Holidays in the Ardennes

[thedrifter]

12-21-2004

Holidays in the Ardennes





By Ralf W. Zimmermann



“Panzer Marsch!” Sixty years later, my father vividly recalls the order crackling over the radios of his small task force at 0430hrs, 16 December 1944. Operation Watch on the Rhine – the “Battle of the Bulge” had begun.



Sure-footed, like the animal, the 45-ton Panther tank tracks clawed into a muddy and narrow road, the long-barreled gun pointing in the direction of the Belgian village of Bastogne. The crew and the grunts sitting on the tank’s backside were cold, hungry but also confident. Attacking was preferable to getting bombed to death in a stationary assembly area.



As daylight broke, the Panzertroops closely scanned the skies – as long as the cloud cover held, thing would be all right. Rapid attacks conducted from the march broke several ill-positioned defenses. Scores of American prisoners stumbled east towards Germany, many asking the passing Landsers where they would end up.



Then it was Christmas 1944. Twenty kilometers west of Bastogne, grenadiers on reconnaissance secured a wine cellar with thousands of bottles of French wine. Judging from the scores of empty bottles and the abandoned supplies and vehicles, the Americans had been quite surprised.



My father’s 44-man Kampfgruppe occupied the area. Their young and inexperienced commander, a first lieutenant, ordered a short Christmas break. He deferred to the experienced warriors of the outfit – the old Obergefreiten, the senior privates and corporals. They knew what to do.



After nightfall, my father and his tank crew received their portion of the loot in their forward security position. The heavy wine made my father’s crew reminisce about times when Christmases had been happier, while a subdued “Oh Tannenbaum” drifted from a nearby machine gun position. Then loader Heinemann climbed aboard the Panzer. With a grin, he produced a small wooden tree decorated with makeshift ornaments. The crew placed it on the floor of the turret.



Under a blackout cover, they lit a candle and the driver asked God to be on the German side, just for a change – and to get the war over with. Gifts included captured rations and cigarettes. Surprisingly, there was very little shooting that night, although the half-toasted German combat team conducted a few security patrols.



It was back to full-scale war the next day. For a few days, there were fierce firefights, but only shallow advances on either side. Then the gasoline ran out – and without fuel, even the deadliest tanks become immobile bunkers that can overrun or destroyed from the air.



Around New Year’s Day 1944, the order to pull back arrived by motorcycle messenger. Out of fuel, my father’s Panther tank had to be blown in place.



After several days of infantry fighting, using the Panthers salvaged on-board weapons, my father and his tired crew reported back to Germany. And with typical German efficiency, he and his men were immediately handed new orders for a lovely train trip, straight into the hell of the eastern front – Hungary.



For many modern American writers, the Battle of the Bulge is the most significant battle of the War in Europe. For many young German soldiers, reality was different. They would endure much more beastly fighting in the east. Some actually regretted not having surrendered when the opportunity had presented itself in the Ardennes. For my father, the war dragged on until April ’45 – including two more wounds and the loss of his entire Panzer Company, crushed by the Russian steamroller of massed tanks and artillery.



Why do I write this story from the other perspective?



It’s because we should learn to recognize war for what it is – brutal and dehumanizing – for all sides. Too often, we’re now making war into a great human adventure for most wonderful causes. Somehow, our deceptive minds turn war into something overly glorious, especially when you have the perspective of the stronger side with endless resources. I often think about that when I recall Operation Desert Storm 13 years ago.



In reality, war consists of many battles and small engagements. Each can result in victory and bloody defeat – and in different shades. For the lowly frontline soldier, it often doesn’t matter who wins or loses in the big picture – especially when he suffers the loss of close friends or becomes disabled himself. The insignificant little firefight becomes his big picture.



The holidays offer us spiritual opportunity to reflect on war. Let’s not forget about the little man and woman who are experiencing real war today. They do it often with much different emotions than those shown in the movies and on TV.



DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander. His recent novel, “Brotherhood of Iron,” deals with the German soldier in World War II. It is directly available from www.iUniverse.com and through most major book dealers. Zimm can be reached at r6zimm@earthlink.net or via his website at www.home.earthlink.net/~r6zimm. © 2004 LandserUSA. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

12-21-2004

Lessons from the Bulge



By Paul Connors



Sixty years ago this month, out of the fog and icy mists of one of the coldest Belgian winters on record, the Wehrmacht attacked American forces along its thin defensive line in the Ardennes forest. The day will live on in the memories of the surviving American GIs who were there, as well as the German veterans, who in one final desperate surge sought to push the U.S. Army all the way back to the Atlantic ports.



Adolph Hitler, knowing that time was no longer on his side, was reaching for any straw that would buy him and his monstrous regime time. Behind massive artillery barrages in the early morning hours of Dec. 16, 1944, he launched the 6th Panzer Army against a 50-mile-long line held by undermanned U.S. infantry divisions. The Germans forces knew precisely where to strike and did so in the narrow gap between the British and American armies.



The initial artillery barrages stunned everyone due to volume alone. Allied intelligence had difficulty comprehending the massing of so many guns. After all, since D-Day, the Allies had kept the Germans on the run and despite the colossal failure of Operation Market Garden in Holland the previous September, German forces had continued to retreat back toward Germany. When the barrages lifted, German panzers surged forward against lightly armed infantrymen.



The weather worked against the Allies as well. Overcast, snow, fog and icy mists prevented the Army Air Force and the Royal Air Force from providing close air support to troops in contact with the enemy. Allied air superiority was completely negated by Old Man Winter. On the ground, American troops fought delaying actions against better-equipped German armored units and Panzer grenadiers, many experienced in winter warfare from their fighting on the Eastern Front.



With American armor in short supply and the Air Corps and RAF grounded in England, battles on the ground grew desperate. Communications with various levels of headquarters failed and many units were overrun by German forces. American GIs fell before German guns and some broke and ran. The 106th Infantry Division, completely surrounded and facing annihilation, surrendered. It was the largest mass surrender of U.S. troops since the destruction of the American and Filipino garrisons at Bataan and Corregidor during the early days of the war in Pacific.



German SS troops fighting alongside their Wehrmacht counterparts continued to build on their reputations for merciless savagery. SS troops of Kampfgruppe Peiper assigned to the 1st SS Panzer Division, under the command of Obersturmbannfuehrer (SS Lt. Col.) Jochen Peiper, summarily executed more than 100 members of B Battery, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion at the Baugnez crossroads near the Belgian town of Malmedy. When word of the massacre reached the headquarters of General Eisenhower, a fragmentary order was issued, indicating that German SS troopers and fallschirmjagers (paratroopers) were not to be taken prisoner and instead, were to be shot on sight. Such was the savagery of the combat.



The American 101st Airborne Division, in rest and refit at Mourmelon, France, rushed to the front. Assigned to defend the sector around Bastogne, it filled the breach, refused to yield and entered history. When the battle ended, the division had a new nickname, the Screaming Eagles were now referred to as the “Battling Bastards of Bastogne.”



The “werevolves,” German soldiers who spoke flawless Americanized English and dressed like American MPs, added to the confusion by misdirecting supply and replacement convoys and assassinating American personnel. The average American GIs developed new and interesting ways to trap troops they suspected of being Germans by asking questions about movie stars, baseball players and the results of the 1944 World Series. For GIs with little or no interest in the sports results of the day, the questions also created fears that they might be summarily shot by their own side.



At St. Vith, the U.S. 7th Armored Division held out longer than expected and the British press screamed for Ike’s removal as Supreme Allied Commander.



While the German advance succeeded in its early phases, senior German military planners had failed to consider that after initial breakthroughs, that American resolve would stiffen. German panzer formations short on diesel fuel did not have enough to fight a lengthy war of maneuver, while American fuel and ammunition continued to arrive from the ports in Belgium and Holland.



The German operations plan assumed the re-occupation of Bastogne on the second day of the offensive. After the arrival of the 101st Airborne Division, that goal was never attained. As German momentum slowed, the Panzer formations were forced to go around or avoid pockets of American resistance. Stunned by the tenacity of U.S. troops, the Germans soon faced the reality of the situation. American generals drew up new battle plans, stiffened their lines and fought on.



Lt. General George S. Patton’s Third Army was turned North to deal with the German threat and, in one of the most phenomenal forced marches in military history, moved against the German flank.



A bitterly cold winter, combined with a new savagery unseen before the era of mechanized and armored warfare contributed to the loss of 100,000 German troops that Hitler would be unable to replace. The United States Army would lose 19,000 killed in action, 23,554 captured and thousands more wounded, many who would never see active service again.



As German forces were repulsed or destroyed, it became readily apparent to Field Marshall Gerd Von Runstedt that the end was near and inevitable. The once vaunted Wehrmacht’s days were numbered. Once proud regiments were either destroyed or forced to withdraw back toward the Vaterland. For many German soldiers, this last near cataclysmic battle destroyed any hope for a negotiated peace. As German formations headed eastward, they knew that the inexorable advance of American, British, Canadian, and other allied troops would not be stopped.



The Battle of the Bulge lasted for 40 days and ended in January 1945. Less than six months later, Hitler would be dead and the Thousand Year Reich toppled. Most of the major German cities were in ruins and the once super-efficient German economy in tatters. The victorious Western armies would stare across the divide in Berlin warily suspicious of their Russian allies, but uttering a collective sigh of relief. The Nazi juggernaut had been halted and, finally, destroyed.



The Battle of the Bulge showed the true mettle of “the Greatest Generation.” To this day, it still offers lessons for those of us willing to learn from the past.



As someone who has studied modern military history, looking for answers applicable to current situations, the Battle of the Bulge has taught me that heroism and fortitude are values worth nurturing. The ability to endure and prevail, as those young GIs did 60 years ago this month, is a model that Americans in the early years of this new millennium should not be too quick to abandon.



Paul Connors is a Senior Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at paulconnors@hotmail.com. © 2004 Paul Connors. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Christmas Eve Combat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
National Review Online
Dec. 23, 2004

Surprise attacks in supposedly secure areas. A spike in casualties. A few baffled American commanders. Suspicions of degrading morale within some units. Outright refusal to carry out lawful orders in others. Troops stretched too thin. Blame heaped on planners and those said to be responsible for unreliable intelligence.

Sound familiar?

It all began 60 years ago - this very Christmas season - when the German army, in a last-ditch effort, smashed through the Ardennes and struck the primary Allied lines in Belgium. The attack created an enormous salient or "bulge" in the lines - thus it was known as the Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 28, 1945) - and threatened to cut American and British forces in half.

As the Germans continued deepening, the salient, fresh American units were hurriedly trucked forward from France, including the U.S. Army's crack 101st and the 82nd Airborne Divisions.

The 82nd, the lead division on the road north, was tasked with blunting the enemy's advance along the Salm River. The 101st followed.

Enroute, the advancing Germans passed between the 82nd and the 101st, separating the two.

The 101st, under the command of Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, was about to make history. The division was rushed toward the strategically vital town of Bastogne.

The allies believed that by holding Bastogne they could regroup their forces and launch a counterattack. The Germans also realized the value of the town: It served as a major highway junction and a potentially important hub for mechanized forces. Control of the roads was critical: The surrounding terrain was rugged and not particularly vehicle-friendly. Consequently, both the Germans and the 101st raced to the city.

In their haste, the American paratroopers had been unable to properly equip themselves. They were desperately short of ammunition, food, water, medical supplies, and winter clothing, much less vehicle armor and personal body armor, which was virtually nonexistent in those days.

On the road, the men of the 101st were shocked to see frightened, fleeing American soldiers (non-Airborne), most of whom were green 18-year-old draftees who had seen little if any combat. The paratroops demanded much-needed ammo from their retreating "leg" brethren. The latter happily complied.

The paratroops arrived first on the 18th and quickly set up defensive positions. The Germans arrived the following day, surrounded the 101st, and laid siege to Bastogne. At that point, some 18,000 Americans in the town were facing 45,000 Germans. Worse, the weather was so poor that Allied aircraft were not able to provide close air support or make resupply drops. But despite the weather, sub-zero temperatures, dwindling supplies, and numerous enemy attacks, the 101st was committed to holding at all costs.

On the 19th, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, called a meeting of his chiefs at Verdun. "The present situation is to be regarded as an opportunity for us and not a disaster," Ike said, trying to set a positive tone. "There will only be cheerful faces at this conference table."

Lt. Gen. George S. Patton agreed, adding, "Hell, let's have the guts to let the sons of *****es go all the way to Paris. Then we'll really cut 'em off and chew 'em up." Of course, Patton's brassy suggestion was not an option.

Eisenhower's immediate concern was Bastogne. He asked Patton when he and his Third Army would be able to mount a rescue operation. Patton responded, "on the morning of December 21st."

An impossible boast in Ike's mind, he gave Patton an additional two days.

On December 22nd, German officers, under a flag of truce, delivered a rather long-winded message from Lt. Gen. Heinrich von Luttwitz to General McAuliffe at Bastogne. The message, demanding the Americans surrender, appealed to the "well-known American humanity" to save the citizens of Bastogne from further suffering. McAuliffe was given two hours to reply.

Having no intention of surrendering, McAuliffe was initially at a loss for words. One of his aides remarked that the general's first comment upon receiving the surrender demand might be wholly appropriate. McAuliffe agreed and penned his now-famous response to the Germans. It simply read, "NUTS."

The message was then delivered by American Col. Joseph Harper to a group of German officers waiting in nearby woods. Harper handed the note to one of the Germans who read it and then looked at Harper in confusion.

"What does that mean?" the German asked. "Is this affirmative or negative?"

Harper responded, "It means you can all go to hell."

Meanwhile, Patton ordered his chief chaplain to compose a prayer asking God for good weather in which to fight. The resulting prayer reads:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.

The following day, the skies were clear and aircraft were up, but the situation was becoming increasingly desperate at Bastogne.

On Christmas Eve, Gen. McAuliffe visited with captured German prisoners and wished them well. He also shared with his own men the story about his response to the surrender demand, and he presented a Christmas message, a portion of which reads:

What's merry about all this, you ask? We're fighting. It's cold. We aren't home. All true. But what has the proud [Screaming] Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades...? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the north, east, south and west. We have identifications from four German panzer divisions, two German infantry divisions and one German parachute division. These units, spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were heading straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in history; not alone in our Division's glorious history but in world history. The Germans actually did surround us, their radios blared our doom. Allied troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied armies.

Out on the perimeter, cold, hungry soldiers shook hands with one another and said goodbyes. Despite McAuliffe's words, the situation was bleak, and the paratroopers knew it. They were running perilously short of food and ammunition. Frostbite and pneumonia casualties were thinning their ranks almost hourly. And there was a numerically superior enemy force surrounding them in the darkness.

On the 26th, Patton punched through to Bastogne, and within hours the Germans began falling back.

Did the men of the 101st ever complain about their situation or question their superiors? No more than any soldiers have done throughout history, and probably less than some, because the amazing consensus among the paratroopers who fought at Bastogne was that they did not need to be relieved by Patton's forces.

In fact, following the relief at Bastogne, the airborne soldiers were tasked with seizing a number of Belgian towns and hamlets, which they did with the same dash and aplomb they would have had after a period of rest and recuperation. Why? Because the men of Bastogne - like their descendents today serving in Iraq - understood the rewards reaped from hardship.

CHRISTMAS 2004

"Thriving under harsh conditions is something that is bred into us from the beginning of boot camp," 19-year-old Marine Cpl. Richard B. McCluskey told NRO. "It is in our heritage and tradition that we thrive under hardship."

Staff Sgt. William R. Bilenski, a ten-year veteran of the Marine Corps and a transportation chief currently serving his third tour in Iraq, agrees. "Regardless of the situation, if it's a legitimate order, you shut your mouth and do it, no questions asked," he told NRO.

And the morale here is high. My Marines go on the road every single day, and they look forward to going out every single day. They drive for countless hours, man the crew-served weapons, and provide their own security teams. That is all they live for out here - accomplishing the mission - that is what takes them to the next day.

Despite the media-coached National Guardsman (certainly not a frontline combatant like those slugging it out in Fallujah and elsewhere) who publicly questioned the U.S. defense secretary, comments like McCluskey's and Bilenski's are the heartfelt sentiments of the vast majority of combat Marines and soldiers who know - like their great-grandfathers at Bastogne - America will prevail.

A former U.S. Marine infantry leader and paratrooper, W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a freelance journalist and the author of four books, including the Alpha Bravo Delta Guide to American Airborne Forces.


Ellie