To the south, the inland zone where I was to expect the partisans or paratroopers to approach, I saw, instead of an advancing enemy, that the shelling had damaged the sheds of the nearby dairy herd, and many of these animals were running out of control in the fields. It was a dreadful thing; these large cows, with their full udders, were injured, bleeding, and in some cases their hides were on fire. They were staggering or trampling in utter confusion. One began to charge towards me, obviously maddened, with its legs burning; I shot it immediately with the MG to prevent myself being trampled.
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Tragic collateral damage to innocent farm animals...definitely not your typical D-Day account.
