OPERATION RESCUE

Situation 31-6

by F. Pierce Eichelberger

	Just 30 days before the end of the war in Europe, Force Baum was ordered by General George S. Patton to rescue several hundred prisoners of war (POWs) held at the Hammelburg POW camp. The camp was 60 miles behind enemy lines, with three German Divisions standing before the 307 American GIs sent to conduct the rescue. When the raiding force got to the camp they found over 1,500 POWs, not the several hundred they expected. There was not enough transport to take all of the prisoners to Allied lines.
	The real reason for the operation was to rescue Patton's son-in-law, John K. Waters, who was held as a prisoner there (he was captured in Tunisia in 1943). During the attack Waters was shot by a
German guard and was unable to be evacuated when the column left the camp. It was 20 years after the war that the truth about the mission's objective was finally known.
	After Patton's death, an excerpt of his personal journal appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in August 1948. He wrote, "I  can  say  thisthat  throughout  the campaign in Europe I know of no error I made except that of failing to send a combat command to Hammelburg." When Creighton Abrams was given this mission by General William Hoge, he stated, "Fifty miles is a long way to go, sir, for that small a force. If we have to go that far, I want my whole command to go. Hell, a combat command can go anywhere."
	Again PANZER LEADER demonstrates a solid framework for handling additional scenarios (a source of its continued popularity). Note the additional Jeep counters, POW counters and the Ferdinand tank destroyer counter provided on the insert.
	The versatility of the Jeep was critical to the war effort. Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower referred proudly to the Jeep in a speech after the war. "The Jeep, the Dakota airplane (C-47 or DC-3) and the landing craft were the three tools that won the war."

FURTHER READING
   Baron, Richard, Abe Baum and Richard Gildhurst. Raid! G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, NY, 1981. An in-depth story by two that were there.
   Denfeld, D. and Michael Fry. Indestructible Jeep. Ballantine Books, New York, NY, 1973. Military history of the Jeep from its design to its use in all theaters of World War II.
   Fetherston, David. Jeep. Motorbooks International, Osceola, Wl, 1995. The Jeep story from design through modem versions of the war-horse.
   Margry, Karel. After the Battle, No. 91, "The Hammelburg Raid." London, UK, 1996. Great maps and pictures of sites important to the Hammelburg raid.
   Toland, John. The Last 100 Days. Bantam Books,  New  York,  1967.  Toland devotes a chapter to the Hammelburg raid.
   Whiting, Charles. 48 Hours to Hammelburg. PBJ Books, New York, NY, 1982. Paperback treatment of the raid.*