1944 German Occupied Metz

For a novel I'm writing, I was trying to find the right ambience for Metz 1944. Nothing worked, so I made my own. With a mix of 40s military trucks, 30s vintage cars, horses, cathedral bells, French chatter but German military radio, and far in the distance the sounds of war, this captures what sort of crazy world my characters are in.

The picture is of the Nazis marching into Metz after the Battle of France, 1940. As a "show of good faith," Hitler spent Christmas there. The people of Metz were not thrilled, and there was a thriving antifascist resistance in the city.

The Germans knew that Metz itself was nigh impenetrable (no one since Attila the Hun had successfully invaded the city) so during the Battle of France, the Germans swung high and to the west before coming down onto France, avoiding getting through Metz and aiming to hit Paris. Metz fell into German control only because it was annexed as part of Germany's agreement with Vichy France.

This is the same reason, in 1944, Germany decided to take a last stand at Metz, keeping four garrisons there to slow down the Americans so the rest of the German Occupying Forces had time to get to the Westwall (Siegfied Line in English). The plan worked. U.S. General George S. Patton had been plowing through France at a rapid speed, but at Metz his "burst in through the front door" tactic proved impossible. Upon his first attempt at attacking the forts defending the city, Patton was forced to retreat, his only defeat in the entire war. The Americans had to organize a pincer maneuver, and it took from September until November before General Patton became the first invading military leader in 1500 years to breach Metz, marching through their gates as a conqueror.

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