Diekmann wanted revenge . Revenge, because one of his comrades had died a few days earlier in a firefight with the French. He set his sights on Oradour-sur-Glane, a sleepy village nearby. Why? That answer has disappeared along with the dead.
Surrounded
However, the village was not known as a hotbed of resistance. Still, the SS surrounded Oradour-sur-Glane and dragged everyone from their house. Women and children were separated from the men and directed to the church.