Overview

The Wehrmacht won a quick victory in the West in 1940, the Netherlands and Belgium capitulated in May, and France signed an armistice on June 22. Heeresgruppe A remained in France and Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt and his staff established themselves at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and they soon worked on drawing up provisional instructions for Operation 'Seelöwe', the invasion of Great Britain. In October, von Rundstedt was appointed Commander-in-Chief West (Oberbefehlshaber West or Ob. West for short) and made responsible for all the German-occupied territory in western Europe. In April 1941, he and his staff were secretly moved to the East to take command of the right wing of the offensive against Russia and the function of Ob. West was taken over by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben. In March 1942 von Witzleben took leave of his command due to ill health and from the 8th, von Rundstedt returned as Commander-in-Chief in the West. It was from Saint-Germain that the Ob. West, von Rundstedt, faced the Allied landing in Normandy in June 1944, the invasion as the Germans called it. The German forces were unable to stop the Allied operation, Hitler found fault with the local commanders and decided to relieve von Rundstedt of his command. Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge was then appointed Ob. West and it was a grim situation that he inherited upon his arrival at Saint-Germain on July 3. Saint-Germain thus saw four of the most important Field Marshals of the Third Reich successively assuming command of the Ob. West, and a fifth, the famous Erwin Rommel, was also part of the story. Of these five Generalfeldmarschalls, three died for their involvement in the plot to eliminate Hitler, or for their sympathy with the conspiracy: von Witzleben was executed after an express judgment, and von Kluge and Rommel committed suicide. The Ob. West has left Saint-Germain with some remarkable constructions, most of which are still visible today, nestled in the city, witnesses to this strange episode in the history of the city. AUTHOR: Jean Paul Pallud was born in France in 1949 and studied physics at Grenoble University, graduating as a physicist engineer. Specialising in the history of the Second World War, he has worked alongside After the Battle for over 43 years, his first submission to the magazine appearing in 1979 and his last in 2022. 190 b/w illustrations

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""The text explains the HQ use of the buildings as well as architectural details. The photos showcase said buildings with the captions explaining what you see.""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society""

Author Information

JEAN PAUL PALLUD was born in France in 1949 and studied physics at Grenoble University, graduating as a physicist engineer. Specialising in the history of the Second World War, he has worked alongside After the Battle for over 43 years, his first submission to the magazine appearing in 1979 and his last in 2022. As one of the main contributors to the magazine, he ventured behind the then-Iron Curtain, journeyed north of the Northern Circle, and far into the deserts of North Africa. He has written and contributed to over 80 articles on a wide variety of wartime topics and is the author of many of the After the Battle’s most memorable feats. He authored five major books: The Battle of the Bulge Then and Now, Blitzkrieg in the West Then and Now, Rückmarsch Then and Now, Operation ‘Torch’ Then and Now and The Desert War Then and Now. He also co-authored German Coastal Radar Stations Then and Now with Winston Ramsey and has contributed to three more After the Battle books. He has written over 150 articles and books in French.

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