According to information supplied by the consignor, the flag in this lot was recovered from the vicinity of the city of Heilbronn by a resident of Langenbrettach at an unspecified date, before being sold to a Belgian-based collector of war memorabilia. Located on the east bank of the Neckar river, the Heilbronn area was the site of the Battle of Heilbronn from 4-12 April 1945, as the U.S. 100th Infantry Division fought through a mixed bag of remaining German units assembled around the still-battleworthy 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division to establish a bridgehead across the Neckar during the drive into Southwestern Germany. The battle was notably harsh, with multiple American attempts to physically bridge the river foiled by German artillery, and combat in the heavily bombed city being of a room-to-room nature. The flag itself measures 58 1/2 inches by 82 inches at its longest point, with "1943" stenciled on the hoist, with nickel grommets, the traditional 13 stripes for the main body and a rectangular pattern of 48 white stars on the blue field. The flag shows heavy wear and tear, with several inches lost off the fly, splitting of the stripes, and tears near the hoist, suggestive of a flag that saw extremely harsh field use and may have been abandoned as the front advanced instead of receiving a proper/official retirement. Provenance: The Saloga Collection

Heavily worn/battle damaged, as noted above. Many stains are also present. A well-traveled flag with attribution to one of the toughest battles of the twilight of World War II in Europe.