A newcomer to the “Poche de Roncey” scene (Pocket of Roncey)

German NCO uniform

Our newcomer is a German non-commissioned officer. He proudly wears his schirmütze, the yellow-rimmed cloth cap that identifies parachute formations. Unlike his comrades, who wear jump coats, the NCO wears a camouflaged feldbluse, a souvenir of his time in FLAK (Flugabwehrkanone / Anti-Aircraft Defense) units. Armed with an MP40, he returns from the front lines and announces that the Americans are approaching. A way out must be found at all costs…

It’s the evening of July 28, and the remnants of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6, already severely tested by the long weeks of battle since the capture of Carentan and the fighting at Sainteny, have reached the end of their tether. Exhausted, constantly harassed by the air force and the rapid advance of American armored units, the German paratroopers were on the verge of being surrounded. In Roncey, in this barn, on an old table, a temporary command post was improvised around officers and a few determined men. Find out more about the Battle of the Hedges in this article.

Would you like to get a closer look at this officer and his colleagues, as well as almost thirty other hyper-realistic, sound-enhanced scenes? Visit the Normandy Victory Museum in Carentan, La Manche.