Liberation Route Marker 110: Snipers and guns

Snipers and guns
The Americans encounter some German resistance when they capture Eindhoven, but they take the city fairly quickly. Here in Vlokhoven, a German sniper has the troops under fire and claims several victims. In Woenselsestraat, there are two heavy German guns and they fire at the advancing American paratroopers. The missiles fly horizontally across the street at the paratroopers. The people of Eindhoven rush to help in all kinds of ways.

On September 17 1944, American paratroopers from the 506th regiment of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division had to capture Eindhoven. They had landed that day at Son and had encountered greater German resistance than expected. They spent the night at Bokt. The next day, they advanced to Eindhoven.

No major battles took place, but the Germans did not relinquish Eindhoven without a fight. Snipers were deployed on the Woenselsestraat and there were two 88 mm guns, a feared German anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon. The guns fired their shells horizontally across the street. The American advance was temporarily halted, but after a flanking manoeuvre, the guns were knocked out. Eindhoven was liberated.

Audiospot - Snipers and guns

Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
The entire route consists of themed routes that can be travelled by by hiking, walking, cycling and car. These routes pass numerous historical and interesting sites and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives that were important in the final phase of World War II.
Many routes feature listening spots, offering the opportunity to listen to a historical story at a location. In addition, many ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been placed, indicating that the passer-by is on one of the Liberation Routes.
The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Jeroen Koppes
• MARGRY, K., Operation Market-Garden, 2002.