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| The seven airmen walked down Strandstrasse, and south onto Bahnofstrasse through the downtown. The turned east down Franz-Habich Strasse, then north up Neue Strasse toward the Rathaus (Town Hall -- #3). The Mayor Jan Akkermann roused the crowd, who taunted, and further
harassed the exhausted airmen. Again, without intevention of their guards. At one point the Mayor shouted to the crowd to kill the Terrorflieger. A local woman tried to intervene, but was threatened and backed off.
By the time the column reached the Rathaus, one flyer fell due to exhaustion, or difficulties with his flight suit trousers. At this point his Gefreiter Langer, just relieved of duty at a nearby Russian POW camp, caught up with the airman and shot him while he lay on the ground. The column had moved on passed the old light house (#4) and turned SE at the eastern edge of town down Reedestrasse (#5). The column was brought to a halt for a brief rest, when Langer caught up to them. There he completed his act of vengence, then turned himself in. |