BERLIN — The site of a Nazi massacre in France will be visited by German investigators in an extraordinary attempt to catch the perpetrators.

One hundred and twenty-four men, women, and children died on August 24, 1944, when German troops leveled the village of Maille — just as the capital Paris was being liberated.

The victims were aged from three months to 89 years.

The brutal assault on the village, 170 miles southwest of Paris, was in response to a Resistance attack on a German unit nearby.

Only one soldier, Lieutenant Gustav Schlueter, was ever convicted of the attack. But he died a free man in Germany in 1965.

Now investigators hope newly-released files could help them track down others involved.

The move could pave the way for war crimes charges.

French prosecutor Philippe Varin led a visit to Maille last week to prepare for the Germans’ arrival on July 14.

He said, “It is an absolutely extraordinary event.”

The Germans are expected to interview witnesses to identify the units and individuals behind the massacre.

Sebastien Chevereau, who runs a memorial in Maille, said, “Here we call it the forgotten massacre.”

Serge Martin was 10 when soldiers killed his parents, brother, and younger sister.

The 74-year-old said, “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about that day and the massacre of my family.

“We want to know who did it and why.”