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Excerpts of Wehrmacht, German Armed Forces Reports,

7 April 1944 to 30 April 1944


found on-board U-505

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht report on 7 April 1944


In Italy, enemy bunkers were destroyed by our own raiding parties and an enemys base
including its crew was annihilated. Enemy had a high blood count and lost a number of
POWs.
Artillery batteries successfully took the port areas of Anzio and Nettuno under fire during
the day and the night.
At the daylight advance of North American bombing aircraft to Ploesti, German and
Romanian air defense forces caused 53 four-engine aircraft to crash.
Nine enemy planes were shot down during the daytime advances of enemy aircraft
formations in the southeast German border area.
Furthermore, the enemy lost 6 planes through our air defense forces in the Italian area.
Escort vessels of the Kriegsmarine [German Navy] sunk a fast enemy artillery vessel in the
Gulf of Genoa and severely damaged another one.
Short message: [Charles] de Gaulle inducted two communists into the Committee on
Algeria.

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht report on 8 April 1944


East of the lower Dnjestr as well as between Dnjestr and Pruth, Soviet attacks were
warded off by German and Romanian troops and pockets of enemy forces were broken up
by our counter attacks.
On the Crimea Peninsula, local attacks of Sowjetsim [possibly a Russian Armed Forces
battalion] Siwasch bridgehead and on the bottle neck of Perekop failed.
On the Italian fronts, our own raiding parties caused the enemy to have a high blood count.
Disruptive attacks of enemy planes were directed towards cities in Northern and Western
Germany in the night from 6 April to 7 April.
Heavy fighting squadrons lead a strong assault on the enemy supply center of Kiev. Heavy
explosions and fires were observed in the target areas.

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht report on 9 April 1944


On the Narwa front, strong enemy forces were encapsulated and destroyed in the course of
eliminating an older breach.
Continuation of heavy fighting northwest of Odessa. Romanian security forces are in the
middle of the fight in the eastern Bokuwina, facing a slowly advancing front.
Heavy air battles took place on noon of 8 April during the attack of USA bomber airplanes
on central German territory.
Eighty-seven planes, including 65 four-engine bomber planes, were shot down by fighter
planes and flak.
At Tarnopol, intense battles in the streets are still going on. The defenders are in a heavy
defensive fight against the enemy which entered the city.
Yesterday, in the eastern Bukowina, German-Romanian troops once more performed
successful defensive action against the broad advance of the enemy.

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht report on 10 April 1944


Vicious fighting continued during the clearing of enemy pockets between Tschernowitz
and Brod. The brave defenders of Tarnopol continued to repell strong enemy attacks.
Southwest and west of Odessa, our own troops regrouped near their targets as ordered.
Northeast of Tarnopol an enemy intrusion was sealed, west of Orhei an intrusion dating back
to earlier battle days was closed in on.
During attacks of enemy bombers on targets in the occupied Western areas, 29 enemy
aircraft were shot down on 10 April and last night.
Escort vessels of the German Navy sunk a Soviet fast patrol boat in North Norwegian
waters.

Wehrmacht report, undated


Between Stanislau and Tarnopol, German and Hungarian troops continued to throw
back Soviet troops into the East and took over numerous towns, reported the Wehrmacht on
9 April.
In the area of Kamenez and Podelsk, a stronger force group under the command of the
general of armored forces [Hans] Hube avoided encirclement during 14 days of battle.
On the Italian front, aside from reconnaissance and raiding parties by both sides, on 9 April
no events were reported.
The battles in the area of Kamanez [notice the difference in the spelling] and Podelsk
were supported by German Air Force fighting and transport aircraft in a dedicated effort,
despite unfortunate weather, under the command of [Generaloberst] Dessloch.
It contributed greatly to the decisive success of the operations.
Wehrmacht report, undated
In the eastern Bokuwina, German tank forces broke through strong Soviet opposition, and
advanced into the flank of enemy forces in joint action with Romanian troops, and were
responsible for grave losses [to the enemy]. The city of Delatyn south of Stanislau,
temporary lost to the enemy, was wrested from the enemys hands by German armored
infantry and Hungarian mountain troops.

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht report on 21 April 1944


[received on 22 April]
Repeated attacks of the Bolsheviks were countered by destroying a larger number of tanks
northeast of Sevastopol.
36 enemy aircraft were destroyed during air battles, 20 enemy airplanes were annihilated on
the ground. The squadron leader in one battle group, Lieutenant-Colonel Smola, excelled
during this mission.

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht [German Army] report on 22 April 1944


[received on 22 April]
In an enemy escort off North Africa, German fighter and torpedo aircraft sunk two
destroyers, one large tanker and four freighters with 29,000 tons last night. Thirteen vessels
with 103,000 tons, two large troop-carrying vessels and three destroyers were severely
damaged.

[Wehrmacht] Report from 22 April 1944


The Reichsmarshall [Hermann Gring?] announced, among other things, in a daily order to
the Wehrmacht: The fate of the German people is in our hands alone. Our gift to the Fhrer
is our utmost and decisive effort so that the future of the Reich is secure.
It was officially announced that the Wars Winter Help Association [Winterhilfswerk],
during the winter of 1942/1943, received donations amounting to more than 1.5 billion
Reichsmark. This is the 10th [annual campaign] of its kind since the composition of this
self-help action of the German people.

Wehrmacht report on 24 April 1944


[received on 25 April]
Soviet attacks by heavy forces and the use of numerous tanks and battle aircraft in the area
of Sevastopol were repelled [by Axis Forces] which destroyed 57 tanks.
Tank-supported advances by the enemy on the bridgehead of Nettuno southeast of
Aprillia broke apart under our own massive artillery fire.
In the morning hours of 24 April, light German Navy vessels encountered several British
fast-patrol boat squadrons and engaged them in a battle near the area of Cherbourg. Two
of the enemy vessels received direct artillery hits, one of which was seen sinking.
On 23 April, during an assault of Soviet bombers on a German convoy in northern
Norwegian waters, 40 enemy aircraft were shot down, 37 in air combat and 3 by German
Navy escort vessels.
Hungarian Prime Minister Sztoja announced that the de-jewification of the Hungarian
economy is running smoothly.
Turkish press announced due to German military readiness, Germany would have the means
to withstand an invasion on the ground, at sea and in the air.
The [British] newspaper News Chronicle complains about the spread of anti-Semitics in
England. Jews would not even be permitted in liberal working class clubs.
Sports news: Jean Kreitz now boxes successfully in heavy weight; he was German
medium weight champion earlier.

Excerpt from the Wehrmacht report on 27 April 1944


The enemy continues his assaults near the lower Dnjestr. Attempts to intrude were
repelled at a high cost to the enemy. North of Jassy, Soviet forces moved to attack. They
failed due to the German-Romanian defense. Local intrusions were sealed off. In the area of
Sevastopol, only failed Soviet attacks. South Italys bridgehead Nettuno is leading own local
assaults to improve the front. Counter-attacks by the enemy unsuccessful. Southern front:
use of expeditionary forces on both side.

Wehrmacht [German Armed Forces] report on 28 April 1944


[received 30 April]
Twenty-one enemy aircraft were destroyed in the skies of the Western areas last night.
German fast-patrol boat groups sunk three ships with 9.100 tons on the morning of the 28th
off the coast of Southern England. Torpedoes were launched against one destroyer and
another vessel of 200 tons which must be assumed sunk. In the aftermath of a meeting with
the Fhrer [Adolf Hitler], the Duce [Benito Mussolini] visited one of the newly formed
Italian divisions. Under German supervision, these divisions will be equipped taking into
account the most recent experiences.
In the far North, several strong artillery advancements by the enemy were thrown back with
high losses for the Soviets.

Wehrmacht [German Armed Forces] report on 30 April 1944


[received 1 May]
Our own attacks won further ground on 29 April between the upper "Dnjnestr" and the
Carpathian mountains despite strong resistance by the Soviets. Heavy enemy attacks were
countered by Hungarian divisions.
During a large attack against Plymouth and concentrations of ships off the British southwestern coast, heavy German battle groups produced a strong effect on the enemy.

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