Northeast France, August 1944

Thank you, Spartanroller, for the map instructions. That is exactly what I needed.

 

At the time, this would be a highly hazardous undertaking - look what happened to Rommel. Any road movement was liable to powerful ground attack from 2 TAF. I'd suggest due South of Paris toward Le Mans - and still to be prepared to ditch the car and walk.....

 

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm guessing this is a premise for a story or part of one?

If the aim of this person was to escape the Germans in Paris at this time staying put would be the safest option.

If the information (or whatever) he had needed to be delivered in person, and by the quickest method possible to the Americans, driving through the front lines in German uniform is not going to do the job.

Firstly as Martin says there is the problem of air superiority, second there is the problem of German forces asking why someone is heading that way on their own, papers or otherwise. Third there are the US ground troops who weren't asking too many questions at the time. Fourthly there were widespread and numerous obstacles and booby-traps laid by the retreating forces which could have caused problems. Lastly, reaching the front-line American troops intact and without them shooting your 'escapee' is still no guarantee that the info or the man would get to Patton or senior intelligence officers in any sort of a hurry.

Dressing in Allied uniform and trying the 'run' might be safer, although not much.

Contact with the Resistance groups would have probably given more options, although even they were unable mostly to move around in the fluid front regions with any sort of safety or predictable outcome.

If I were attempting what you suggest, I think I would try and establish radio contact and arrange to meet an aircraft, probably as far south of Paris as I could get within the timeframe.

If time were less urgent, heading towards Belgium and the Canadians might be an option.

I still favour sitting in a cafe and waiting for liberation

 

Kir all round

 

Thank you for all the responses.

As you guessed, I am indeed trying to write a historical adventure story. And I don't want any entirely impossible things to happen. Although improbable things are okay as long as there is a good enough explanation.

But supposing that these options were not open. The person in question is escaping with another person, an Allied airman whose plane crashed behind German lines and who is trying to escape. And he is also, as you guessed, carrying important information. And he also can't make radio contact, as his team's radio operator has been compromised.
If you were in that situation, what would you do?
The time frame is not set in stone. Basically it is as soon as possible, and after a few days it will be too late.

Is this scenario possible? I need to get the guys through the lines somehow, and the more realistic it is, the better.

 

do the allies know that they want this info - there's a potential for a SPR/kelly's heroes idea here?

on a real note, cross country, alone, on foot, only moving at night, in no hurry, and in allied uniform would probably be the most likely to succeed - best alternative is dressed as frenchman, move during day, village hop - either case heading straight for the US forces west would make it harder but it is feasible. If the info and the man were vital then i don't think the risk would be taken, the chance of success would not be high.

what about the Seine - not easy but there was river traffic and you might make it to the channel, then get picked up from one of the ditched airmen floats or similar

I guess you don't want suggestions like steal an elephant from the zoo and ride it out and hope for the best or steal the montgolfiere/similar from a museum and fly out.

 

Crossing the territory on foot in the dark sounds like the best option right now, though the Seine is an interesting idea, and one I had not thought of.
I take it that you think the idea is rather ridiculous.
I do realize that this option would not be taken were it not the only one available, due to a very complicated set of circumstances. But, since it seems to be the only way open at the moment, I am hoping that there is some way that it could be done.

 

I think some French resistance stories might hold the key to what exactly you could and couldn't get away with in the area at the time - just had a brief look but not found anything so far. Pretty sure they exist. there may even be escaped airmen accounts as well from the time frame.

I'll have a better look later/probably tomorrow.

Not thinking it ridiculous - just wondering how ridiculous or not you wanted your story

Think the Seine probably too dangerous due to allied air attacks, but not something i've ever really come across in detail - also expect there would be accounts somewhere.

on the radio set issue - IIRC telephones were still working on both sides of the lines in general (other than bomb damage) - not sure if the germans managed to stop all comms to the west as they retreated, i'm guessing probably not

 

You could consider a day travel instead of night . The Ressitance knew how to make many fake ideas and quite a few airmen who used the Comete of Shelburn escape routes travelled by route. We have a veteran on this site who walked to Freteval (central France)in August 1944 during the day for instance. Remember there was a curfew and being caught at dark made you immediately suspicious and you'd end up at Fresnes prison those days (168 allied prisonners were even sent to Buchnewald when the prison was evacuated in August )




this scene is taken from the film "is Paris bunring?" whne Alain Delon tried to cross German line spretending he played tennis....

 

Here is some links to a great site with a tons of maps.


Positions on the 14th of August : Lage West/1944/August/Lage 14-Aug-1944

Positions on the 15th of August : Lage West/1944/August/Lage 15-Aug-1944

 

this has some great detail;

War and Game: Fighting on the Upper Seine River, August 1944


and this may give some ideas;

SOE F Section networks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=63974

 

Thanks. I really need to watch that movie. I've only read the book

 

So maybe civilian clothes would be a good idea?

 

still plenty of risk, but perhaps easier - civilians probably becoming less of interest to the Germans as the Allies got closer. Definitely less likely to get shot by the American forward troops. Might need a plan to convince them of who your man is, although i guess if he's American he could manage easy enough

 

civilian clothes would be a good choice, but not without risks, especially if the man is caught without a dogtag. He then faces the risk of being accused of being a spy and denied the Geneva convention and possibly worse. This was not systematic, but you'd better be caught by regular Wehrmacht soldiers rather than Gestapo or SD.
Their HQ was rue des Xantrailles.

 

Regarding the radio option, with the aircraft, and all that. Is there any place within German lines on those dates where an American aircraft could be landed in reasonable safety and pick someone up? Or would the person have to walk the 70+ miles to the front before getting picked up? and as for radio codes. . . .

 

pretty sure it could be done - not sure if it actually was, but there are many stories of small planes landing on small deserted fields. really close to Paris less easy, but you don't have to go too far out to get some privacy. All you need is a very dark night, some resistance help and a bombing raid going over the front to distract things. somewhere near versailles might be possible (although you could get almost that far by metro), else probably south or south east more realistic - all depends on contacts i think. on his own would be very hard, even if he could make contact - would need some local help

radio less of a problem if you used the telephone or resistance personnel with existing radios/codes