Surrender of the Lorient Pocket May 10, 1945 Stele
Details:
At the town outskirts in an open area. Monument
A rough hewed field stone with a brass inscribed plaque attached to the front. A small information panel sits in front of the top the monument.
The Lorient Pocket was a fortified pocket in Brittany, France, held by German forces (26,000 soldiers) for nine months after the Allied liberation of the surrounding area in August 1944. The pocket included the city of Lorient and other strategically important locations. The Lorient pocket, along with other Atlantic pockets like Saint-Nazaire, surrendered two days after Germany's unconditional surrender on May 10, 1945.
On 7 May, 1945, the ceasefire was signed in Etel. The capitulation took place on 10 May at Caudan in the presence of General Herman Kramer (Commander of the 66th US Army Infantry Division), General Rollins (UK) and General Borgnis-Desbordes (France).
Source: https://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv
Monument Text:
The text on the brass plaque is written in French. The English translation is:
HERE
ON MAI 10, 1945 AT 16:00 HOURS
GENERAL FARHENBACHER
OF THE GERMAN ARMY
COMMANDER OF THE ALL THE
GERMAN FORCES IN THE LORIENT
SURRENDERD ARMS TO
GENERAL KRAMER
COMMANDER OF THE 66TH US INFANTRY DIVISION
AND TO
GENERAL BORGNIS-DESOBORDES
COMMANDER OF THE 19TH INFANTRY DIVISION (French)
AND THE FRENCH FORCES OF THE MORBIHAN
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
66th Infantry Division
French Army
French Resistance
Wars:
WWII
Other images :
