Hello,
I'm trying to find out more about a smaller engagement of minor importance during the first days of the Ardennes offensive. This is what is found in Chales B. Mc Donald's "A time for trumpets", p. 336:
"The 18th VGD's Mobile Battalion had debouched from Wallerrode onto the highway leading from Amblève into St. Vith, while contingents of the 1st SS panzergrenadier Regiment had reached a hamlet on N-23 not quite a mile outside St. Vith. (...) In less than an hour the SS-Panzergrenadiers were fleeing the hamlet, (...)"
Question is about the fight against the SS, not 18th VGD. Combat against the latter unit is covered in Hugh M. Cole's work, but without any information about a possible involvement of LAH at the location I would identify as Hünningen-St. Vith.
Is there anybody with access to first hand sources regarding US 9th and 7h Armored (AAR, G-2 reports etc.) covering this sector and period who would be willing to discuss this with me?
Thanks in advance
Cheers
Hans
North of St. Vith, 18th December 44
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Hans Weber
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Hans,
Here is some information that might be of interest. I will send you a map via e-mail.
Cheers,
Christian
The Events of 18th December:
In the early morning hours of the 18th of December the Germans began a series of assaults on the American forces holding St. Vith. First came a bitter night attack to the north spear headed by the 1st SS Panzer Division using flares fired by their tanks to silouette American armor and blind our gunners. The tactic worked, and the Germans took the hamlet of Recht before being stopped by the 17th Tank Battalion supported by
Company C of the 38th Armored Infantry. A second attack on the east side of the horseshoe followed by a renewal of the north attack saw the capture of Hunningen by German forces, only to be pushed back out by counterattacking American armor. The Americans knocked out eight German armored vehicles and killed a hundred enemy infantry. However, to the west of St. Vith, enemy forces were taking the town of Poteau,
threatening to cut off the 7th's supply lines. These were the same German units that had taken Recht in the early morning hours. Recognizing the value of holding the crossroads, the Germans dug their tanks and infantry in along the woodline over looking the village.
The first American assault was repelled and they fell back. A message from the division commander read: "Imperative you seize Poteau this p.m. and hold it!" Just as night fell Combat Command "A" launched a second determined attack and the Germans could not hold their position. The fighting was bitter house to house night time combat by infantryman against infantryman and the men of the 1st SS Panzer (Adolph Hitler) division lost.
Von Rundstedt had not taken St. Vith in acordance with the time table called for in his operations order, but he was determined to capture the town regardless. His entire offensive was based upon using the Belgian town as an advanced rail depot for deploying his panzer armies. He now had armored spearheads bypass to the north and south of St. Vith with the intention of driving behind the American defenders and cutting them off, as his troops would succeed in doing at Bastogne to the 101st Airborne Divsion. The mission was now clear, the 7th Armored was to deny St. Vith and its transportation routes to the enemy while insuring the Germans did not cut them off to the rear. To accomplish this mission, General Hasbrouck ordered the high ground to the east of St. Vith held against all German attempts to advance. At the end of the 18th, the 7th had destroyed 10 tanks, 3 assault guns, 8 armored cars, and killed 339 of the enemy. But the heaviest fighting was yet to come.
Source: http://home.okstate.edu/homepages.nsf/toc/tank.htm
Here is some information that might be of interest. I will send you a map via e-mail.
Cheers,
Christian
The Events of 18th December:
In the early morning hours of the 18th of December the Germans began a series of assaults on the American forces holding St. Vith. First came a bitter night attack to the north spear headed by the 1st SS Panzer Division using flares fired by their tanks to silouette American armor and blind our gunners. The tactic worked, and the Germans took the hamlet of Recht before being stopped by the 17th Tank Battalion supported by
Company C of the 38th Armored Infantry. A second attack on the east side of the horseshoe followed by a renewal of the north attack saw the capture of Hunningen by German forces, only to be pushed back out by counterattacking American armor. The Americans knocked out eight German armored vehicles and killed a hundred enemy infantry. However, to the west of St. Vith, enemy forces were taking the town of Poteau,
threatening to cut off the 7th's supply lines. These were the same German units that had taken Recht in the early morning hours. Recognizing the value of holding the crossroads, the Germans dug their tanks and infantry in along the woodline over looking the village.
The first American assault was repelled and they fell back. A message from the division commander read: "Imperative you seize Poteau this p.m. and hold it!" Just as night fell Combat Command "A" launched a second determined attack and the Germans could not hold their position. The fighting was bitter house to house night time combat by infantryman against infantryman and the men of the 1st SS Panzer (Adolph Hitler) division lost.
Von Rundstedt had not taken St. Vith in acordance with the time table called for in his operations order, but he was determined to capture the town regardless. His entire offensive was based upon using the Belgian town as an advanced rail depot for deploying his panzer armies. He now had armored spearheads bypass to the north and south of St. Vith with the intention of driving behind the American defenders and cutting them off, as his troops would succeed in doing at Bastogne to the 101st Airborne Divsion. The mission was now clear, the 7th Armored was to deny St. Vith and its transportation routes to the enemy while insuring the Germans did not cut them off to the rear. To accomplish this mission, General Hasbrouck ordered the high ground to the east of St. Vith held against all German attempts to advance. At the end of the 18th, the 7th had destroyed 10 tanks, 3 assault guns, 8 armored cars, and killed 339 of the enemy. But the heaviest fighting was yet to come.
Source: http://home.okstate.edu/homepages.nsf/toc/tank.htm