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Cologne - Then and Now in one picture (3)

- Cologne in general
- Advance from Gladbacher Straße to the Cathedral
- Advance from Venloer Straße to the Cathedral

NARA ist the source of the historical photos, except where other names are mentioned.

Advance from Venloer Straße to Cathedral

 
 

Venloer Straße, junction Spichernstraße. US tanks are waiting for the next orders.

 



US tanks on Venloer Straße.

 

US tank on Venloer Straße.

 

Intersection Bismarckstraße / Venloer Straße. Photo old After the Battle / IWM.

 



Sherman tanks in a line advancing on Venloer Straße to square Friesenplatz.

 

US troops are reaching street Hohenzollernring, on the other side street Friesenstraße.

 



US troops at Roman tower Römerturm.

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Sherman tank passing Römerturm.

 



Street Burgmauer next to square Appellhofplatz.

 



Sherman Panther on street Komödienstraße. Because of rubble on the street the crew is forced to park the tank 20 m behind this position on the left side of the street and to wait for a bulldozer. Another Sherman tank is already waiting on the right side of the street (covered by this Sherman).

 



A few minutes later the one Sherman was hit by a German Panther tank next to the Cathedral. The tank commander climbs out of the tank, he has lost one leg and dies some minutes later in a bomb crater nearby.

 



After the hit, an officer is looking for persons next to the Sherman, survivors or helpers.

 



US soldier is looking for the two Shermans around 200m away. Photo old Australian War Memorial.

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Köln Damals und Heute 59


The next day, March 07, 1945, the US Army began to clear the rubble from the road in street Komödienstrasse with a bulldozer. On the right side of the picture a part of the Sherman tank, that had been shot the day before.

 
Köln Damals und Heute 60


Left to right: Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, Brig. Gen. Doyle Hickey und Brig. Gen. Truman Budinot in front of the western portal of the Cathedral. 1945 there were staircases where today the "Domplatte" is located, a pedestrian zone on a higher level than the square in front of the cathedral in 1945.

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