I was only in Nurnburg for a day or two, arriving April 20, 1945, after a 3 day fight. We continued south. Intelligence reports said that the Germsns had hidden more than a thousand warplanes south of Nurnburg for one last counterattack. We continued south on the autobahn and found the 1,000 airplanes, all in good condition. The Krauts had hidden them in a wooded area several miles long on either side of the autobahn. Where trees had been taken down, the aircraft were covered with camoflage nets. The center dividing island of the autobahn had been leveled, paved and painted green. It looked normal from the air, but it was a mile long runway for the planes in the woods. They had one probelm. They didn't have a drop of fuel!
We continued south and overran the Dachau concentration camp. On a railroad siding outside the barbed wire stood a freight train with no place left to go. The gondola and freight cars were filled with layer upon layer (thousands) of naked dead bodies, starved until their bones protruded through their skin They had been gassed at other camps and brought to Dachau which had a crematorium to burn the evidence. A few live zombies wandered about in a daze in black and white striped suits. I remember one live inmate wandering about whose face was distorted and scarred. It looked like he had been struck in the face by the rifle butt of a guard, went untreated, but was allowed to live as an example to keep other inmates in line!
German civilians from surrounding villages were forced to come in and view this mayhem. They all denied they had ever heard of a concentration camp, even though they lived a mile or less away. They lied with a straight face and pretended rightous indignation at being asked the question! Others just cried at being caught.
From there the 7th Inf. moved south and were the first to enter Berchtesgaden and the Berghof on May 4, 1945, history which you already know. and
a story which has already been told.
Russ Cloer, 3_7_I_Recon