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American soldier Corporal Bob Roberts, 5ft 6ins tall, was overseeing the surrender of dozens of enemy soldiers during Operation Overlord and the fight for Normandy when this 7ft 6ins German presented himself to him. It was an amusing sight during a grim battle, since the difference between the two men was some 2 feet
Part of the Allied psychological war effort included the printing of thousands of small leaflets (15cm x 10cm) and dropped them after "D-Day" on German soldiers behind enemy lines. These leaflets were printed in both German and English, so that the German troops could respond accordingly.
As was to be expected, the Germans engaged in exactly the same methods to demoralise the Allied soldiers as well.
Examine both sources and think about why armies printed these leaflets for the enemy soldiers.
What kind of effects were these leaflets to produce when they were read?
What would you have done if you were a soldier in June 1944 and picked up one of these leaflets while fighting?
Document A - American leaflets printed for German soldiers to read in June 1944. Allied planes flew behind enemy lines and dropped these by the thousands in German-held territory.
Document B - German leaflets printed for Allied, especially American, soldiers to read.
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