After The Battle #177 – The Battle for Koblenz

THE BATTLE FOR KOBLENZ Ñ The German city of Koblenz lies at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers. In March 1945, as a side show to the main offensive by Lieutenant General George S. Patton’s US Third Army through the Saar – Palatinate region, the US 87th Infantry Division launched an attack on the city. In just two days of street – fighting, the Americans cleaned out the entire city. Karel Margry describes this amazing feat. Tragedy at Lake Poursollet Ñ Jean Paul Pallud describes how on August 13, 1944, troops of the German 157. Reserve – Division made a surprise attack on a small force of French Maquis fighters at Lake Poursollet, high up in the Oisans mountains south – east of Grenoble in the French Alps. The Axis – Held Island of Rhodes Ñ The Greek Island of Rhodes Ñ the largest in the ‘Dodecanese’ (meaning a group of 12 Islands) Ñ has throughout history been coveted by many empires. Gail Ramsey explains the period that it was occupied by the Axis. The Guns of Navarone Ñ Following the transfer of the Dodecanese, including Rhodes, to Greece in 1947, the Treaty assuRed Turkey and Italy that the Islands would be demilitarised. Thus in 1960 it was a diplomatic coup for Carl Foreman Ñ then exiled from America under the anti – Communist clamp – down Ñ to get permission to bring to Rhodes a large contingent of men and material from the Greek army to make this classic film.

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