Battle for Aachen The time period from Sept. 9 to Oct. 10 1944 Diarist G. Muehlenmeister [comments by the translator are in [...] brackets] [dates in UK order, i.e., day.month.year. USA spelling.] 10.09.44 Even before 10.09.44 rumors were circulating in Aachen about an impending evacuation of the city, which caused a giant uproar among its residents. They were temporarily revoked only to pop up again, causing an extreme level of fear and uncertainy among the population. Many were plagued by doubt: what to do? Evacuate? Or stay in the city? In either case danger was in the offing, an uncertain future which had us shaking in our boots. Fantastical rumors about what could come to pass in either case flitted like poisonous insects through the city. Carpet bombing of the Siegfried Line, the city, the bunkers, exactly as happened at the Atlantic Wall, then firing by our soldiers at the enemy troops moving through the city - a city wihout lights, gas and water, with no food deliveries, were prophesied for those who remained. For the evacuees attacks on trains, the misery as refugees, loss of all goods, of their livelihoods. Many thought that the Siegfried Line could hold out for months, but Aachen would then be under attack from both sides. At the behest of the Fuehrer Himmler inspected the defenses today. Late in the evening I enter our bunker area and find persons there who have fallen prey to helplessness and inner conflict as a result of their fear and uncertainty. Suddenly we sit up and take notice. A leading personality, who is in contact with the Mayor, makes a consoling speech. The Mayor informs the citizens of Aachen that for the time being an evacuation is not being considered. Himmler was here and asserted that the rescue of the german troops from the pocket near Antwerp was grounds for new hope. The graveyard humor disappeared as if blown away by a wind storm and was replaced by good humor [Fidelitas]. The mood was improved by a cup of [real] coffee and the bread and butter was once again eaten with good appetite. 11.09.44 Nevertheless, on 11.9. the city was again in a state of panic. Panic buying, particularly of food stuffs, increased. In the course of the day it was announced that mothers with their children and old people would be able to leave until 7 [number hard to read and not clear whether AM or PM] o'clock. In recent days many had already left Aachen to visit distant relatives. But a special police pass had been required. Nonetheless, 98,000 food ration cards had been distributed to residents in Aachen on 9.9. 12.09.44 In the late afternoon of 12.9. the evacuation order was brought to our house (Peterstr.). Appointed time 8:30 AM on 13.9., destination Beeckstr. The explanation: it is forbidden to stay in this part of Aachen. Previously it was discretionary. The Grevensteins, who planned to bed down in the underground shelter, come back. All underground shelters and bunkers are being closed. Martin picks me up in the evening so we can move to Conrad's house in the Helfferichstrasse, where the family Corsten is also living. The getaway luggage is tied onto a bicycle which Martin bought on the way over for 50 Reichsmark and some cigarettes. We move through practically abandoned streets. Now and then a group of refugees on their way to the train station appears. Small handcarts, prams of various provenance, suit cases, amazing back packs quickly fashioned from all kinds of curious material, characterize the emigrants. In the Helfferichstrasse I had expected to find a group of people determined to remain in Aachen, as imagined by Martin C. Instead: the highest level of fear induced panic, flowing tears, mindless packing resulting from a need to be ready at shortest notice to flee. Some of the pickled eggs are given away, some are choked down as quickly as possible so that no stranger can eat them. Not just food, clothes and underware, but a spinning wheel packed in a sack, are to be taken along on the flight. Martin had to pull all the stops of his leadership talents to get the excited minds onto a path of reasonable action. Brainless neighbors who rushed over in a state of the highest hopelessness also had to be made to see reason and finally went, determined and thankful, back home. People acquiesced to Martin's strict orders to stay while maintaining their composure and confidence. But they kept packing anyway, just in case they might still have to take off. In the evening we ate at the round table in the dining room. A good, warm meal! Afterwards: a new uproar about where to spend the night. Bunker, underground shelter or cellar? Against the desires of the fearful minds a decision is reached: either in the house itself or in its cellar. I sleep on the couch in the living room. Sustained flak fire near and far. 13.09.44 The flak position behind our house is disbanded. We hear the demolitions, see the fires. Withdrawal of the flak unit. Many residents in the Beverau were determined not to leave. They remained at home, some in two underground shelters, about 200 people. Supposedly there are still thousands of people in the Frankenberger bunker, determined not to leave Aachen. A representative of Graf Schwerin, whose tank division is tasked with defending the city, addressed the people in the bunker during the night: never before has such a disgraceful abandonment of a city taken place as in Aachen. The Party [NSDAP] functionaries and the police ran away before the civilians were evacuated. It is impossible to evacuate those who remain. The citizens should stay put and support the army [Wehrmacht]. And indeed, those who went to the train station yesterday returned today. Among them the Pfannschmidts; having eaten all their provisions and broken their butter crock along the way, they now had to stay here. Many evacuees are near Dueren. Many were dropped off a mere 15 kilometers from Aachen. Hardly anyone answers the phone. Apparently already all gone. Only the Franciscan nuns (Kleinmarschierstr.) answered, determined to remain here. I heard from them that the people from the block of houses in the Peterstr. hadn't gone along to the train station and had remained in Aachen. We don't hear any more flak, but rather the thunder of the artillery in the Siegfried Line, which becomes louder and louder. I stand at the window with Martin and observe the shell hits in the german positions in the woods, all along the ridge, which was jam-packed with german troops, as fleeing soldiers reported. In the evening a car full of Waffen SS drives past. The officer says that they're looking for lodgings for the staff. He thinks it will be impossible for civilians to get out of the city if they wait until morning. Now that the flak soldiers have abandoned their command post Franz Conrads and Edgar Pfannschmidt start to get things organised. The following items are quickly brought into the house: 1 sack of C(ombat)-rations, 1 box of hard tack, 5 rabbits, 1 radio, 90 liters of petrol/gasoline, milk from the cows which are wandering around. All meals are eaten above ground. Because the enemy is getting closer the fearful souls demand that we go to the bunker or the underground shelter. We stay in the house, as Martin orders. Good spirits prevail in the expectation that all difficulties will soon end. We move our sleeping quarters into the cellar in the evening. The couch, reclining chairs and a matress on the floor serve as beds for the eight members of the household: Conrads, Corsten, Franzen, Muellenmeister. 14.09.44 Thursday. This morning things are getting serious. The artillery bombardment becomes an artillery duell early on. The enemy fires from the woods and our forces reply from the east and the north (Soers) of the city (Lohsberg). We hear that the enemy is in Wahnbruch. The roads leading out of the woods are under continuous fire. Towards Ponttor, Ludwigsallee one sees lots of shell hits, also in the inner city. The artillery duell goes on for hours. Long distance calls to Franz in Gelsenkirchen and Hanne in Dortmund this morning. We're on pins and needles and hope that the worst will be over in two hours. We talk to some soldiers who, coming from Eupen, are glad that they could get out of the Aachen woods. They are flabbergasted to hear that they're in front of Aachen. They're weary and listless and can only thing about being taken prisoner. They tell us that the enemy has more troops and is better equipped than we are. Their answer to our question, whether it's dangerous out there, is that it's dangerous everywhere here. We'd written a lot of letters and wanted to give them to them to forward. They refused because they didn't expect that they'd be able to get out of Aachen. A short time later another two soldiers came running by, breathless and shaking. They were running fast, hoping that they could get away to the east. They readily took our letters along. The firing from the artillery/tanks gets heavier and heavier. The shell hits get closer to our street. We sit close together in the cellar. The shell hits on the side where the garden lies shake the house. Greetings from the Americans in the nearby Aachen woods. Hardly a pause! Hardly a dwindling. A hard impact - the lights go out and the entire house remains dark! We dare to go upstairs once the rain of iron ends and see the destruction at the rear of the house. The window panes in the dining room and the kitchen are shattered as if from a bomabrdment. Shrapnel went through the cabinet and bored holes in the wall. Floors, furniture, all covered with dust, dirt, chips and shrapnel! In the evening we stand on the side of the road and talk to two soldiers who are passing by. One soldier cries "Watch out! Shrapnel!" We race to the side of the house and lie flat on the ground. Sharpnel rains down around us for several seconds. Fearful seconds! Another night, another round of discussions and doubts about where to spend the night. Martin's order "we remain in the cellar" wins out. The consecrated candle burns in the cellar while we say the rosary together in our great peril. From today onward no more lights or drinking water. No radio, no newspapers; cut off from the outside world. 15.09.44 Friday. The night in the cellar was pretty quiet. The fire [in the oven] is brought back to life this morning. Milking the cows - cooking. Impossible! Yesterday we ate a posh rabbit stew with pudding - today a simple milksop [from Old English milk soppe, which is pretty much the same as the word Milchsuppe used in the text]. We spend most of our time in the cellar, see the Waffen SS go past, hear their tanks. At around 10 o'clock intense roar of artillery around us. The house shakes and trembles to its foundations. We huddle close together in the most distant corner of the cellar, near the consecrated candle. We don't have enough breath to pray aloud. Anni cries bitterly. In the afternoon low-flying enemy planes appear. They fire their machine guns! The artillery duel resumes as soon as the planes leave. This happens by turns the whole day. Without end! We stay in the cellar because it pings and whizzes around us incessantly. During the day soldiers cross the street. They throw open the garden gates, ours too, as possible cover. Nikolins tell use that the Waffen SS is supposed to relieve the Gallwitz-barracks, which are in the hands of the Americans. All this reduces our courage. How much longer must we remain captives in our cellar? We begin to reckon how long our available proviant will last for eight people. The bombardment lasts until 9 PM. Late in the evening Martin returns in a good mood from Dr. Schul. The people living in the underground shelter always wear a white armband when they go outside because the Americans can be seen in the little Brimborner woods. The little woods opposite our position! Two wounded soldiers are brought into the underground shelter. They asked right away "Are any of those louts from the SA or SS here?" "No!" "Otherwise we would have done for them too!" Communal evening prayers in the cellar. The enemy's heavy artillery in the woods fires over, and sometimes into, the city for a little more than half of the night. The brave want to sleep upstairs, but soon return. Only Martin and Franz stay upstairs. 16.09.44 Saturday. Heavy morning fog. The fighting resumes as it gets brighter, mostly mortar fire. Shell hits nearby. In the distance one hears the rythms of a moving tank. Rushed coffee brewing! Breakfast together underground. Chaplain Bahrmann comes to pick up Franz to go milking. We wait in the house until the shell hits move away from us. Chaplain Bahrmann tells us that there is still a way out of the city. The Luelicherstr. is still open. The Party turned up yesterday at Bluecher Square with 24 vehicles for evacuating the city dwellers, 23 went away empty. The Party tears down the white flag which the populace had raised. The flag appeared again after the Party had disappeared into the distance. Plain clothes SS were disarmed by civilians. The Waffen SS pushes the enemies back to the edge of the woods. America is again a little further away from us. But the Americans still control the Gallwitz-barracks and Nellessen park. Businesses in the city were plundered, lots of alchoholic beverages found a new home. After midday extreme artillery fire on both sides of us. Shell hits nearby, heavy smoke rises from the gable end of the neighboring house. We again huddle close together in the cellar, near the consecrated candle. This drama is replaced by climbing planes: 4 german and 8 enemy. An air battle ensues and an american plane is hit. The pilot can parchute out. Near Forster Kirche. The Pfannschmidts leave the city at the last minute, after having slaughtered a pig beforehand. Around Wuerseln fires can be seen. The Juelicherstr. is supposedly still open. Franz goes to the bunker in the evening to get Uliana, who was earlier the Conrads' housemaid, and is hiding there. He comes back heartstricken, without Uliana. Along the way he heard from a soldier that Aachen would be defended and all civilians forcibly evacuated. All nerves in the house are totally frayed. Martin has to use force to make reason prevail. Around 5:30 PM the onset of a total smoke screen in the woods and city. American planes drop smoke bombs/grenades. More and more plane formations are coming from the enemy side. Philipp dictates "Between 7 and 8 PM a total eclipse of the souls." On the heels of the smoke screen comes the twilight. The Americans probably plan to use this protection to get closer to the city. We'd planned to slaughter a calf in the afternoon, but were unable to do it. Our enemies always have a say when we plan something. We no longer hope from hour to hour, but rather from day to day that we will be liberated from our underground prison. Franz and Martin go to the underground shelter and also hear there that Aachen is supposed to be forcibly evacuated. Schmeer (district administrator) was in the city. Vehicles are standing by. What would become of us if the underground shelters and the bunkers were forcibly evacuated? Or should we evacuate too? - This thought leads to an unhappy and doubt filled mood. - Renewed packing with great anxiety and the unanswered question: what will become of us? We eat our evening meal in the cellar in silence. Around 10:30 PM Martin and Dr. Schleicher head out to the bunker and Chaplain Bahrmann respectively, but are stopped along the way by a patrol (Dr. Dreising). Communal evening prayers. Around 12 AM Martin appears with the same news about a forcible evacuation. Tomorrow, Sunday, is Martin's last day of leave. He plans to dutifully leave then, no matter what. What would happen to us without him? Wouldn't it be better for us to leave at the same time? Martin and I stand for quite some time at the open mansard window, look out into the night and confer with one another. We hear the enemy artillery from the direction of the Trierer- street which targets [not sure about this] the last two open streets out of the city. The shine of fires in Wuerseln. I go to bed at about 2 AM and fall asleep around 5 AM.