20,000 German Troops Surrendered Without a Fight | Patton’s Hidden Strategy September 1944. Deep in Western France, nearly 20,000 German troops were trapped behind rapidly advancing American lines. Cut off, undersupplied, and facing total destruction, their commander made a decision that would save thousands of lives. This is the true story of General Botho Henning Elster, the German officer who surrendered his entire force to General George S. Patton’s Third Army—without firing a single shot. P