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Nazis in Underground CitadelShine Boots, Cry, Then Give UpBy DOIGALD WERNERST. MALO, France, Aug. 17(Delayed)—(U.R)The 600 Germans under Col. Andreas von Au-lock who held out 11 days in an underground citadel against a violent Allied siege, shined their boots, toasted one another with cognac, “wept like babies’’ thensurrendered today.The white flag was hoisted from the rocky fortress just as a fleet of P-38 Lightnings of the ninth U. S. air force swooped down to dump tons of bombs m what wasintended as a death blow.The lead plane released its load before the pilot saw the surrender symbol but he signaled the others [ and they swerved off.Shortly before the oombing,| seven begrimed American soldiers I filed out of the citadel. Thev had' been prisoners of the Germans for six days. The nazis had told them j they could go home.•Cry Their Eyes Out.’■I The Americans said 605 Ger-I mans were inside—mostly officersj —consisting of an assortment of ; paratroopers, naval men, cavalry-j men. infantrymen and artillerymen.j Sgt. Rocco Piegaro of New York city, who observed his 20tn birthday inside the citadel, said the Germans started drinking up their stores of wine and cognac after deciding to surrender.‘“Those guys cried their eyes out.” Piegaro said. “They didn twant to give up at first. The colonel ;n charge was a hard man. He didn't want to quit.”Piegaro was one of eight men captured Friday when Americans attacked the fortress in vain. One’s leg was amputated as the result of a shell wound.The other six released were: Staff Sgt. William Harris of Pasadena, Calif.; Pvt. Nick Degrazia of 908 Marengo avenue. Forest Park. 111., Sgt. James B. Robinson of Bristol. W. Va.; Pvt. Frank Vi-taliano of Paterson, N. J.; Pvt. P. Brownbridge. Kearney, N. J., and Pvt. Anthony Jadowski of JerseyCity, N. J.Shine Shoes First.Harris said he and his compan-Beautitul cut flowers tor all occasionsions spent much of their time trying to talk the Germans into surrendering.I've got a bar in Chicago,” De-Grazia said. ‘‘I promised those Germans all kinds of drinks They were nice to us. They brought us cognac, wine and cider and cig-arets. Finally they told us to get out and give them a chance to surrender.”Harris said the Germans spentthe morning shining their boots and tidying themselves to make the best possible military appearance before their capture.They filed from an underground passage, their eyes blinking in the sunlight after living like moles forweeks.The Americans said the underground citadel consisted of four levels under solid stone. They added thev could not feel any blasts% * from aerial bombings but there were slight concussions from artillery shells.
Newspaper Details
Racine Journal Times
Racine, Wisconsin, US
Sat, Aug 19, 1944
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Antoine N.
FR 02 Feb 2020
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