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While searching for a larger image of that "Cobra Bombing" photograph, I came across the attached aerial photo. At the time I put it aside to look at later, but I came across it again with a location identified. Turns out the photo also covers a part of Operation Cobra in the 30th ID zone. To check for myself, I got a satellite image from Google Maps. Unfortunately the French "interstate" passed through the area making identification difficult except by the pattern of the hedgerows. The second attachment attempts to demonstrate how the landmarks in the photo compare with what landmarks remain.

This photo covers the first part of the impact zone where the 30th ID started its role in Cobra. I don't see alot of traffic so this must have been taken awhile after the breakthrough. I read the 120th Infantry AAR for their role in this action. The 2d battalion encountered the strongest nest of resistance north of this area, astride the St-Jean-de-Daye / St-Gilles highway. The 1st battalion moved south on the east side of the highway. South of the main crossroad, at the top of the photo, they regained the highway at the next crossroad. By evening the 2d battalion had the main crossroad at the top of the photo and the 1st battalion was at a crossroad just south of this photo. The 2d AD came through the next morning and probably caused most of the vehicle tracks seen here.

Regards,
Gary

This photo was posted on your site (one of the photo pages) with the comment that the location was unknown (at the time?). You may have noted the similarity between this photo and the "crossroads" photo I sent earlier. Based on that similarity, I looked at the nearby area and found the attached.

This is the area north of the Cobra impact zone but still in the 30th ID zone. The St-Gilles highway is just visible in the extreme lower right corner. Your site indicated the photo caption stated something about a tank battle northwest of St-Lo. The area is very close to where the 2d battalion, 120th Infantry reported being held-up by three German tanks plus machine guns. According to the AAR, the tanks supporting the 2d battalion pulled a risky maneuver to drive off the German tanks. Impossible to say what, if any, part of that battle area is shown here.

I noted the heavily used track parallel to the main highway. Since I did not see a similar track in the "crossroad" aerial photo, I'm led to guess that this was the right (western) column of CCA, 2d Armored Division, before they deployed to a "battle formation" further south. Traveling parallel to the highway would keep them separate from the left (east) column. The left column may have also stayed off the highway so that engineers could clear mines and repair bomb damage.

If you are interested in the 2d AD operations in this area, this is a good read and it has a map sketch at the end.
https://www.infantry.army.mil/monographs/content/armor/ARSTUP/LongHerbert%20S.%20MAJ.pdf

This has been quite enjoyable for me and I'm glad you found the results interesting and valuable. If I come across more on the 30th ID I'll let you know.

Best Wishes,

Gary

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The following photos, maps and information are provided by Willi Weiss....MANY THANKS!!!

Click to enlarge photo.

CORRECTION to a previous photo on website:

Nazi soldiers 'help' check for mines near Haulthausen on March 25

Correct : Holthausen near Duesseldorf / Rhineland

Nazi soldiers 'help' check for mines near Holthausen / Duesseldorf / Rhineland on March 2

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A companion photo to one found on page 107 in the 119th's Official History

This photo shows ruins of the 1944 farmstead.

This story is found on page 107 of the 119th Official History Book.

119th in Kircherten.

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The above photo's location is listed incorrectly on another page...it is not in Kirchherten but in Kirchtroisdorf near Kirchherten. Then/Now.

117th Co K 2 2nd Plat. Loy Robinson 1945

This photo is in front of the windmill Grottenherten. Small to right is same windmill today.

The above Then photo was taken between the border of the 29th and 30th Divisional lines. Not sure if soldiers or 29th or 30th. Now view below it.

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From my German historian he first circles a bunker his father was held when captured 12/24/44 near Bastogne. The second photo shows him in a POW cage near Isigny, France. It was taken by an American medic he befriended...both American and German medics kept in touch after the war.

This is the story of Willi Weiss' father:

The circle drawn in the bunker was a medical bunker of the German army near Neff / Bastogne.

There was no water, everything was frozen. Between Bastogne and Neff the only source of water that was not frozen for German and American medics was at the church.

In the early days when German and American medics took their wounded for water, they were at a distance. There was no discussion, all were very cautious . . . .

Over time, the situation became more relaxed. There were words exchanged a little German and English.

They smoked cigarettes together, German smoked American cigarettes, and the Americans tried German cigarettes. Photos of family has been shown......

On the evening of Christmas 12/24/44 my father in the medical bunker decorated a small tree with cotton wool for Christmas.

At that time there was no shooting on either side.

At 8:00 PM the door was pushed open in the bunker ( My father was alone with the wounded ). There were 5 U.S. soldiers in the door and said a quiet voice, "Hands up" !

For my father, the war was over. One soldier said to my father he need not worry about the wounded. American medics, they will provide.

My father was imprisoned in Bastogne until there was a way to transport him. In Bastogne, because he spoke English, he provided help for the wounded of both sides.

Medics are bound by the Convention Genve to help friend and Enemy.

When the Americans broke out of the pocket of Bastogne, my father was transferred to Mons in Belgium.

There was an old factory where the German prisoners were questioned about the German secret weapons V1 and V2.

After a long question period the transport went up to Normandy near Isigny. Here my father was reinstated as a medic. Until the surrender of Germany he treated the German wounded prisoners,

At that time my father did not know what was happening in his homeland. A German soldier had told him the area of his home was totally destroyed.

When my father was to be released from American captivity, an American doctor asked him whether he wants to work for U.S. military at Camp Isigny - 5 $ per month was the pay.

He agreed. He did not know how it would be in his hometown. He was given new U.S. jacket and trousers and armband with a red cross. He was the only German among American soldiers.

He became friends with the American medic named Griffin. It went in well, he was treated like one of them. From his first American pay he bought a large cheese rom a farmer in Isigny and ate it with Griffin.

So there was my father until the summer of 1948 in the camp Isigny. Then Camp Isigny was closed.....

During this time, my father trained in American schools for medics. In 1950 my father received the above photo of him in the Isigny POW camp from Griffin in the United States.

The contact between my father and the American medic Griffin never stopped, he died in 2003.

It is the Code of Ethics by Medics to have remained faithful to his dead in 2005.

Enemies can become friends !

A picture of the medics and their wives...the Griffins on the ends, the Weiss' in the middle

At the Battle of the Bulge there was a church. It was used as a hospital by the Germans and was marked with large red cross flag. One day, my father was looking for wounded. Everywhere soldiers were calleding in German " hilfe " or in English " help me ". After my father had provided a badly wounded German soldiers with first aid, he brought him to this church. The next wounded - the same path to church.....

( Light wounded were treated in the bunker at Neff, seriously injured in the Church )

Once again, my father brought in a badly injured soldiers to the church. My father was frightened, standing before the church of German and American ambulances. Carefully my father carried the wounded man on his back into the church. An American doctor told him, your comrades lie down there, we'll take care of him. In the church were mixed German and American medics and doctors !

What had happened ?

This church was constantly changing hands between German or American ownership.

The German and American doctors refused again and again to evacuate wounded from the church. They had to decided to work together as long as it was possible.

The church changed hands 15 times the " official " owner - The staff, a mixture of German and American, was always the same.

This was maybe a small episode in the war but a huge humane event for these soldiers on opposite sides.
Such a story shows the respect soldiers of both sides had for one another.
Soldbuch and identity of my father as a medic.

See the stamp and signature top-right : Lt u Kp.-Fuehrer - > the name is Faber.

( Last name ) Nachname: Faber

( First name ) Vorname: Otto

( Rank ) Dienstgrad: Unteroffizier

( Birth date ) Geburtsdatum: ( 2/21/1913 ) 21.02.1913

( Birthplace ) Geburtsort:

( Date of death ) Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 23.12.1944 ( 12/23/1944 )

( Place of death ) Todes-/Vermisstenort: Neff / Bastogne, Belgien

Otto Faber ruht auf der Kriegsgr�berst�tte in Recogne-Bastogne (Belgien) .

Endgrablage: Block 15 Grab 303

Otto Faber rests on the military cemetery in Bastogne, Bastogne (Belgium).

Grave at the end: Block 15 grave 303

It is a day before my father was taken prisoner.

Unteroffizier ( Sgt ) Faber wanted to get food. A shell hit the kitchen.........

Note :

Website by the son of Sanit�ts Gefreiter Wilhelm Weiss : www.archiv-oberaussem.com

( A special website on the battles in the Rhineland in 1945 with rare photos and documents. )

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Although the following history occurred just east of the 30th Division during the Roer River Crossing, it is an incredible story told by Willi Weiss!! MANY THANKS

TIGER vs PERSHING at Elsdorf, Germany

On the road Steinstrass to Elsdorf - In the area of 1 / 117th - ( Reichsstrasse 55 now Bundestrasse 55 )

End of Weiss photos.

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Looking for any information or if anyone knew: Wilfred D. Wagner of the 117th, Co. G He received the Bronze Star for heroic achievement on Feb. 24th, 1945 in Germany...Roer River Crossing.
He was from Stroudsburg, PA.

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Lt. Snow is listed as being a member of 120th IR, Co. M as is S/Sgt. Naynik.
I also discovered the story behind this gun in the 120th's history book.
Sgt. Maddrey is listed as 120th, Co. M and Capt. Shaw and Sgt. Bishop 120th, Co. I.

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Attached is two photos from inside and the window from Mason Armstrong's bazooka position in Neufmoulin, Belgium which was actually open and I climbed up into the hayloft where he was.
Here is a photo of the hole I climbed up to get to the hayloft in the Armstrong house. If you could please put a disclaimer about not copying them other than for your site since they may be used in a documentary.
Please note the above photos of the Armstrong house in Neufmoulin are COPYRIGHTED and not to be used but only viewed on this website!! Thanks for honoring the author's request.

On this website's Links Section find more on the Armstrong story under The Battle of the Bulge link.

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Further more I send you pictures of a monument of the 30th Inf Div in St. Geertruid in Limburg The Netherlands Near to Maastricht.
and pictures from a monument I found in Gronsveld also near Maastricht.
a statue of a soldier´s face. Raymond F. Gargenes.
The information goes as follows.
Thanks to the liboraters of Gronsveld on September 13th 1944. and specially Sergeant Raymond F. Gargenes from
Pennsylvania. who was killed at the age of 21.

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The realization of the new plaque has been made by the Municipality of Simpelveld and the Historical Society "De Bongard"