This little blurb has no business being in this story because it is just a joke, but
since we are talking about movies, there is a very famous story about a movie actor and
comedian at the Battle of the Bulge who decided to do some anti-German propaganda entirely
on his own. Mike Rowe mentioned this story in his podcast “That’s the Way I
heard it.” Our jokester’s name was Corporal Melvyn Kaminsky, a combat engineer
with the 78th Infantry Division. The Germans in front of the 78th were playing their
propaganda tapes all night long, an unholy mix of patriotic songs and their National
Anthem, speeches by Adolf Hitler and the soothing voice of Axis Sally. Kaminsky was
ordered to place a loudspeaker about 40 feet up a makeshift utility pole. When he returned
to his foxhole, Kaminsky selected a 78 record, Toot, Toot, Tootsie Goodbye, Toot, Toot,
Tootsie don’t cry, by Al Jolson. He played it at full volume and the Nazis who
hated the Jews were suddenly being serenaded by one. We know this soldier as Mel Brooks.
He would later make a movie called To Be or Not to Be where as a persecuted leader
of a group of Jewish actors, he escaped to London disguised as Adolf Hitler. The movie
ended with Brooks as Hitler walking into a British pub and asking: Is this England?
I have a certain affinity for Mel Brooks. As a military instructor at one point I was
teaching very difficult and complicated courses to my students. I would laugh and joke
with the students trying to relieve the pressure. At the end of a course teaching new
First Sergeants their duties, the students presented me with a plaque they paid for with
their own money, and in the middle of my name they put “Mel.” I could have been
insulted and thought they were calling me a clown, but instead I realized they understood
how hard I tried to keep the course light and make them laugh. I thought that was kind of
nice.
This uncoded German leaflet depicts a young girl at Christmas time thinking of her
father on the front lines. Her father’s face appears behind her; perhaps he is dead
and that is his spirit. These leaflets were disseminated on the Western Front starting in
December 1944. We show the back of one of these leaflets at the end of this article for
those that want to know what the Germans were saying to the Americans.
On December 16, 1944, the German Army began the Ardennes offensive known as
the Battle of the Bulge. On December 17, 113 American soldiers surrendered
to a German armored column under the command of SS Colonel Joachim Peiper.
After the American prisoners were disarmed, they were assembled in a field
near Malmedy, Belgium, and shot. Several weeks after the "Malmedy Massacre,"
even more American POWs and a smaller number of Belgian civilians were also
shot and killed by German troops during the Ardennes Offensive, commonly
known as the "Battle of the Bulge."
Seventy‐four Germans were later tried by a U.S. military government court
for the murders committed at Malmedy and other locations between 16 December
1944 and 13 January 1945. The court proceedings were held in Dachau within
sight of the infamous concentration camp of the same name. Over the next
three weeks, the prosecution called members of Peiper's Kampfgruppe,
who had not been charged with crimes, to testify that Peiper and other SS
officers and noncommissioned officers had instructed their men to ignore the
rules of war governing prisoners. For example, SS Private First Class Fritz
Geiberger stated under oath that his platoon leader had given "a blanket
order requiring the shooting of prisoners of war." SS-Corporal Ernst Kohler
testified that his platoon was ordered to "show no mercy to Belgian
civilians" and to "take no prisoners," as this would avenge German women and
children killed in Allied air raids. Nearly one hundred written sworn
statements linked each of the SS accused with crimes that were described in
exhaustive detail.
Seventy‐three were eventually found guilty following the trial, which began
on 16 May 1946, at Dachau, Germany. Forty‐three were sentenced to be hanged;
twenty‐two received life imprisonment; and the remainder were sentenced to
jail terms between ten and twenty years. However, no one was put to death,
and by Christmas 1956, all the convicted men had been released from
prison.
Normally in wartime you can fight, or you can surrender. Once word
got out of the massacre it was understood that if you surrender, the
Germans will murder you. If the SS had hoped to terrorize the Americans, the
results were just the opposite. American troops were now angry and motivated
to fight and die before they would surrender. This dogged and impossible
defense threw the German advance behind schedule and allowed the Allies to
reinforce the weak defensive lines. I have always believed that this action
by the SS troops cost them the campaign because now, instead of running or
surrendering, Americans held their ground and fought to the death.
SS troops had murdered American POWs early in the attack and there were survivors that
spread the word. 84 American prisoners of war were murdered by their German captors near
Malmedy, Belgium. The massacre was committed on 17 December 1944, by members of
Kampfgruppe Peiper (part of the 1st SS Panzer Division). Normally you can fight
or you can surrender. Now it was understood, if you surrender the Germans will kill you.
If the SS had hoped to terrorize the Americans, the results were just the opposite.
American troops would fight and die before they would quit. This dogged and impossible
defense threw the German advance behind schedule and allowed the Allies to reinforce the
weak defensive lines.
General Patton turned his Army around and attacked the Germans. He became famous for
asking his Chaplin for a prayer for good weather to kill Germans. He said, “Do you
have a good prayer for weather? We must do something about those rains if we are to win
the war.” The Chaplin wrote the prayer, the weather cleared, and Patton awarded the
Chaplin a Bronze Star because he stood in good with the Lord.
Improved weather conditions permitted air attacks on German forces and supply lines,
which sealed the failure of the offensive. About 610,000 American forces were eventually
involved in the battle, and 89,000 were casualties, including 19,000 killed. It was the
largest and bloodiest battle fought by the United States in World War II.
A Luxembourg Museum Exhibit.
Before we start showing the reader the leaflets of the Battle of the Bulge perhaps we
should take a moment to quote Carl Berger’s comments from his report An
Introduction to Wartime Leaflets, written under contract to the U.S. Army, 1959:
Although we cannot generally say for sure that any leaflet was definitely used in the
Battle of the Bulge, we can check the dates of dissemination and make sure they were
dropped between 16 December 1944 and 25 January 1945. Once we know that the time span is
correct, we will see if the propaganda message seems to mention the battle. I notice that
every major American Army fighting in Europe seems to have prepared leaflets that mention
the Bulge. None were prepared early in the battle when it was in doubt, but once it was
clear that the Germans were beaten and in retreat we see many leaflets telling them that
the battle was a disaster and they have lost irreplaceable men and war materials. It was a
good theme to attack the morale of the Wehrmacht.
These almost identical leaflets that showed a map of the Rundstedt Plan were produced
by SHAEF in London and were dropped from the North Sea to the Swiss border. 7 million
copies of ZG-95 were dropped between 6 January and 15 February 1945. 16,688,032 of leaflet
ZG-98 were dropped between 4 January and 21 February 1945. Some of the text on the front
is:
Z.G. 99 – The Stake – Your Life
This leaflet depicts Rundstedt, Himmler and Goebbels and a roulette wheel. It tells the
German soldier that the three German officials have gambled with their lives. 16,688,032
copies of this leaflet were prepared for dissemination from 4 January to 22 February 1945.
Some of the text is:
The propaganda message tells how each had a different aim, none of them caring how many
men were killed or maimed. The back of the leaflet tells the German soldier that they were
not responsible for the defeat. It says in part:
Z.G. 100 – Lost
This leaflet is all text but the message tells the Germans that Rundstedt had staked
everything on this risky operation and failed. 9,161,860 copies of this leaflet were
prepared to be dropped between 11 January and 24 January 1945. Some of the text is:
This leaflet depicts a map showing the German supply lines cut by the Allies. 1,360,000
leaflets were printed and dropped on the German forces on 15 and 16 January 1945. The text
on the front is:
The back is all text and tells the German troops that their supplies have been cut, and
possibly even hints, how will you get back home? The text says in part:
This leaflet tells the German troops what their Nazi leaders
promised and what the reality was. 1,098,034 of these leaflets were
disseminated from 28 February to 2 March 1945. Some of the text on the front
is:
The back of the leaflet consists of six paragraphs. Three labelled
“Propaganda” on the left and three labelled “Reality on the right. I will
just translate the first two pairs:
This all text-leaflet apparently was not dropped on the Germans for some reason. Data
indicates that they were marked “Do not disseminate,” and 2,000,000 copies that
were already printed were pulped by the Allies. Since ZG.108 was dropped on 7 February, we
might assume that this leaflet would have been dropped a few days earlier. The leaflet is
divisive in theme, attempts to turn the Wehrmacht against the SS and might even imply that
the SS are cowards. The leaflet says in part on the front:
This leaflet is not about the Battle of the Bulge per se, but it does mention it as a
“Lessons Learned” to the Germans and basically tells them not to make the same
mistake again. I will not translate the entire leaflet, just three paragraphs
on the front where the
Ardennes Offensive is mentioned or implied:
The back is interesting because it recommends six ways that German
soldiers might “accidentally” get themselves captured and live to rebuild
their country. They might Get caught in an enemy counterattack, Find
themselves out front in a German counterattack, desert, get cut off in a
reconnaissance patrol, get caught in an enemy flank attack, or find
themselves cut off and surrounded. The back page concludes:
Notice that the text on this leaflet had not yet been approved. A sticker on the
leaflet says:
For Review Board members - Please return to Mrs. Curran.
The CPH Series – Produced by the Ninth U.S. Army
The CPH leaflets were first printed about October 1944. The CPH leaflets were tactical
leaflets used in limited local operations against the Wehrmacht for a specific operation
or campaign. Initially, the leaflets were printed in a shop in the Dutch town of
Maastricht. Later, the CPH leaflets were produced by mobile printing presses in the field.
They were disseminated by artillery or grenade. The 9th U.S. Army produced approximately
40 different CPH leaflets.
CPH-20 – Plan and Result
Like the above leaflet “This was the plan,” CPH-20 features a map of the
battlefield and tells the German soldiers of the failure of the Ardennes offensive. The
leaflet was delivered to the Germans by artillery in January 1945. Some of the text is:
A great German offensive was intended to bring masses of divisions firstly to
Aachen, Liege, Namur, Sedan, and Verdun and further up to Brussels and Antwerp. None of
these cities were reached. After gaining considerable ground in the first week of the
attack, the Germans were later driven from important key positions. The Allied air forces
engaged decisively in the war on the ground and destroyed, among others, seven bridges
over which supplies were supposed to have been delivered.
Even the large scale of the recent German counter-offensive was not enough.
Therefore, the attack bogged down half-way. WHY? Because V-1 and V-2 can replace neither
artillery nor air power. Because the German transportation and railroad nets are under the
systematic bombardment of the Allied Air Forces. Because gasoline is so scarce. On
December 25th American fighter-bombers set fire to 97 German trucks full of captured
gasoline. Between December 16th and 29th the Americans destroyed 2979 German vehicles and
damaged 981 more. On January 1st alone, 188 German planes were shot down…The
battle-trained troops which were killed or captured in the German counter-offensive will
never fight again….
An Artillery-fired CPH-20 Leaflet
I mention above that this entire CPH series was disseminated by artillery and grenade.
I thought I might show the reader what a leaflet looks like after it has been in a shell
that has exploded and ejected it into the air over the enemy. As you can see, there is a
crinkling effect and sometimes the leaflets are singed or burned. Using artillery is a
very accurate way to send a leaflet, but I cannot help but think that the end result is
extremely difficult to read.
CPH-22 – Soldier’s Duty, Soldier’s Luck
This all-text leaflet was delivered to the Germans by artillery in January 1945. Some
of the text on the front is:
The German counter-offensive in the Ardennes ended half way. Namur, Liege, and
Aachen are still in Allied hands. The German occupied area is becoming steadily smaller.
All plans had to be readjusted. Gasoline was in short supply right from the
beginning. Food was not supplied for days. Mobile units had lost their way. Heavy weapons
did not come forward. Some units had lost their way for days. Relief was not coming
through. Himmler’s insufficiently trained Volksgrenadier Division suffered the
greatest losses…
It is interesting to note that this leaflet does not mention Adolf Hitler. Instead, it
attacks Heinrich Himmler.
An Artillery-fired CPH-25 Leaflet and Translation
This leaflet does not even mention the Bulge, but it gives the
dates 15 December and 16 December, the day before the battle started and the
day the battle started. It tells of the confusion in German ranks and the
happiness this soldier had at being captured and safe. The other side of the
leaflet shows the family “At home,” and very happy together.
WG.30
The WG (German Workers) series of leaflet were produced by the United States and Great
Britain starting in early September 1944. The Allies had landed in Europe and this series
was one of the final ones in the push to eventual victory. 5,560,130 copies of WG.30 were
prepared for dissemination over Germany from 2 February to 27 February 1945. The front of
the leaflet mentions Rundstedt’s failures and tells the workers of each occupied
country in their own language:
First in the West:
The last effort in Rundstedt’s offensive SMASHED.
Now in the East:
COLLAPSE. The Russians have penetrated deep into Germany!
FRENCH WORKERS! In the East: Collapse! The Russians have penetrated deep into
Germany!
ITALIAN WORKERS! In the East: Collapse! The Russians have penetrated deep into
Germany!
RUSSIAN WORKERS! In the East: Collapse! The Russians have penetrated deep into
Germany!
POLISH WORKERS! In the East: Collapse! The Russians have penetrated deep into
Germany!
The text is rather repetitious, but it gets the theme across to the readers. The
message on the back goes on the tell the people what to do, and ends by asking the
civilian workers to listen to the Allied radios: London, Luxembourg, and Moscow, and learn
the truth about what is really happening; the Allied bombing offensive; events inside
Germany; and the postwar plan of the Allies.
WG.37
8,473,180 copies of WG.37 were prepared for dissemination over Germany from 22 February
to 19 March 1945. The leaflet tells of the continual German defeats and mentions
Rundstedt’s failed offensive. The back of the leaflet mentions the recent Crimea
Conference, and how the defeated Germany will be ruled. The text on the front is:
In the West:
After Rundstedt’s offensive of despair: The assault of the West
Wall.
Nearly 900,000 German prisoners since D-Day.
The Anglo American air offensive from the West Wall up to the Eastern Front.
In the East:
Silesia, the “Ruhr of the East” is lost.
Saxony’s industrial district is threatened.
East Prussia is overrun.
Zhukov’s armies are in front of Berlin.
The CT Series – Produced by First U.S. Army
The CT series were disseminated by artillery. They were produced and distributed by the
United States First Army in Western Europe from D-Day+6 to the end of the war. A complete
list of the CT series is illustrated by Rod Oakland in Leaflets Disseminated by
Artillery Shell, the Psywar Society Blatter No. 23, 1996. Several leaflets mention the
failed offensive. I note CT-35, 41, 42, 43, and 44.
CT-42 – Make Free the Street for the SS
Military documents state that 300,000 copies of CT-42 were printed in Brussels on 6
January 1945 for the First Army. Another 200,000 copies were printed on 7 January 1945.
Many of these CT leaflets are text only and I prefer to show the readers leaflets with
images. However, this leaflet is interesting because it is a “divide and
conquer” piece which attempts to turn the German soldier against the SS alluding to
its preferred treatment. This all-text leaflet was delivered to the Germans by artillery
in January 1945. Some of the text is:
The Rundstedt winter offensive has broken down. And with it the last hope of the
German High Command to postpone the inevitable defeat for a few weeks. The last reserves,
the last supplies have been squandered…The leaders now try to withdraw troops before
the American pincer move can cut off the wedge.
However, it is not you who are being withdrawn but the SS. You must keep the roads
open until the SS men have escaped. You must remain in your position, although your
position has become untenable. Only if you risk your life do the gentlemen of the SS have
a chance to escape…You have one choice: to hold out and die for the SS, or to quit
and live for yourself.
CT-44 – Himmler’s Christmas Gift to the German People
CT-44 depicts Heinrich Himmler placing coffins under a Christmas tree as gift for the
people of Germany. This leaflet was delivered to the Germans by artillery in January 1945.
The base of the Christmas tree is labeled “The Offensive.” Text on the various
gifts read:
Smashed supply routes
1000 tanks destroyed
The last reserves, sacrificed
130,000 losses
Note once again that there is no mention of the Fuehrer. The Allies blame this fiasco
on Heinrich Himmler, not Adolf Hitler. Other leaflets ask “Where is Hitler.” It
may be that there was already a belief that Himmler had replaced Hitler.
The PWB Series – Produced by the Third U.S. Army
PWB-38 – The Rundstedt Offensive Failed
This leaflet depicts the Bulge on one side (In the West) and Soviet advances on the
other side (In the East). The leaflet was disseminated in January 1945. On the western
side it features a map of the bulge and the following text:
The Rundstedt Offensive failed
The last desperate offense in the west was a failure. German soldiers had been
driven into the offensive without sufficient equipment and supplies. The massive Allied
material superiority in tanks, airplanes, cannons, etc., was overwhelming and the German
forces are now being pushed back…
The effectiveness of the high level “Battle of the Bulge” leaflet operation
is confirmed by the following report from the Psychological Warfare Officer of the Third
U.S. Army. I have edited for brevity:
From the time the Germans broke through and created the Ardennes salient until they
had been finally driven back onto their own side of the Siegfried line, all requests for
fighter-bomber drops were withheld at 3rd Army. The weather was consistently bad
throughout most of this period and on those days when the weather was operational for the
fighter-bombers it was felt that their entire strength should be used in support of the
ground forces.
As the Germans were throwing in new troops, it was necessary to conduct a
large-scale leaflet operation with the reduced facilities then at our disposal. Enemy
troops in the line in actual contact with our forces could be reached by artillery-borne
leaflets, but the only way that the large forces the enemy shuttled back and forth in the
interior of the salient could be leafleted was by high-level bombers operating from the
United Kingdom.
It was decided at this time that every effort would be made to use high-level
bombers against pinpoint enemy targets with leaflets that were sometimes only a few
kilometers from the actual front lines. Aerial photographs were studied each day and all
other sources of information were carefully perused in search of suitable targets for
these operations.
A close check was kept upon the results of these operations. Day after day it was
possible to list many towns and villages in the salient that had been reached during the
previous night.
As the Germans fell back and we advanced into the territory they had recovered in
the first hours of their attack, reports began to come in of the actual results of the
high-level leaflet operations. Corps Liaison Officers and combat loud speaker crews,
working closely behind the advancing front lines were able to see exactly where the bombs
which had been ordered for towns and villages in the area had been dropped. Leaflets in
these areas were picked up and returned to Headquarters with notations indicating the area
in which they were found and wherever possible, an indication of the date on which they
had been dropped. These records were then carefully compared with the records of the
requests and the records of the reported drops, with most gratifying results.
Prisoners taken during the operation against the Ardennes salient all claimed to
have been deeply impressed by the leaflets. Even toward the end of the operation many
German soldiers believed, until they found copies of our leaflets, that they were
defending a flank under difficult circumstances but the spearhead the German attack had
passed on to Liege, Brussels and even Paris. When they learned the true state of affairs
they were often ready to capitulate.
Although no official figures are available, it would seem reasonable to estimate
that more than half of the prisoners taken in the last week of December and during the
month of January had seen our leaflets. A great many still had leaflets with them and in
most cases the leaflets proved to be those which had, been dropped by high-level bombers
in the interior of the salient.
PWB-41
This leaflet is titled “The Situation Today.” It depicts a map of
Germany on 28 January 1945. You can clearly see the Allies coming from the
west and the Soviets from the east. The back is all text and discusses the
advance of the Allies and the Soviets. The leaflet ends with a request that
the Germans look at the map and throw their arms away and surrender. Since
this article is about the Bulge, I will only translate the part of the text
that mentions the failed offensive:
VON RUNSTEDT’S OFFENSIVE
The German armies have, at last, been brought to bay. From the East
and the West, the Allies advance to the kill.
Achieved but one result: the destruction of his one forces. His 6th
SS-Panzer Army has been badly mauled. Many of the best Panzer and Infantry
Divisions on the Western Front are nothing but broken remnants, and the
Allied Armies, fresh and magnificently equipped, are now driving through the
West Wall.
The 7A Series – Produced by the Seventh U.S. Army
Three Seventh Army leaflets mention the offensive; 7A-A15 – "Who pays the
Price"; 7A-A71 – "Your Great Hour has Arrived;"
7A-A72 – "Warning!"
and the news sheet
7A-C16 – "Rundstedt's Armies in Retreat." All were disseminated in
January 1945. They are all text only.
7A-A71 – Your Great Hour has Arrived
Some of the text on this leaflet is:
Your great hour has arrived
And with these words General Field marshal von Rundstedt started the German
offensive with 25 divisions in the West.
100,000 German soldiers have been lost.
40,000
found the way to captivity. 60,000 are dead or wounded. The hopeless operation in the
Ardennes brought new misery for uncounted German families. When the
German soldiers started their winter offensive their leadership made
them many promises: By Christmas we will be in Luttich, then to Antwerp,
to Paris, and the Americans will be thrown into the sea. The Luftwaffe
will cover your advance 100 percent. The V1 and V2 will be used in
masses, and new weapons will change the war decisively. This had all
been promised, and what was the result of the offensive?
Rundstedt’s
divisions are retreating, beaten and bloodless their material
destroyed.100,000 men have been sacrificed.
The great hour of the Western Front has become the great mistake.
The back of the leaflet ends with the statement:
Make an end to the German suicide.
7A-A72 – WARNING!
This leaflet
says in part:
WARNING!
After the
failure of the Rundstedt offensive in the Ardennes, it is your turn to
be sacrificed in the battle without hope. What your comrades in the
Ardennes could not accomplish, you are supposed to do. They did not have
enough tanks and airplanes and of 120,000 men, almost 5000 prisoners of
war were lost by the Wehrmacht. You have far less tanks, artillery, and
airplanes and therefore your task is far less likely to be successful.
In the north
it would have been worthwhile once again to sacrifice German soldiers.
Up there are Liege, Antwerp, Verdun, and lastly Paris could have been
captured. This had been the aim, but the German offensive failed.
This leaflet
ends with the sentence:
Now, have the courage to act in your own interest: save your lives!
Frontline News-Letter for German Soldiers in the West - Produced by
the Seventh U..S. Army
7A-C14 - The Big Fight in the Ardennes
An official newspaper of the U.S. 7th Army in Western Europe, the Frontbrief was
first printed on 2 December 1944. The first issue was coded 7A-C10. Issue 7A-C14 was dated
1 January 1945 and mentioned the Ardennes Offensive, but with no maps or images. Some of
the text is:
The big fight in the Ardennes
Successes of the U.S.A. - Counteroffensive
Hodges comes forward - Bastogne supported. The tip of the German bulge, which had
reached the Meuse River in the area of ??Dinant last week, was 6 kilometers from the
American forces brought in to attack the German northern flank.
Front letter 7A-C15 dated 2 January 1945 mentioned German General Rundstedt with the
headline Rundstedt’s Bulge narrowed. The Germans actually used the term
“wedge,” but we will use the more familiar word “Bulge.” Front letter
7A-C16 dated 3 January 1945 had the headline Rundstedt's Army in Retreat.
Front
letter 7A-C16 dated 4 January 1945 adds simply Ardennes – Retreat. The last
issue of Front letter known to have been issued by the 7th Army is 7A-C23 dated 3 March
1945.
Note: General Courtney Hodges, commander of the U.S. First Army Is seldom mentioned for
his actions during the battle of the Bulge while General George Patton and his Third Army
are given the credit for breaking the German circle around Bastogne. This newspaper is one
of the very few that mentions General Hodge.
The U.S. Seventh Army did not take part in the Battle of the Bulge, but it extended its
flanks to take over much of the area that had been the responsibility of U.S. Third Army,
commanded by General Patton who had previously commanded the Seventh, which allowed the
Third to relieve surrounded American forces besieged at Bastogne. Later, along with the
French First Army, the Seventh went on the offensive in February 1945. After capturing the
city of Strasbourg, the Seventh went into the Saar, assaulted the Siegfried Line, and
reached the River Rhine during the first week of March, 1945.
The Frontpost Newspaper – Produced by the Twelth U.S. Group
Frontpost – January 1945
Frontpost (Front Postal Service) was a weekly semi-tactical newspaper that
featured “News for German troops” produced by the American Twelfth Army group
for dissemination by fighter-bombers and medium bombers. From August 1944 to May 1945, the
Allied 12th Army Group Newspaper, appeared every two or three days initially and then
weekly, printed by its American production team in France and then in Luxembourg. Each
issue bore the motto Der Starke braucht die Wahrheit nicht zu scheue (“The
strong need not fear the truth”). The first issue of January 1945 depicts the
“Bulge” and the two headings:
The Battle of Materials Continues
The Americans Fight Back
Frontpost – A slightly later Edition as the tide turns against the
Germans
This 12 January edition tells of the Germans pulling back after constant attacks by the
Allied forces. Since I show a German-language newspaper above, I show the English-language
translation of this issue here. The PWB always made a limited number of English-language
editions for filing and so that the Allies who distributed the newspapers could see what
they were dropping on the enemy.
Frontpost contained accurate news of the war. The first issue, dated 14 August
1944, was prepared in the operations tent in a field near St. Sauveur in Normandy. The
printing of the first issues (Nos. 1 through 5) was done at Rennes, in Brittany.
Single-sheet (two-page) issues were produced thrice weekly. With the advance through
France, the publication site for Frontpost and tactical leaflets was moved to Paris
soon after the fall of the city. The first Paris-printed issue was dated 31 August 1944.
Nine issues (Nos. 6-14) were printed in Paris.
Beginning with issue No. 15 (dated 22 September 1944), printing was moved to the plant
of the Luxemburger Wort in the city of Luxembourg. Beginning with No. 33, dated 13
November 1944, the newspaper became a four-page weekly. Since Frontpost was being
airdropped inside Germany, its content began to include news of interest to German
civilians in addition to soldiers. Frontpost continued publication through issue
No. 48, dated 20 April 1945.
A classified confidential Psychological Warfare Branch Combat Team booklet says in the
Frontpost
chapter:
One of the most important undertakings of the PWB Combat Team in the field is the
editing, printing, and distribution of Frontpost, a miniature but complete weekly
newspaper delivered to German troops in the immediate operational zone. This newspaper,
written in German, is delivered regularly once a week to the opposing troops in shells
fired by Allied artillery.
Although strictly an informative newspaper edited in a neutral manner, it fulfills
major propaganda aims by providing German troops with an impartial, objective presentation
of world news which is not available through any German medium.
The leaflets were packed into shells that could carry 400 copies of the newspaper.
The Twelfth United States Army Group was the largest and most powerful U.S. Army
formation ever to take to the field. It controlled the majority of American forces on the
Western Front in 1944 and 1945. It was commanded by General Omar Bradley with its
headquarters established in London on 14 July 1944.
The Twelfth Army Group controlled four field armies: the First, Third, Ninth and
Fifteenth United States Armies. By the end of the war the Twelfth Army Group was a force
that numbered over 1.3 million men. The history of the PSYOP troops of the Group is told
in the previously “restricted” book, Publicity and Psychological Warfare 12th
Army Group, January 1943 - August 1945.
The book mentions the Battle of the Bulge and basically says that the civilian press
gave a completely wrong picture of the battle. It says in part:
On 16 December 1944, the German armies of the west under Von Rundstedt
counterattacked through the thinly held positions of the 12th Army group in the Ardennes
Forest. Initial German gains were rapidly consolidated and exploited during this period.
War correspondents exhibited, in some cases, a variety of panic…These correspondents,
and the stories they wrote, contributed greatly to unbalanced press reports during this
period…Two overall briefings by General Bradley had done much to put the battle in
the Ardennes in its proper prospective. Instead of a defeat, as faulty reporting in some
cases indicated, it proved to be an outstanding American victory.
The Feldpost Newspaper – Produced by the Twelfth U.S. Army Group
Feldpost (Field Postal Service) was a weekly semi-tactical newspaper published
by the American Twelfth Army group in Western Europe for dissemination by leaflet shell.
The first issue of January 1945 depicts the “Bulge” (The same picture as in
Frontpost
above) and the two headings:
German Air Catastrophe
The Americans strike back
The story of the American counter-attack mentions General Patton and his tanks and the
101st Airborne Division and their defense of Bastogne. About 33 issues of Feldpost were
produced from November 1944 to April 1945. By November 1944, due to the closeness of the
fighting and rapidly fluctuating front line it was decided to add to the Frontpost
newspaper a smaller-sized single-sheet abridged version, called Feldpost, that could be
shelled to front line troops by artillery. These were designed to reach units with great
precision that airdrops could not. The first issue appeared 5 November 1944. Feldpost was
initially issued once a week; later twice weekly.
The book Publicity and Psychological Warfare 1943-1945 by the 12th U.S. Army
Group European Theater of Operations, mentions the newspapers in greater detail:
Early in November it was decided that the airdrop of Frontpost did not entirely fill
the demand for getting news to the German troops facing us, since areas where a newspaper
might be effective were sometimes not being reached by airdrop. To remedy this situation,
it was decided to produce a leaflet-sized newspaper to be fired from artillery shells. The
first issue of this leaflet-newspaper, called Feldpost, ("Field Post") appeared
under the date of 5 November 1944. Feldpost employed the same methods and had the same
objectives as its bigger brother Frontpost. Many of the same features were included, but
in condensed, stripped-down form.
The American 87th Infantry Division took part in the battle of the
Bulge. Researcher Robert Allen send me some of the material he had
accumulated on his own and from NARA. For instance, I notice that on the
night of 31 December 1944, the Division Intelligence Journal says the
division artillery will fire leaflets at the enemy:
Request disposition of propaganda shells.
Propaganda leaflets will be fired at St. Hubert and towns north of Morisy.
One message was received that mentioned a leaflet drop.
Unfortunately, the leaflet may have been one of ours:
Attached leaflet dropped over our command post at 1900.
Allen had this propaganda newspaper among his files.
Nachrichten fur die Truppen – 31 December 1944 - Produced by PWB, SHAEF
Nachrichten fur die Truppen
(News for the troops) was a joint British-American venture. It was published
by the Psychological Warfare Division at SHAEF. It was a daily leaflet
newspaper, at first of two, and then four sides, which was dropped
continuously on or behind the German Western front from 25 April 1944 until
the German capitulation.
Sefton Delmer, the British psychological warfare chief said about
the newspaper:
The Office of Strategic Services and SHAEF’s American
psychological-warfare boss General Bob McClure placed a team of first-class
editors and news writers on the project. Nachrichten was a dirty off-white.
Unlike other Allied leaflets it did not proclaim that it was issued by
command of General Eisenhower of SHAEF. Nor did it, like "black" leaflets
claim to have some German or non-Allied source. Nachrichten just dropped
from the heavens, as an offering of the sublime objective truth. It did not
refer to the Allies as the enemy. They were the Anglo-American forces or the
Russians. The Germans were Die Deutschen Truppen.
As expected, the aerial newspaper mentions the German offensive:
Two armored divisions try to hold St. Hubert and Rochefort.
Rundstedt must regroup his troops.
Today, on the 15th day of the western offensive, members of two
armored divisions and the Führer’s personal brigade "Gross-Deutschland" are
in heavy defensive battles, and the westernmost base in the breakthrough
area, the cities of Rochefort and St. Hubert are fighting against ever
stronger American attacks.
A second story is opens:
Kassel Railway Station Devastated by Bombs.
New attacks of an incessant annihilation offensive against the
replenishment system for the German West-Offensive hit numerous marshalling
yards and other railway facilities in the Reich yesterday…
The AgG Series – Produced by the Twenty-first British Army
Group
AgG-20 - This was the Plan
Notice that this leaflet is similar to with the exact same text as ZG-95
above
The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation, in command of two field
armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of British and Canadian forces. It
was established in London during July 1943, under the command of the Supreme Headquarters
Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). The 21st Army Group operated in Northern France,
Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany from June 1944 until the end of the war
in Europe in 1945.
When the Germans broke through Allied lines during the Battle of the Bulge, General
Eisenhower was presented with a problem. The German divisions had sliced through US lines,
leaving some American formations north and south of the new German “Bulge.” The
headquarters of the U.S. 12th Army Group lay to the south, and so Eisenhower decided to
place American forces north of the "Bulge" salient under 21st Army Group. After
the battle, control of the U.S 1st Army which had been placed under Field Marshal
Montgomery's temporary command was returned to General Bradley's 12th Army Group. The U.S
9th Army remained under Montgomery longer, before being returned to American command in
Germany. So, at the height of the battle the 12th Army Group lost control of two Armies to
the 21st Army Group under General Montgomery. The AgG leaflet was a product of this mixed
21st AG.
Leaflet AgG.25b – The Rundstedt Offensive…
This 21st Army Group leaflet was prepared in both a 25a and 25b variety. The front is
the same on both leaflets, showing the Bulge and all the Allied forces attacking it.
Notice that at the right the word “Kaputt” has been added. This tells the
Germans that their offensive is dead. The text on the front of the leaflet is:
The Rundstedt Offensive
Opened on 16 December 1944: on 16 January 1945 - BROKEN
The map shows your location of 16 January 1945. It does not show your dead or your
crippled or your precious material losses. And the latest news from the east: Warsaw has
been liberated by units of the Russian and Polish armies
I have seen several other leaflets that mention the Ardennes Offensive but most seem
repetitious. I believe that we have a good sampling of the Allied propaganda leaflets
above. Now it is time to look at the German propaganda.
“Sibs” – Rumors
Researcher Lee Richards has studied the British rumor machine and wrote about it in a
book entitled: Whispers of War – Underground Propaganda Rumour-mongering in the
Second World War. The British Underground Propaganda Committee regularly turned out
rumors to be fed to the Germans in an attempt to destroy their morale. Rumors are a
perfect medium for unacknowledgeable clandestine propaganda and deception. They are
incredibly hard to trace and near impossible to prove their origin; they can spread like
the proverbial wildfire. The British called them “Sibs,” from the Latin word
Sibilare,
meaning to “hiss.”
On 22 December1944, while the Germans were still advancing the rumor was spread among
their troops that “the great counter-offensive by 15-20 German divisions out of the
70-odd available for defense of the whole western Front was a desperate gamble from the
outset. The only argument that could be found in favor of it was: better than a horrible
end now than horror unending.” This would imply to the common soldiers that his own
high command were fools or defeatists, and worse, their entire front was now open to
Allied attack.
On 29 December 1944, the British whispered to the Germans that “the failure of
Rundstedt’s offensive was largely due to the lack of cooperation between politically
appointed officers and the old-line Wehrmacht officers.” It was not the loyal German
soldiers that lost the battle; it was the Nazis and their brainless political appointees.
On 12 January the German heard rumors that “their command was using female
soldiers on the front lines.” It is hard to know how this was supposed to exploit the
German soldier except perhaps to tell him that they were really scraping the bottom of the
barrel now.
Black Propaganda
There is one notable case of black propaganda on the theme of the Ardennes offensive.
Apparently the leaflet was never disseminated so we can only tell its history as found in
the Lee Richards book: The Black Art, British Clandestine Psychological Warfare against
the Third Reich. Lee explains that the Germans produced a news leaflet that allowed
their soldiers to ask questions about the state of the war and receive official answers.
The British discovered these “Skorpion” leaflets and immediately started
work on counterfeiting them and changing the text in a way that might destroy the
enemy’s morale. An example is the British copy of Skorpion Sk 2. We quote
Lee’s text in part:
“What is the aim of the offensive?” Skorpion was asked. It explained the
strategic plan…But, conceded Skorpion, “For this, as for any other great and
daring strategic plan, a great deal of luck is needed. This good luck was denied our
forces.” Skorpion was further asked, “But does this mean the offensive was
useless?” Skorpion replies, of course not. No matter the huge sacrifices of men and
material, no matter the geographical objectives not met, what matters is the
accomplishment of the inner purpose….
So, while appearing to be a positive pro-German leaflet, this British forgery tells the
troops of the operation’s failure and the great loss of men and materials. It does
not leave the Germans with any feeling of victory.
The Germans prepared a pair of leaflets that German researcher
Klaus Kirchner called “black,” although they really do not fit the profile.
A true black leaflet pretends to be from someone else rather than the true
originator. So, in this case they might claim to be from the British or
Americans. They do not. These are clearly German leaflets. They are
deceptive though, since one claims to be a German leaflet targeting the U.S.
9th Army and the other, the British 2nd Army. In fact, it is just the
opposite. The leaflet to the Americans tells of how easy the British have
had it and the leaflet to the British tells them how easy the Americans have
had it. Each one is dropped on the other army with the hope of causing
confusion and dissention by troops thinking they have carried more than
their weight during the fight. The leaflet to the Americans is coded C.E.
(Canadiens and English) while the leaflet to the British is coded A
(Americans). The Germans show these are deceptive leaflet with their codes
Black Radio
Field Marshall Montgomery
According to the British National Archives, The German’s greatest propaganda
success occurred from one of their black radio broadcasts. Dr. Joseph Quinn explains in an
article titled How Nazi ‘fake news’ split Allied commanders in 1945.
He
explains that the battle was clearly an American victory, one that had come at the cost of
more than 80,000 US troops killed, wounded and captured. The Germans prepared a radio
broadcast which was featured as being Field-Marshal Montgomery’s press conference of
7 January 1945. In it, Montgomery took full credit for winning the battle. There was
already bad feeling between Montgomery and Patton, and the British General had also fought
Eisenhower over who would command the ground war in Europe. This broadcast pulled the scab
off the wound. It purported to be an official BBC comment on their normal
wavelength on the press conference which cleverly slanted the whole affair in a way
calculated to give most offense to the Americans. Some of the comments were:
In the first three weeks since Montgomery tacked the German Ardennes Offensive he
has transformed it into a headache for Rundstedt…He found no defense lines, the
Americans somewhat bewildered, few reserves on hand and supply lines cut.
The American First Army had been completely out of contact with General Bradley. He
quickly studied maps and began to “tidy up” the front. He took over scattered
American forces, planned his action and stopped the German drive…The Battle of the
Ardennes can now be written off, thanks to Field Marshall Montgomery.
General Omar Bradley
General Omar Bradley, the commander of 12th Army Group, who was enraged by
Montgomery’s lack of mention of the key American field commanders in the Allied
counterattack during the Ardennes battle, issued his own statement to the press on 9
January. The British Daily Mail entered the fray arguing that Montgomery had been
treated unjustly by the Americans, who had accepted the authenticity of the fake broadcast
all too readily. This was now a public relations crisis. Winston Churchill stated that
through no fault of their own, the two countries have been engaged in this battle.
Eisenhower told Churchill that his generals were so enraged that none wanted to serve
under Montgomery. On 18 January 1945, Churchill tried to end the incident by reporting to
the House of Commons:
The United States troops have done almost all the fighting and have suffered almost
all the losses. Only one British Army Corps was engaged in this action. All the rest of
the 30 or more divisions which have been fighting continuously for the last month, are
United States troops. The Americans have lost 60 to 80 men for every one of ours.
[This
was] The greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an
ever famous American victory.
General Eisenhower
General Eisenhower later recalled this incident as one that caused him “more
distress and worry than did any similar one of the war.”
Battle of the Bulge German PSYOP
A Second Luxembourg Museum Exhibit.
Another Battle of the Bulge exhibit in the Musee National
D'histoire Militaire, depicts a German rocket and artillery shell and
some German leaflets disseminated during the battle.
The Germans seemed to have dropped close to a hundred leaflets during the period
December 1944 to January 1945. There is a good chance that the majority; or even all of
them were dropped on Allied soldiers facing the Bulge. However, for the purposes of this
article the leaflet must mention the German offensive so I am going to omit dozens of very
interesting colorful leaflets. Searching through my files I found about a dozen German
leaflets that mention the Ardennes offensive. Whereas the Allied propaganda almost always
talks about the defeat in the past tense, some of the German leaflets were actually used
during the attack. To balance this article I will select some that bear interesting text
or images. More might be added later if the image or the message merits it.
The German “Skorpion” leaflet No. 615
This may be the most impressive leaflet prepared by the Germans for their own troops
during the Battle of the Bulge. It is in full color and depicts a mauled fist crushing
everything as it smashes through the American and British lines. As German troops advanced
into the Bulge they were handed these leaflets that has a long statistical message on the
back and claimed that in 30 days, 160,000 Allied troops had been killed or wounded. It
should be noted that these Skorpion morale leaflets were produced by the SS, not the
Wehrmacht, and they were often forged by the British causing great confusion among German
troops.
The German Blitz Offensive
There is no doubt this leaflet was used during the offensive since it plainly tells
American troops of the German attack. The leaflet was disseminated in December 1944. Some
of the comments on the back of the leaflet are:
According to German reports, the American First Army is in a state of complete
disorganization. Up to date the number of prisoners taken by the advancing German units
amount to 110,000 men.
Field Marshall Model’s “Blitz Offensive.
There were about a dozen of these “A.”
leaflets without number. That is very odd, but perhaps the “A” is for a unit
or for a theme. This leaflet points out that to get the truth you must read
a Swiss newspaper and goes on to allegedly quote that paper as saying the
Germans were moving ahead everywhere. The story continues on the back and
ends with the statement:
The German Supreme Command announced on 21 December, “The successes
of our Panzer formations and specialist troops, now operating far in the
rear of the enemy, also on the fifth day of the offensive exceeded all
expectations.
Get Wise Buddy!
This is a third “A.” leaflet, once more all text. This would be
just a day or two later than the above leaflet. The text tells the Americans
that the Germans are all around and even behind them. On the back, the
Germans tell the American’s that even general Eisenhower understands that it
is no crime to surrender when you are surrounded:
I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, declare that a soldier who gives himself
up when the situation has become hopeless cannot be called a coward. It is
no dishonor to break off a fight when the odds are against you. Nobody is
expected to commit suicide when his sacrifice is of no use to his country.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS – A.129
We have pointed out the large
number of “A.” leaflets with no number above. There are several leaflets
dropped by the Germans later in the month of December that did have a
number. All the ones I have seen had a large 3-digit number so perhaps the
Germans were trying to fool the Americans into thinking that had somehow not
found the first hundred or so. Four leaflets were prepared with the codes
A.127 to A.130, three with the title IT’S YOUR JOB TO FIGHT! and one
with the title IT’S YOUR JOB TO DIE! Each of the four has a different
text on the back. Three different images were depicted on the four leaflets.
Above we depict A.129. The leaflet targets American soldiers on the back and
reminds them of how they were treated after WWI when veterans marched on
Washington D.C trying to get Congress to give them a promised Bonus for the
service in the war. They were routed by American calvary, as the German’s
say, “treated like bums.” The Germans ask why the soldiers are willing to
die for the “Jewish jobbers of Wall Street?” The American troops are told to
go home and “make sure that grafters and war boomsters keep away from your
women.”
The German 10.5-centimeter Leaflet Shell
A German 10-centimeter artillery shell
was produced after 1940 and used for leaflet dissemination in the Light
Field Howitzer 16 and Light Field Howitzer 38. It is mentioned in a German
document dated 26 June 1940 – Berlin. The Germans are believed to have
called it the Weiss-Rot-Goschosses, (“White Red Shell”) The
shell weighed 13.65 kilograms and could hold about 600 grams or 500
leaflets. The range was about 6 to 7 kilometers. One such shell was found
after the war containing leaflets A.127 to A.130 and the leaflet “Free Pass
– Radio Information.” I should point out that a second German document
states that the shell was 10.5 centimeters and could only be fired by the
Light Field Howitzer model 18/39. Perhaps there was a second improved shell?
In the picture above, the fuse at top is protected by a cap and the leaflet
code is stenciled on the outside of the shell.
The Free-Pass
The leaflet is a safe conduct pass
leaflet trying to get the Allied finder to send information to the German
radio station. It bears no code, and the front has a long message in English
and German. It is nicely written and instead of calling the bearer of the
leaflet a deserter or a prisoner, it calls him a patriot who recognized the
danger of Bolshevism. The back is a message to Jerry’s Front radio, bearing
the “Patriot’s” name, rank, address, town, and country. There is a space for
a 15-word message that will be broadcast so his unit and his family will
know he is alive.
Yanks
This leaflet is almost in the form of a newsletter. It implies that the Americans are
not aware of their situation and tells them (from the German side) exactly what is going
on in the offensive. The leaflet was disseminated in December 1944.
It bears no code and is printed on one side only.
One son of a veteran said:
This is a WWII souvenir from my late father's estate. He was in the 509th Airborne
Infantry Regiment and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Germany was on the retreat
everywhere and Hitler decided to use all his reserves for one last, secret attack.
Winston Churchill told us the Truth!
This all-text, uncoded leaflet was clearly aimed at the British and tried to convince
them that their lives would be wasted helping the foolish Americans. Some of the text on
the back of the leaflet is:
30,000 prisoners were brought in the first week of the offensive. The losses in dead
and wounded are by far greater and careful estimates put them down at 150,000 to 200,000
men. As happened before, the Americans intended to show off once more by marching up to
Berlin on their own in order that their folks at home might celebrate them as the great
victors… Instead of working with you in good fellowship they got into a tight corner
by their desire to show off. Now you are expected to help them in their efforts to get out
of their troubles....
What is almost funny about this leaflet is that the Germans have no idea that the
Americans will make no attempt at taking Berlin. In fact, to their utter disgust, U.S.
forces were stopped and the Soviets were allowed to take the German capital. This would
eventually lead to a divided Berlin and a Berlin Wall during the decade of “Cold
War”.
Use Commonsense
This German leaflet coded K1 + 907 A is quite rare, and the code is not even listed in
the Guide to Series Codes used on Air-Dropped Propaganda Leaflets during WWII. In
Fact, German researcher and author Klaus Kirchner showed a mock-up of the leaflet in
Flugblatt-propaganda im 2.Weltkrieg, Volume 16. An actual copy of the leaflet finally became available
in 2018. What makes this December 1944 leaflet so interesting is that it mentions the town
of Bastogne where one of the great defensive actions of the Battle of the Bulge took
place. The Germans could not take the town so here try a bluff and claim that they knew
what the Americans would do; how they would defend; but that they would be ultimately
victorious. They also add a bit of “divide and conquer” by pointing out that
some American forces are under Montgomery’s command. The bluff did not work. The
Americans held firm and the Germans eventually retreated to Germany thoroughly
beaten. Note
that very distinct crinkling on the leaflet. A second copy appeared in 2020
and had the same crinkling. That indicates that the leaflet was fired at the
Allies by German artillery. The crinkling is always found on leaflets that
have been forced out of an artillery shell by an explosion.
Bastogne
The German mention of Bastogne is interesting because that where one of the great
battles of the Ardennes offensive took place. In order to reach the port of Antwerp the
Germans had to seize the roadways through eastern Belgium. Because all seven main roads in
the Ardennes mountain range converged on the small town of Bastogne, control of its
crossroads was vital to the German attack. They surrounded the town from 20 December until
27 December when the siege of the American forces was finally broken by elements of
General George Patton’s Third Army.
Facts Figures
This is a German newspaper leaflet dropped on American troops. We can see by the date
that it was disseminated about two weeks into the offensive. If we are to believe the
Germans, they are victorious on all fronts and the Allied lines are in retreat everywhere.
Notice also the “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” greeting.
The Other Side
Another “newspaper” leaflet dropped on the Allied troops was four pages long
and entitled The Other Side. In fact, not only was it dropped by German aircraft;
there are numerous instances when it was placed on a V1 rocket and fired against England.
There are no German records of leaflet dissemination by V1 rocket but we know that five
only issues of “The Other Side” were printed, probably from November 1944 to
February 1945. The leaflets are mentioned in R.G. Auckland’s, V1 Rocket Propaganda
Leaflets 1944-1945, the Psywar Society, 1963.
Issue four is undated but mentions the Battle of the Bulge on several pages. These
leaflets were sent by V1 against England several times and were found in the British
“Midlands” at Lancashire and Shropshire on Christmas Eve 1944. Issue Four was
also found in Antwerp, Belgium in February 1945 and Holland at least eight times in places
like Gelderland, Zeeland, and North Brabant from January to February 1945. Since the
citizens of those last two targets probably could not read English, it is assumed the
leaflets were for American and British troops at those locations. The comments on the
front are in part:
…All the same, this hasn’t stopped Hitler from starting a sudden offensive
into Belgium and Luxemburg. It seems as if a great deal that you did was in vain.
On page Two we see:
Say fellows, has someone been telling you stories? Or how come you didn’t know
anything about the German Army, which attached into Southeast Belgium, until it was pretty
much all around you? Weren’t the German Army marked on any of the maps your
Intelligence Officers had?
My Dearest Darling
This German leaflet is in the form of a letter from the wife of U.S. Army Staff
Sergeant Joe Seibel to her husband at the front. It starts with an attack on the British
(the old divide-and-conquer ploy), and then attacks “that stinking son-of-a-witch
Roosevelt”) for the war, conveniently forgetting that Adolf Hitler declared war on
the United States. The letter is dated 20 December, which puts it right in the middle of
the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans liked this leaflet and printed it with various codes
and uncoded. I have seen it with the code “SKJ 2000" and “27.”
Darling! Hallo Connie!
This leaflet is very similar to the one above. It is a letter from Sergeant Jack Zocchi
to his wife at home and once again is very sympathetic to the German cause. In fact, the
Germans ask the Americans to write to their Congressman to end the war. The letter is
dated 19 December 1944 and this particular leaflet was allegedly carried by a propaganda
rocket by the Germans over the Allied lines. The Code is “A” and I have seen
about 23 leaflets all with the same code A used by an unknown German propaganda unit about
the time of the Bulge.
Instructions for the American Prisoners of War
This is a very interesting leaflet. It could mean exactly what it says and simply be a
very arrogant leaflet prepared by the Germans in advance to demand that Americans obey
orders and act in a proper manner when captured by the Germans. Or, it could be kind of a
“grey” propaganda with a hidden agenda. It tells Americans of the wonderful
treatment they will receive as prisoners as long as they behave themselves. A reader might
think. “I can safely surrender as long as I act correctly. They will treat me
well.” The leaflet was disseminated in December 1944.
Up and Down
This December 1944 leaflet depicts two British soldiers and graves. It warns the
soldiers that they are being kept in the dark about the offensive and suggests that they
might want to consider surrendering before the slaughter starts. Some of the text on the
back is:
On the go again…December 16. Strong German forces launched a large-scale attack
in the central part of the Western Front.
December 20. The German Supreme Command announced in the daily communique: more than
10,000 prisoners taken. 200 tanks captured or destroyed. 124 planes knocked out…
December 21. Rapid advance of German troops across the road from Liege to Arlon.
More than 20,000 prisoners….
Look at it properly!
This leaflet was dropped in January 1945 as the battle started to turn against the
Germans. It depicts a massive tank and the long message on the back seems to be aimed at
terrorizing Allied troops with secret weapons yet to arrive on the battlefield. The text
says in part:
Look at it properly!
This is the latest German amphibious tank having still stronger armor plates than
the well-known “Royal Tiger.” Its firing capacity surpasses everything known so
far. It simply vomits fire. The funny part about it is that it can swim. It does not
bother about the inundations caused by us. At any moment it may emerge in front of your
positions, but you have to hold out. Don’t think the German offensive was launched in
a few places only. That was only the beginning…
Leaflet *378-12-44/12
This German Christmas Sudstern (Southern Cross) leaflet is coded *378-12-44/12,
which indicates it was disseminated in December of 1944. The front depicts a young child
carrying a Christmas tree and the text:
Seasons Greetings
May you have a Merry Christmas
The text on the back says:
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and
goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas
John Calvin Coolidge Jr.
Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Tank, 101st Parachute and 28th Infantry Divisions, did
your officers tell you that you are surrounded and outnumbered here? Well, here you are
just before Christmas far away from home and stuck in the worst imaginable military
situation. Will you come back, are you sure to see your loved ones again? Put a stop to it
now...one way or another.
A Merry Christmas!
A Merry Christmas! (Back)
This is another Christmas-themed leaflet used during the Battle of the
Bulge. This German leaflet depicts a wife and children at Christmas with
the grandparents at their right. The text is written in a homey southern
style and reminds of us old-fashioned country folk. The back has a
rather long message talking about Christmas in the old days and then
goes on to recommend that the soldier be injured and states that he can
be home by Christmas with any luck. It tells the soldier that he will
not be kept in France because of the need for beds due to massive,
Allied casualties. He will be sent home. The code of this leaflet is
“A.” Several such leaflets for Allied troops in Western Europe were
fired by rocket and grenade in January of 1945. For instance, another
leaflet with the “A.” code was entitled “To the Men of the British 2nd
Army.” One soldier who found this leaflet during the Battle of the
Bulge, on 23 December wrote:
Nazis in town 300 yards to our front.
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, BUT POWs DO!
Note: because of the mention of the 9th and 10th Armored Divisions, and the 101st
Airborne and 28th Infantry Divisions we can say that this leaflet was probably dropped on
Bastogne. The time is right and all the mentioned units were there. There is one problem
with this leaflet. The Southern Star leaflets were dropped in Italy. In fact, the two
leaflets on either side of this one, *377-12-44 and *379-12-44 were both dropped on Italy.
BUT, notice that this leaflet *378-12-44/12 has an added 12 at the back. I can only assume
that it was considered such a powerful leaflet that it was taken from Italy with a slight
change in code number and dropped on Western Europe.
A German PG-41 leaflet Rocket
Daddy, I'm so afraid!
This rocket was dug up after WWII along with four propaganda leaflets used against the
Americans during Christmas 1944 when they were fighting “the Battle of the
Bulge.” The picture shows us more German leaflets used against American forces. The
leaflet with the blond girl second from the left is well known to us. The Germans began
dissemination of this uncoded leaflet about the start of January 1944. It makes use of
Christmas symbols. The front of the leaflet depicts a small blond-haired girl holding a
sprig of mistletoe with a candle to her right. Behind her is the visage of her father,
apparently killed in action with a bullet hole in his helmet, although his eyes are
partially open. The text is:
Daddy, I’m so afraid!
Hark…the Herald Angels sing!
On the back of the leaflet there are a number of Christmas symbols surrounding the
text. Among them are angels, the Star of Bethlehem, Christmas candles and pine sprigs,
etc. The text is terribly written and full of grammatical errors. In general, I try to
show the finest and cleanest leaflets possible in this article. However, in March of 2017,
a reader sent me photograph of the back of this very leaflet that his father, a trooper in
the 101st Airborne picked up off the snowy ground of Bastogne and brought home. You can
see how the leaflet is ragged from the wet ground and being folded and carried in a pocket
for weeks or possibly months. I think it is good to show the reader how most of these
leaflets actually looked on the battlefront rather than the pristine images I usually show
from intelligence files. This is a perfect example. The text is:
HARK…the HERALD ANGELS sing!
Well soldier, here you are in “no-Mans land,” just before Christmas far
away from home and your loved ones. Your sweetheart or wife, your little girl, or perhaps
even your little boy, don’t you feel them worrying about you, praying for you? Yes
old boy, praying and hoping you’ll come home again, soon. Will you come back, are you
sure to see those loved ones again?
This is Christmas time, Yule-time . . . The Yule-log, the Mistletoe, the Christmas
tree, whatever it is, it’s home and all that you think fine to celebrate the day of
our Savior. Man, have you thought about it. What if you don’t come back . . . What
of those dear ones?
Well soldier, “PEACE ON EARTH GOOD WILL TOWARDS MEN” . . . For where
there’s a will there’s a way . . . Only 300 yards ahead and...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Hello There!
Another German leaflet rocketed at the Allies shows a Christmas symbol. This uncoded
leaflet depicts an evergreen tree of some kind meant to resemble a Christmas tree. Some of
the text on the back is:
We thought you would be home for Christmas.
Well boys – take it easy – you’ve been promised so many things.
It’s not your first and certainly not your last disappointment.
Cheer up – Console yourself with Jerry.
He wishes you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and the best of luck in the NEW YEAR.
As soon as General George S. Patton entered Bastogne just after
Christmas 1944,
he decorated Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe with the Distinguished Service
Cross
for his leadership in commanding the surrounded Bastogne garrison.
Longing for you
Although not in the picture of the rocket leaflet above, this leaflet coded “49
A5”was found by a veteran of the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion while defending
Bastogne. The front of the leaflet depicts a lovely woman waiting for her lover to return,
a lipstick “kiss” and the words:
Longing for you
The back is much more interesting. It depicts a bloody skull wearing a helmet and the
words:
Waiting for you
The Chairman of the JCS commemorates the Heroes of the Bulge
"This is as Far as the Bastards are going"
General Henry H. Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the
story of the above poster at the 60th Anniversary of the Airborne at Fort Benning,
Georgia, on April 13, 2000.
The poster is a photograph of a dirty, scrappy, tough paratrooper, PFC Vernon
Haught, of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, marching in the dead of that cold, snowy
winter with a rucksack on his back. Going to reinforce the retreating American forces in
Belgium. His expression leaves no doubt about his determination. He is moving out to go
toe-to-toe with the enemy in Belgium. As you look at the poster, it strikes you that
nowhere in this photograph do you see a parachute. And you and I both know there doesn't
have to be one -- you simply know from the look: he's Airborne.
Under the photo is a quote from PFC Martin, also of the 325th Glider Infantry
Regiment, who during the battle asked a retreating tank destroyer commander, "Are you
looking for a safe place?" When the tank commander answered yes, PFC Martin replied,
"Well buddy just pull that vehicle behind me -- I am the 82d Airborne and this is as
far as the bastards are going." Imagine, an Airborne PFC telling a guy in a tank to
follow him.
German Infiltrators
Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny
German infiltrators lined up for execution by firing squad after conviction
by a military court
for wearing U.S. uniforms during the Battle of the
Bulge. December 23, 1944.
A German tank disguised as an American tank during Operation Greif.
It is well known that the Germans used many of their soldiers that
had been educated in the United States or could speak good English to
infiltrate the American lines under Operation Greif, commanded by
Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny. Many were caught and executed. They did
not do much damage but did caused a lot of confusion in the American lines.
How could they be identified? Here is a 3rd Army message sent to the troops
explaining the problem.
Prisoners of war have been taken in First U.S. Army rear areas in
American uniforms complete with American paybooks and service records and
carrying US .45 Caliber pistols but wearing German dog tags and carrying
German radios. The prisoners were in American Jeeps. Suspicious persons will
be checked. Following questions are:
1. Password and reply.
2. Show Dog tags.
3. Name unit and Describe Shoulder Patch.
4. What staging area in US.
5. Questions on World Series.
6. Price of an air mail stamp.
7. Price of V-Mail
8. Sinatra's First Name.
Interrogation revealed about 40 such agents have been sent -
highest rank Major.
This is just a short look at the propaganda of the Battle of the Bulge. I could easily
double the size of this article but I just want to give the reader an idea of what was
being produced in the way of psychological warfare leaflets during this crucial battle.
Readers that would care to discuss this article are encouraged to write to the
author at sgmbert@hotmail.com.
