September 18th Journal Entry-Moved to Crozon Peninsula

Sept 18 Moved to Crozon Peninsula
Parked in Pine Grove then Thistle
Surveyed N of Crozon

Prisoners nearly 1,000 strong in public square-300 more brought in after we passed.
13th infantry march passed us-
P 42 left vehicles still smoking on rd.
Rumor Brest fell at noon
Tel-HR Garos blasted to pieces
Taken Sat. 16th.


Cliff Hope from his book: We moved to a bivouac area near Argol in the Crozon peninsula, south of Brest, early on 18 September. 
As we surveyed, we saw the most Germans to date. They were prisoners in the city square of the town of Crozon. Always conscious of the distinction between officers and enlisted men, I noted in my diary that the German officers were very well dressed. We also saw massive German fortifications in complete ruins, burned and blasted beyond recognition. all fighting ceased on the Brest Peninsula on 18 Sept and the last German units on the Crozon Peninsula surrendered the next day. Yank magazine said of the battle: "The siege of Brest, largest of the three Brittany garrisons, probably never will receive the world-wide recognition it rightfully deserves. Tougher than Caen, it is said to have been one of the hardest battles fought by American infantry in Europe since 1918." As for our part of it, sound and flash did a job that earned the battalion commendations from group and corps commanders. Everyone griped about survey, but the plots were amazingly accurate.

Prisoners taken during the taking of Brest

Battalion History: Fighting ceases on Brest Peninsula, garrison capitulating. Battalion, minus B Battery, attached to 34th FA Brigade, which is supporting artillery on Crozon. Ha Btry moves to Crozon Peninsula and bivouacs in vicinity of Arrel.

German prisoners at Brest

Cliff Hope from his book: U.S. intelligence estimated 16,000 German troops in the area, whereas eventually 38,000 surrendered. ...'American Forces' suffered almost 10,000 casualties. The Port of Brest was destroyed and was not usable by Allied forces after they captured it. Historians have concluded that it would have been far wiser to have used a smaller force to bottle up the Germans while employing the remaining forces in pursuit of the Wehrmacht across France and Belgium. All of this, of course, is hindsight. We GIs as usual, had only a vague idea of what was going on.


This brief newsreel has great footage of the surrender of Brest and the German prisoners and so on.

Newsreel of surrender of Brest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMOYHlxbt9w

This one is 7.5 minutes with no narration, but good footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lMY_DpfbEA

This one is silent, but great footage of prisoners

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNqNztH3prQ

And yet another outside Brest

Paratrooper POWs outside Brest