| Original caption: “German woman carrying a few possessions runs from burning building in Siegburg, Germany. Fire started by Nazi saboteur.” A German civilian woman, carrying 3 rolled-up carpets and her possessions in a bag, has hastily left her home during the invasion of Siegburg on April 10, 1945. She is running down the Goldene Ecke (“Golden Corner”) of Holzgasse; the tram tracks right curve off towards Kaiserstraße. On the right, the heavily damaged department store of the Hülster brothers, today Wehmeyer’s. The United States 1st and 9th Armies were encircling the Ruhr, cutting off Germany’s industrial heartland. Siegburg was bombed on December 23 and 28, 1944. Since March 1945, the city had also been subjected to continuous artillery fire from the advancing front. The city was defended by 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division (“Third Airborne Division”). Siegburg is east of the Rhine, about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) northeast of Bonn. The recently arrived United States Army 97th Infantry Division, which had just come up from Le Havre, relieved the 7th-8th Infantry Division on April 6, 1945. Constant shelling of Siegburg went on around the clock through April 9. At 1800 Hours, the Division received orders to cross the Sieg River. They used light assault boats that 6 men could carry. This was the 97th’s baptism of fire. Immediately mortars, 88 millimeter (3.46 inch) and heavier artillery, 20 millimeter (0.78 caliber) Flakvierling anti-aircraft cannon and machine gun fire hit the assault wave of the 303rd Infantry Regiment. The 2nd Battalion headed for the town and incurred heavy casualties. The 97th spent the night on the east bank of the Sieg River under shellfire. On April 10 at 1830 Hours, most of the Nazi Germans withdrew from Siegburg; the town was captured at 2000 Hours. The 97th remained in foxholes as artillery from other towns still shelled Siegburg. A pontoon bridge was built to bring the 13th Armored Division across. 73 prisoners were taken. Sporadic fighting continued in Siegburg for 2 days, with shelling continuing. The Americans reduced Allner Castle in Hennef, Germany, close to Siegburg; the 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion fired over a 100 shells at a factory in Troisdorf. The 97th overran Hangelar Aerodrome. On December 18, 2010, the Bonn daily newspaper General Anzeiger put out a call to identify this woman. Technician 4th Class Troy A. Peters (March 29, 1915 – January 12, 1962), 3264th Signal Service Company, was assigned to document the 97th Infantry Division’s entry into Siegburg. Sergeant Peters followed the 303rd Infantry Regiment when it moved on to Lohmar, and then towards Leverkusen and continued further on to Düsseldorf. He was a commercial photographer after the war. He was killed in a traffic accident as a pedestrian in Miami. The photo is dated April 13, but was likely made during the occupation of Siegburg on April 10. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0849.jpg |
| Image Size | 796.72 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2242 x 2892 |
| Photographer | Troy A. Peters |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | April 10, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Siegburg |
| State or Province | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-239-PA-70(4) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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