A DUTCH LIBERATION DOWN SOUTH        

       Every military unit fighting around Hoensbroek in September 1944 shared a history dating back to the very first weeks after the Allied had landed in Normandy. And by the time the soldiers had come within firing distance of the infamous Westwall or Siegfried Line, the Pursuit Phase and the First Battle of Aachen had reached their end. But the fight against dictatorship was far from over. 
       This translation of the book Bevrijding Oostelijke Mijnstreek can only be found here. This is the story of the men, women, and children who lived and fought during the last year of the Second World War in Europe. It is centered on Hoensbroek, and the first chapter deals with life there under Nazi-occupation. Also a clear picture is given on how the American liberating armies evolved and were structured after a four-year arms race. The second chapter describes the circumstances under which the Allied armies advanced, and those that caused the Nazis to retreat up to the Dutch border. In chapter three we can read on how the defenders dug in on Dutch soil to slow down the Allied advance towards the German homeland. Chapter four is about the crossing of the defense line along the river Geul, and the advance towards the threshold of the Eastern Mining Region. Chapter five deals with the southern prong: the reaching of the Westwall/Siegfried Line from Aachen up to Rimburg. Chapter six, seven, eight, and nine are about the northern thrust (and giving an even more detailed look on liberation on local level): the reaching of the Westwall from Rimburg up to the area in front of Geilenkirchen. In chapter eleven other theaters and events during that month of September are listed. After parts of the south of the Netherlands were liberated warfare continued: the Westwall was breached, and the river Roer crossed. This and more in chapter twelve, while in chapter thirteen the emphasis lies on life in liberated hinterland, and the involvement and participation of locals in ending the hostilities. The used documents from archives in the USA, Germany, and the Netherlands are not listed in the bibliography. These are mentioned in the notes accompanying all thirteen chapters. Also in these are mentioned conversations with witnesses. Their family names (along with my sincerest thanks) are listed immediately below: click on the first icon of a Sherman tank.

-CONTENTS- 

	DEDICATION AND THANKS List of persons and institutions, and links
	1  OCCUPATION The invader, the occupied, and the combatants   Terror – Resistance – Sabotage - Anti-bolshevist - The mayor - Black-out – Distribution - Foster children – Pigeons - Oranje-tree – Pruses - From Blitzkrieg to bazooka - Reorganizations and cut backs
	2  PURSUIT  How units ended up in Zuid-Limburg   Forced back - Operation Cobra: the Allied breakout - The retreat became a flight – Clearance - Expected development - Airborne operations - Operation Linnet - Defensive lines - The actual wonder-weapon: the people - XIX Corps through Belgium - Number one first, and “Gott mit uns” - Market-Garden - At the borders of the Greater German Empire - At strongpoint Aachen
	3  DEFENSE  Everything to slow down the Allied advance   Geul Line: part of the line Antwerp-Switserland - Destructions
	4  ACROSS THE GEUL  The seizing of the defense line along this stream   Breakthrough in the east – Valkenburg - Preparations for the leftwing to cross the Geul
	MAP Advance of the US spearheads through the northeastern quadrant of the south of the Dutch part of Limburg
	5  SOUTHEAST-CORNER  The advance south of the Hell on Wheels   Kerkrade - The utmost southeastern corner - The south of Heerlen – Terwinselen - Hauptkampflinie-Major Line of Resistance- - Schaesberg – Eygelshoven - Waubach, at the end of the day - Rimburg
	6  TO Aalbeek  Prelude to September 18, 1944   From Valkenburg uphill – Aalbeek - Closing in - The defenders
	7  TASK FORCE B  Amies haben mehr Panzer als wir Kartoffelen   CCA’s Task Forces - Ten Esschen – Rennemig – Ganzeweide – Heerlerheide – Beersdal – Victims – Dem - Indenbodem
	8  TASK FORCE A  The Polar Bears to the north of Hoensbroek   Towards Nuth - Across the railroad - At the Geleenbeek stream – Jeugrubbe - ‘There they are’ – Amstenrade - Leeuwstuk  - Oirsbeek - Treebeek
	9  Hoensbroek  About the liberation   The turmoil of violence came closer - Everything had halted, and awaited in silence – Liberated - Aftereffects of the liberation - Are we there yet?
	10 Brunssum Across the border and up to the Westwall   The fighters at this section of the front - Volks-Grenadier-Divisionen - The counterattack - The condition of the Westwall
	11 chronics  What happened elsewhere in September 1944   Ostland – Reeducation - Away from the southeast of Europe - Anne Frank - Octagon conference - War in the Pacific - Hoensbroekenaren during the war in Asia - Airborne over Noord-Brabant, Gelderland, and Limburg - Railroad strike in occupied Netherlands - V-2 - Promotion general Brooks - New ETO-borders - Capture of Brest – Lorraine - Parachutes over Warsaw - Klooga
	12 left flank  The XIX Corps on an increasing front   The Combat Command B - Waiting for the weather to improve - The second battle of Aachen – Vaals - Home for Christmas? - The Roer Dams - Final offensive
	13 BEHIND THE LINES  Liberated but not yet out of danger   The daily life – Summertime - Battle of the media – Payback - Helping back - The Ninth US Army takes over - Hershey Bar - War volunteers - Everything is a game - Munition explosions – Economy - But halfway December… - After VE-Day
	BIBLIOGRAPHY List of books and articles, and links

                             OTHER noteworthy sites:

		the latest on Stuetzpunkt 113 more about the WESTWALL in general	(hidden link to Chronics of a future world)
XIX US Corps 1944-1945	Bunker 161, part of Stuetzpunkt 113		Remembering HUDSON

                             LINKED SOURCES: