Looking for US 13th Infantry Regiment After Action Report on taking Rennes 4 August 44

The title pretty much says it all. I am trying to find out what happened in the taking of Rennes on 4 August by the 13th, in particular what happened to the Allied POWs kept in the Rennes Military Hospital/Stalag 221.

My Father was a wounded POW there and escaped during the initial bombardment of Rennes by the CCA 4th Armored Division. He was repartiated on 4 August, I assume by elements of the 13th IR. I am trying to track down how he was handled and what local US Hospital Unit these POWs were taken. I have indications from on book (One More Hill) that the 35th Evac Hospital handled them but I would have thought that the 13th IR would have gathered the roster of POWs and other info on the Stalag.

 

Okay it took awhile but I finally got to NARA and found the 13th IR movement and attack orders for the assault on Rennes and their subsequent dispositions. This includes the message log. It appears that 2nd and 3rd Battalions attacked through 1st Battalion at 0830 into Rennes and at 1115hrs there is a call to the CO 13th IR to the G-2 (I assume 4th AD G-2) for the position of 800 US and English POWs. This is repeated by the XO calling the S-2 at 1145 for the information with the additional information that it was on the route taken by Col. Lerette. Given the previous message traffic the POW hospital should have been behind US lines by 1045hrs as the I&R Platoon indicated they had reached the Railroad station, 2nd Battalion had reached the Arsenal and 3rd Battalion was at the main bridges all of which are at least a kilometer beyond the hospital. Based on the attack overlay it would appear that 3rd Battalion is most likely the unit that found the POW hospital.

At 1305 CO 1st Battalion sends message to CO 13th IR "Hospital with 600 Allied patients on Rue Jean mace, 400 needs immediate evactuation. All need clothing and cigarettes. More medical personnel needed, (This message sent to CG 8 Div HOLO)

At 1355 message reads "Gen Stroh arrived at Rear CP. He approved the dispatching of Co. A 8th Med to Hospital in town of Rennes. ..."

At 1345 (comes after the 1355 message) " Capt Litter, CO Co A 8 Med Bn, arrived at CP. Was told by XO to take his Co down into town to hospital containing Allied PWs."

At 1415 message from CO 13th IR to XO 13th IR reads "Div Comdr on way to Fwd CP. Div Comdr approved moving Collecting Co to Allied Hosp. in town."

The last POW Hospital reference is at 1515 message to All Bn from CO 13th IR reads "C. A 8th Med located in large Hosp., Rue Jean Mace in Rennes."

 

I could not find an AAR just the FRAGO for the attack, overlays and the message log.

Not sure who Gen Stroh is or COL Lerette or what organization they are part of.

 

Nice job on the research, Jeff. Those folks at the 8th ID site have done a tremendous amount of work on it.

 

So what next? Check the 8th Medical Battalion records for August, 1944?

 

Thanks guys. Looking through the AAR they don't even mention capturing the first POW Camps by the US in Europe or the Hospital. I agree that Stroh is probably the 8ID commander and the COL Lerette is part of the 13IR staff but probably not the commander as he took charge in November 44.

Good idea Earthican about finding the 8th Medical Battalion information.