NAZI HIGH COMMAND AUTHORIZED A COVERT OPERATION TO 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, USING MASSIVE RAILWAY GUNS TO SHELL HIS HEADQUARTERS IN THE FRENCH CITY OF NANCY IN OCTOBER 1944, ACCORDING TO NEW DETAILS EMERGING FROM MILITARY ARCHIVES. THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CAME CLOSE TO SUCCEEDING, WITH A SHELL LANDING LESS THAN THIRTY YARDS FROM THE LEGENDARY COMMANDER’S RESIDENCE.
THE GERMAN PLAN TARGETED THE US THIRD ARMY’S COMMAND STRUCTURE DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF THE ALLIED ADVANCE TOWARD GERMANY.
THE OPERATION UNFOLDED AFTER THE THIRD ARMY’S RAPID PUSH ACROSS FRANCE STALLED AT THE MOSELLE RIVER OUTSIDE THE FORTIFIED CITY OF METZ ON AUGUST 31, 1944. SUPPLY SHORTAGES HALTED THE ALLIED ADVANCE ALONG THE ENTIRE WESTERN FRONT, GIVING THE GERMANS A CRITICAL WINDOW TO REORGANIZE THEIR DEFENSES. PATTON, THE AGGRESSIVE COMMANDER FEARED MOST BY THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND, WAS FORCED INTO A PROTRACTED TEN-WEEK BATTLE TO CAPTURE METZ.
HIS HEADQUARTERS ESTABLISHED IN NANCY, THE CAPITAL OF LORRAINE, A REGION THAT HAD SHIFTED BETWEEN FRENCH AND GERMAN CONTROL FOR CENTURIES AND HAD BEEN ANNEXED BY GERMANY SINCE 1940.
THE GERMANS WITHDREW FROM NANCY WITHOUT A FIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1944, AS TASK FORCE SILVER, COMPRISING THE US 35TH AND 80TH INFANTRY DIVISIONS AND 200 FRENCH RESISTANCE FIGHTERS, OCCUPIED THE CITY WITH EASE. THE TEN-DAY BATTLE FOR THE CITY OCCURRED PRIMARILY OUTSIDE ITS LIMITS, LEAVING MOST OF NANCY UNDAMAGED AND ITS INFRASTRUCTURE INTACT. THE CITY’S LARGE FORMER FRENCH BARRACKS, HASTILY VACATED BY THE OCCUPYING GERMANS, BECAME PRIME REAL ESTATE FOR INCOMING US HEADQUARTERS.
MAJOR GENERAL MANTON S. EDDY’S US 12TH CORPS HEADQUARTERS, CONSISTING OF 300 MALE AND FEMALE PERSONNEL, ARRIVED ON SEPTEMBER 18, WITH ITS FORWARD ECHELON TAKING OVER THE ECOLE DE BEAUX-ARTS ON AVENUE Boffrand THE FOLLOWING DAY.
THE 12TH CORPS REAR ECHELON MOVED INTO CITE UNIVERSITY, OCCUPYING STUDENT DORMITORIES AND AN ADJOINING CHATEAU. PATTON’S THIRD ARMY HEADQUARTERS, COMPRISING SOME 1,000 MALE AND FEMALE SOLDIERS, TRAVELED 90 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST FROM ETAIN TO NANCY, TAKING OVER THE VICTORIAN FRENCH ARMY BARRACKS KNOWN AS CASERNE MOLITOR, CASERNE LARON, AND CASERNE BLANDA IN THE SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY. THE FORWARD ECHELON USED CASERNE MOLITOR AS ITS MAIN HEADQUARTERS FROM OCTOBER 13, WITH PATTON CONDUCTING HIS DAILY MEETINGS THERE AND HOSTING TOP ALLIED LEADERS INCLUDING GENERALS EISENHOWER AND BRADLEY.
CASERNE LANDORE BECAME ADVANCED HEADQUARTERS FOR THE 19TH TACTICAL AIR COMMAND, THE US AIR ELEMENT SUPPORTING THIRD ARMY OPERATIONS, WITH ARMY AIR FORCE OFFICERS BILLETED AT THE EXCELSIOR HOTEL IN NANCY.
CASERNE BLANDA WAS OCCUPIED BY THE US 12TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL, OPERATING FROM OCTOBER 1 WITH 312 PATIENTS IN THEIR BEDS BY THAT EVENING. PATTON REQUIRED A PERSONAL RESIDENCE AND WAS PROVIDED THE LARGE MANSION OF THE POUCAVALIER STEEL MANUFACTURING FAMILY AT NUMBER 4 RUE D’AUXONNE. THE HOUSE FEATURED A BOMB-PROOF CELLAR AND A FORMER GERMAN GUARD HOUSE BY THE MAIN GATE.
PATTON MOVED IN ON OCTOBER 13, 1944. ANOTHER LARGE HOUSE OWNED BY THE POUCAVALIER FAMILY, NUMBER 10 RUE D’AUXONNE, LOCATED SOME 500 FEET FROM PATTON’S HOUSE, WAS TAKEN OVER AS A GUEST HOUSE FOR VISITORS AND PATTON’S SENIOR STAFF.
THE GERMANS, HOWEVER, QUICKLY LEARNED OF THE US HEADQUARTERS IN NANCY AND DETERMINED TO DESTROY THEM. LORRAINE CONTAINED SEVERAL GERMAN RAILWAY GUNS THAT REMAINED OPERATIONAL, WITH SPECIALLY FORTIFIED TUNNELS TO HIDE THEM WHEN NOT IN ACTION. ALLIED AIR SUPERIORITY RULED OUT ANY LUFTWAFFE BOMBING ATTACK ON PATTON’S HEADQUARTERS, AS SUCH A MISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN SUICIDAL.
THE GERMANS INSTEAD TURNED TO THEIR HEAVY RAILWAY ARTILLERY, SPECIFICALLY THE KRUPP K5(E) GUNS, OF WHICH THE GERMANS HAD ABOUT A DOZEN STILL IN OPERATION. THESE 28-CENTIMETER CALIBER WEAPONS, MOUNTED ON HUGE RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WERE NICKNAMED “SCHLANKE BERTHA” OR “SLENDER BERTHA” BY THE GERMANS AND COULD LOB A SHELL WEIGHING 255 KILOGRAMS UP TO 39 MILES AWAY AT THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND. A SPECIAL ROCKET-ASSISTED SHELL COULD FLY UP TO 54 MILES, THOUGH WITH LESS ACCURACY.
EACH TWO-GUN BATTERY WAS STAFFED BY 230 OFFICERS AND MEN, ONE LOCOMOTIVE AND 31 RAILWAY WAGONS, WITH ANOTHER LOCOMOTIVE AND 20 ACCOMPANYING WAGONS FOR EACH GUN, PLUS 27 DIFFERENT FUEL CARS AND TRUCKS. THE GUNS WERE LOCATED AT EYZVILL, 25 KILOMETERS NORTHEAST OF METZ, AT BONVILLE, A TOWN 35 KILOMETERS NORTHEAST OF METZ, AND 7 KILOMETERS FURTHER ON AT THESSY. THIS POSITIONING ALLOWED THE RAILWAY GUNS TO HIT ANYWHERE IN ALLIED-CONTROLLED LORRAINE, POSING A SERIOUS THREAT TO ALLIED FORCES.
THE GERMANS DECIDED TO TARGET HEADQUARTERS, OPENING THE CAMPAIGN WITH A FEW SHOTS AT THE US 20TH CORPS HEADQUARTERS AT JARNY, 22 KILOMETERS WEST OF METZ, ON OCTOBER 5 AND 7.
THE US ORGANIZED COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE USING 8-INCH HOWITZERS WITH A RANGE OF 17 KILOMETERS, FIRING AT THE RAILWAY GUN AT EYZVILL AND DAMAGING IT. THE GERMANS SWITCHED THEIR EFFORTS TO THE TUNNELS AT THESSY, OUT OF RANGE OF US GUNS, WITH NANCY AND PATTON AND HIS HEADQUARTERS NOW THE PRIMARY TARGET. ONE GUN WAS ROLLED OUT USING ROCKET-ASSISTED SHELLS TO HIT PATTON’S HEADQUARTERS.
THE BOMBARDMENT BEGAN ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 11, 1944, WHEN TWELVE 28-CENTIMETER SHELLS SCREAMED INTO NANCY. THOUGH THE SHELLS CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, NO CASUALTIES OCCURRED, BUT THE DISTANT SHELLING CREATED TERROR IN THE US HEADQUARTERS STAFF.
THE GUNS WERE ABLE TO SPREAD THEIR SHOTS OVER THE CITY, WITH SHELLS NINE, TEN, AND ELEVEN IMPACTING CLOSE TO THE 12TH CORPS HEADQUARTERS IN THE FINE ARTS SCHOOL. ONE SHELL DESTROYED THE THEATRE D’AUXONNE JUST 300 YARDS FROM GENERAL EDDY’S HEADQUARTERS. EDDY ORDERED THE GERMAN GUNS FOUND USING SOUND RANGING AND SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE.
THE 20TH CORPS HEADQUARTERS AT JARNY RECEIVED ANOTHER 20 SHELLS ON OCTOBER 19. THEN IT WAS NANCY’S TURN AGAIN. IN THE EARLY HOURS OF OCTOBER 24, THE GERMAN GUNS PUMPED 14 ROUNDS INTO THE CITY, KILLING ONE CIVILIAN AND INJURING SIX OTHERS.
ONE SHELL HIT THE 12TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL BUT FORTUNATELY FAILED TO EXPLODE. OTHERS STRUCK CLOSE TO CITY UNIVERSITY WHERE US TROOPS WERE BILLETED. ONE LANDED 550 METERS FROM PATTON’S HOME, ANOTHER 35 METERS FROM PATTON’S HOUSE, COLLAPSING AN ADJACENT HOME.
ANOTHER EXPLODED 150 METERS NORTH OF PATTON’S RESIDENCE.
PATTON REMAINED UNFLAPPABLE, AT LEAST VISUALLY, THROUGHOUT THE SHELLING. HE LED MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF ACROSS TO THE SHATTERED HOUSE NEAR HIS HEADQUARTERS TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE. PATTON PERSONALLY DRAGGED SOME OF THE FRENCH OCCUPANTS FROM THE RUBBLE WHILE MORE GERMAN SHELLS LANDED NEARBY.
AS PATTON DESCRIBED THE ACTION IN A LETTER TO HIS WIFE: “I NEARLY LOST THE THIRD ARMY THIS MORNING BY GETTING KILLED. THE HUNS STARTED SHELLING THE TOWN WITH AN 11-INCH RAILROAD GUN AT 1259. AT 0430 THEY LANDED TWO, ONE TO THE NORTH OF OUR HOUSE AND ONE TO THE SOUTH, BOTH VERY CLOSE, LESS THAN 30 YARDS IN FACT.
THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET WAS HIT. I WENT OVER TO HELP PULL THE PEOPLE OUT AND A THIRD ONE HIT JUST WEST. ALL THE GLASS IN THE HOUSE WAS BROKEN AND THE WATER LINE CUT.
THE OLD MAN I WAS TRYING TO PULL OUT WAS STUCK AND I ALMOST PULLED HIS HEAD OFF. THE FRENCHMAN WITH ME KEPT UP A POLITE CONVERSATION WITH AN OLD WOMAN WHO SAID A GRANDCHILD WAS UNDER THE RUINS. THE FROG SAID, ‘DO NOT DERANGE YOURSELF ABOUT THE CHILD.
THE FAMOUS GENERAL PATTON HIMSELF IS HELPING DISINTER IT. I BEG THAT YOU CALM YOURSELF. THE GENERAL HAS HIMSELF SENT FOR A DOCTOR, ETC.’
THE BABY WAS NOT HURT BUT THE OLD LADY HAD A COUPLE OF FLESH WOUNDS. IF THEY START SHOOTING TONIGHT I’M GOING TO THE CELLAR, WHICH IS BOMB PROOF. PS I WAS REALLY SCARED.”
THE AMERICANS NOW DETERMINED TO FIND THE GUNS AND DESTROY THEM. SOUND RANGING TEAMS WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE WEAPONS WHILE RADIO SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE GAVE THE AMERICANS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR LOCATION. AFTER MUCH COLLATING OF THE DATA, INTERROGATION OF GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR, AND HELP FROM LOCAL FRENCH CIVILIANS, THE AMERICANS BELIEVED THEY HAD LOCATED ONE OR TWO GUNS AT THE THESSY TUNNEL.
ON OCTOBER 28, 1944, THE US ARMY AIR FORCE LAUNCHED AN ATTACK ON THE THESSY TUNNELS. SIXTEEN P-47 THUNDERBOLTS SKIP-BOMBED 500-POUND BOMBS DOWN THE TUNNEL ENTRANCES. THEY ALSO SHUT UP THE MARSHALLING YARDS AND ANY ROLLING STOCK AND VEHICLES THEY COULD FIND.
A K5 WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND MANY OF ITS CREW KILLED.
PATTON LEFT NANCY WHEN THE UNEXPECTED GERMAN ARDENNES OFFENSIVE OPENED IN MID-DECEMBER 1944, RUINING PATTON’S PLANS TO LAUNCH HIS OPERATION TINK, THE THIRD ARMY’S INVASION OF THE SAAR INDUSTRIAL REGION OF GERMANY. INSTEAD, PATTON REDIRECTED SOME OF HIS DIVISIONS NORTH TO START COUNTERATTACKING THE GERMAN BULGE IN THE US LINES, PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN DEFEATING HITLER’S LAST SERIOUS OFFENSIVE IN THE WEST. THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON PATTON REMAINS A LITTLE-KNOWN EPISODE OF THE EUROPEAN THEATER, OVERSHADOWED BY THE LARGER BATTLES AND THE GENERAL’S EVENTUAL DEATH IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN DECEMBER 1945.
BUT THE OCTOBER 1944 SHELLING OF NANCY DEMONSTRATED THE LENGTHS TO WHICH THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND WAS WILLING TO GO TO ELIMINATE THE ALLIES’ MOST AGGRESSIVE AND FEARED FIELD COMMANDER.
THE COST OF THE WAR IN THE WEST WAS STAGGERING, AS PATTON HIMSELF ACKNOWLEDGED IN HIS REMARKS ABOUT THE THIRD ARMY’S CAMPAIGN: “YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS, THAT FROM BREST TO VARIOUS TOWNS IN SOUTHERN GERMANY AND AUSTRIA WHOSE NAMES I CAN’T PRONOUNCE BUT WHOSE PLACES I HAVE REMOVED, THE TRAIL OF THE THIRD ARMY AND THE 19TH TACTICAL AIR COMMAND AND THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE IS MARKED BY MORE THAN 40,000 WHITE CROSSES, 40,000 DEAD AMERICANS.” THE SHELLING OF NANCY WAS A CLOSE CALL THAT COULD HAVE ADDED PATTON’S NAME TO THAT LIST OF CROSSES, CHANGING THE COURSE OF THE WAR IN THE WEST. THE GERMAN RAILWAY GUNS, DESPITE THEIR AGE AND VULNERABILITY, HAD COME WITHIN YARDS OF KILLING ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED AND CONTROVERSIAL GENERALS OF WORLD WAR II.
