Stefan
Hallo,
im unserer Gegend hat am 14.April 1945 ein Gefecht zwischen Deutschen und Amerikaner stattgefunden.
Am Ende des Gefechts erschossen die Sieger 24 deutsche Soldaten.
Ich möchte mich gerne darüber weiter informieren.
Die dortige Kirchengemeinde hat diesem Ereignis einen Gedenkstein gewidmet.
Besitzt jemand weitere Informationen über die damaligen Vorgänge?
In folgenden Büchern sollen Informationen darüber enthalten sein. Hat jemand die Möglichkeit, aus diesen Büchern zu zitieren?
Willy Groß, "Kampf um die Straßenkreuzung Spitze, die letzten Kriegstage im Raum Dürscheid", ab Seite 77
Werner Pütz, "60 Jahre danach. Krieg und Nationalsozialismus im Bergischen Land", ab Seite 87
Einen englischen Text dazu habe ich im Internet gefunden, erhebe aber für alle Angaben keine Gewähr auf die Richtigkeit:
"...In the morning 14 of April 1945 an American combat group forced 21 older men, members of the police reserve and the Fire Protection Police, into a line at a meadow. The men had spent the night in the cellar of the Mueller’s Restaurant. Without further ado, with machine guns drawn..[? -[Maschienengewehren niedermähen]. The residents of Spitze heard the command “Fire  loud and clearly, then the hammering shots. They had just barely escaped the death sentence.
What had happened? On Wednesday, 13, the Americans captured the city of Bergisch Gladbach without a fight and their combat patrols continued to advance to over Herrenstrunden towards Spitze/Dürscheid.
One knew that in the last days another heavy AA battery had shot from the Spitz heights towards the Rhine. Richtung/Biesfeld was shelled, where already the white flag blew from the church tower. The place had resulted. [?] The shells of the German cannons didn’t reach Biesfeld but did destroy the Kirch house. A woman, girl and two German soldiers were killed.
In the meantime the artillerymen of the four 105mm artillery guns and five lighter cannons had adjusted the fire, and the battery moved off toward Wermelskirchen. They did not get through however, and when they returned, and a cannon took list [got stuck? Stayed behind?] at the crossroads at Spitze.
A young German second lieutenant had made [steeled himself and his crew with alcohol?] . Now they had courage and made the 88mm Flak gun combat-ready. Just after 5PM the first American tanks rolled in from Herrenstrunden. The Amis did not know anything about the German 88, which suddenly opened up with a murderous fire. The Americans were also completely surprised because white flags already flew from several houses.
The Amis withdrew, the drunk German artillerymen left their position, and the 88mm gun received a hit. The Americans launched a bombardment at Spitze after midnight with tank cannon and artillery fire. There were considerable property damage.
At the daybreak the Americans advanced again. At Spitz they gathered together all who by happenstance remained in the town: immigrant workers, civilians and the 21 uniformed policemen. There they all stood close to the church with their hands raised, before the wildly swearing Americans with their weapons drawn.
The French POW Roger Vidal, [who had been in?] the Jakobs’ cellar, immediately recognized the dangerous situation, spontaneously contacted the American officer and asked that the civilians be released. The policemen believed themselves likewise saved, when the Amis returned less valuable personal articles taken from them. Then the policemen were led away, the road down to the Wiedenhöfer house and then laterally on a meadow. It was the march to death.
The only explanation for the massacre at Spitz by the Americans is that they had been so enraged by the fire of those slightly drunk German artillerymen that they wanted revenge.
On April 14th there was further heavy combat at Bechen and in the entire area Raum Alternberg area, Burscheid, Wermelskirchen, and Solingen."
Gruß
Stefan
im unserer Gegend hat am 14.April 1945 ein Gefecht zwischen Deutschen und Amerikaner stattgefunden.
Am Ende des Gefechts erschossen die Sieger 24 deutsche Soldaten.
Ich möchte mich gerne darüber weiter informieren.
Die dortige Kirchengemeinde hat diesem Ereignis einen Gedenkstein gewidmet.
Besitzt jemand weitere Informationen über die damaligen Vorgänge?
In folgenden Büchern sollen Informationen darüber enthalten sein. Hat jemand die Möglichkeit, aus diesen Büchern zu zitieren?
Willy Groß, "Kampf um die Straßenkreuzung Spitze, die letzten Kriegstage im Raum Dürscheid", ab Seite 77
Werner Pütz, "60 Jahre danach. Krieg und Nationalsozialismus im Bergischen Land", ab Seite 87
Einen englischen Text dazu habe ich im Internet gefunden, erhebe aber für alle Angaben keine Gewähr auf die Richtigkeit:
"...In the morning 14 of April 1945 an American combat group forced 21 older men, members of the police reserve and the Fire Protection Police, into a line at a meadow. The men had spent the night in the cellar of the Mueller’s Restaurant. Without further ado, with machine guns drawn..[? -[Maschienengewehren niedermähen]. The residents of Spitze heard the command “Fire  loud and clearly, then the hammering shots. They had just barely escaped the death sentence.
What had happened? On Wednesday, 13, the Americans captured the city of Bergisch Gladbach without a fight and their combat patrols continued to advance to over Herrenstrunden towards Spitze/Dürscheid.
One knew that in the last days another heavy AA battery had shot from the Spitz heights towards the Rhine. Richtung/Biesfeld was shelled, where already the white flag blew from the church tower. The place had resulted. [?] The shells of the German cannons didn’t reach Biesfeld but did destroy the Kirch house. A woman, girl and two German soldiers were killed.
In the meantime the artillerymen of the four 105mm artillery guns and five lighter cannons had adjusted the fire, and the battery moved off toward Wermelskirchen. They did not get through however, and when they returned, and a cannon took list [got stuck? Stayed behind?] at the crossroads at Spitze.
A young German second lieutenant had made [steeled himself and his crew with alcohol?] . Now they had courage and made the 88mm Flak gun combat-ready. Just after 5PM the first American tanks rolled in from Herrenstrunden. The Amis did not know anything about the German 88, which suddenly opened up with a murderous fire. The Americans were also completely surprised because white flags already flew from several houses.
The Amis withdrew, the drunk German artillerymen left their position, and the 88mm gun received a hit. The Americans launched a bombardment at Spitze after midnight with tank cannon and artillery fire. There were considerable property damage.
At the daybreak the Americans advanced again. At Spitz they gathered together all who by happenstance remained in the town: immigrant workers, civilians and the 21 uniformed policemen. There they all stood close to the church with their hands raised, before the wildly swearing Americans with their weapons drawn.
The French POW Roger Vidal, [who had been in?] the Jakobs’ cellar, immediately recognized the dangerous situation, spontaneously contacted the American officer and asked that the civilians be released. The policemen believed themselves likewise saved, when the Amis returned less valuable personal articles taken from them. Then the policemen were led away, the road down to the Wiedenhöfer house and then laterally on a meadow. It was the march to death.
The only explanation for the massacre at Spitz by the Americans is that they had been so enraged by the fire of those slightly drunk German artillerymen that they wanted revenge.
On April 14th there was further heavy combat at Bechen and in the entire area Raum Alternberg area, Burscheid, Wermelskirchen, and Solingen."
Gruß
Stefan