The story
On May 5th, in accordance with orders from Corps, the 90th Division embarked upon its final combat mission... the rescue of Prague.
The mission was that of clearing a route through the Regen Pass in the Sudeten Mountains through which the rampaging 4th Armored could pass. The 90th would then follow the 4th Armored to Prague itself and wrest Czechoslovakia's capital from the last remnants of Germany's armed forces.
Opposition was light as the attacking regiments moved forward toward their objectives.
Only in one village, Zhuri, was opposition worthy of the name encountered. Here elements of the Division were ambushed by 100 Officer Candidates who inflicted 20 casualties on a single company.
The Americans, enraged at their losses so late in the game, fought into the town.
In hand-to-hand engagements they killed 24 of the enemy and captured the remainder.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.