Breisach, Germany – Colmar

28 March, 2025

Briesach, Germany

We docked in Briesach, Germany sometime in the early morning hours. A small town (16,500 inhabitants) on a hill overlooking the river, it has been German and French several times throughout the course of history, thanks to the advantageous position it occupies. A wedding occurred the morning we were there and some of our fellow cruise passengers may or may not have ended up in some of the photos.

Colmar Watering Can House

Today we changed plans at the last minute and split up to take different excursions. Some went on the Colmar Pocket excursion, visiting the museum in the town of Colmar as well as the Memorial on Hill 351 before visiting the Audie Murphy Memorial. We boarded a Viking-branded tour bus, which was absolutely immaculate. Everyone had their QuietVox units ready to go (one of the most brilliant inventions, ever, for tour groups!) and we were off. Our tour guide had done a tremendous amount of prep work, as evidenced by the books she distributed with maps, photos, and narratives of the region and the various battles. Unfortunately her spoken narrative was largely focused on her personal life and experiences. While I appreciate the benefit of anecdotes when you're weaving a story together for your listeners, there are limits, and she exceeded those limits by a wide margin. The contingent that opted for the Colmar-centric tour reported that the pace was relaxed, the information was largely educational and not anecdotal, and there was a tram option for those who preferred less walking. The village of Colmar is simply charming, and it seems as if the storks are nesting on every elevated flat surface they can find. The storks are protected, so if they choose to build a nest all you can do is wait for them to vacate after they move on. The prevalence of stork nests made me wonder, if storks deliver babies then who delivers stork babies? 

Colmar

The Colmar Pocket itinerary started at the museum. Growing up with grandparents who fought in WW-II and having older acquaintances who fought, were captured, and spent time in German prison camps, I've always had an interest in both the European and Pacific theaters of the war. I was familiar with Audie Murphy, but had no idea where he performed his heroics, and Colmar was a complete unknown. Over the years I've read numerous books on the topic and visited a concentration camp.

When it comes to WW-II the only thing more impactful than seeing actual Nazi artifacts first-hand was my visit to Dachau. Uniforms, equipment, and documents with insignia of all types was a bit unsettling. They weren't reproductions worn by actors for entertainment, these were genuine items, drawing the reality of 80 years ago to the present. 

21 Corps Monument

Following our visit to the museum we went to the American 21 Corps Monument on Hill 351. This hill was a German stronghold and gave a commanding view for miles, allowing them to direct artillery and mortar fire with deadly accuracy on anyone attempting to mount an attack. The Allies suffered over 21,000 casualties in the Battle of Colmar Pocket, which is staggering when compared to the 10,000 casualties they suffered on D-Day. Coming on the heels of the Battle of the Bulge, the Colmar is generally considered the most overlooked European military offensive of World War II. Audie Murphy is the most well-known hero of the Battle of Colmar Pocket. At age 19 Lt Audie Murphy single-handedly killed or wounded fifty German soldiers while defending his unit. He became the most decorated combat soldier in WW-II and most highly decorated US soldier in history when he was awarded 33 separate commendations for his actions. From his biography at Arlington National Cemetery:

"On January 26, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France, Lt. Murphy's forward positions came under fierce attack by the Germans. Against the onslaught of six Panzer tanks and 250 infantrymen, Murphy ordered his men to fall back to better their defenses. Alone, he mounted an abandoned, burning tank destroyer and, with a single machine gun, contested the enemy's advance. Wounded in the leg during the heavy fire, Murphy remained there for nearly an hour, repelling the attack of German soldiers on three sides and single-handedly killing 50 of them. His courageous performance stalled the German advance and allowed him to lead his men in the counterattack which ultimately drove the enemy from Holtzwihr. For this, Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest award for gallantry in action."

Site of Murphy's Defense

Audie Murphy lied to enlist in the Army, providing a fake date of birth. By the time victory was declared in Europe he wasn't even 21 years old. The Audie Murphy memorial consists of an American flag, a small wall, and a set of placards. I saw his movie when I was younger, and knew he had performed incredible feats in battle, but I never knew where.

Another point of history mentioned in the periphery (as an American, anyway) was the Maginot Line. After World War I France embarked on the construction of a line of defenses intended to prevent any future invasion by Germany. These defenses consisted of a line of subterranean forts and interconnected bunkers along the eastern border of France, with the greatest concentration along the border with Germany. We passed several Maginot bunkers during our travels across the French countryside.

Maginot Bunker