantry Division flanked Saarbrücken by crossing the Saar north-west of Saarbrücken. The 274th Infantry Regiment entered Saarbrücken on March 20, 1945, fully occupying it the following day, thus ending the war for Saarbrücken. In 1945, Saarbrücken temporarily became part of the French Zone of Occupation" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saarbr%C3%BCcken#World_War_II] |
Category |
Photographs |
People |
Dutilh, Joseph V. |
Search Terms |
Dutilh, Joseph V. Photography World War II World War Two WWII |
Subjects |
Photograph albums Photography Postal cards World War II |
Credit line |
Courtesy of the Estate of Alice Dutilh |