A former German officer who helped save Bordeaux's port from destruction by Nazi forces in World War II has died.

Henri Salmide, born Heinz Stahlschmidt, died Tuesday at the age of 92, Alain Moga, the deputy mayor of Bordeaux, said.

The Germans had a plan to blow up the Bordeaux port before they retreated toward the end of the war.

Approximately 4,000 fuses needed for the plan were stored in the Mediterranean city's munitions depot. Salmide, then a junior officer in the German navy, defied his superiors and blew up the depot, rendering the fuses useless and saving the port, Moga said.

Source & Full Story