Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1) by Steven J. Zaloga

Author:Steven J. Zaloga
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1): St Vith and the Northern Shoulder
ISBN: 9781472800084
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

A column of US prisoners from the 99th Division trudge towards the rear between Lanzerath and Merlscheid following the fighting on 17 December 1944. This photo was one of the series taken by a German combat cameraman accompanying Fast Group Knittel along Rollbahn D. (NARA)

The commander of Fast Group Knittel was Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel, commander of the 1st SS-Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. He is seen here (right) consulting a map with the chief of his headquarters company, Heinrich Goltz (left) while near La Vaux-Richard on 18 December 1944 on the approaches to La Gleize. (NARA)

Since the 106th Division had exhausted its reserves due to its overly extended front, the VIII Corps commander, MajGen Middleton, allotted Combat Command B (CCB) of the 9th Armored Division near Faymonville to the division that evening. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Bradley in turn committed the 7th Armored Division to Middleton’s beleaguered corps. That evening, Middleton telephoned Jones and the ensuing conversation was one of the most controversial of the campaign. Middleton promised to send the CCB of the 7th Armored Division to St Vith but Jones misunderstood that it would arrive by dawn on 18 December. Since it was facing a road march from the Netherlands along roads clogged with retreating troops and civilians, this was impossible. While Middleton and Jones were discussing future plans for the two regiments exposed on the Schnee Eifel, a switchboard operator accidentally disconnected the line and reconnected it moments later with unfortunate consequences. Middleton thought Jones understood that he wanted him to withdraw his two regiments off the Schnee Eifel, while Jones thought that his plans to leave the two regiments in place had been approved. As a result of all this confusion, Jones and his staff decided to deploy the CCB/9th Armored to the southern flank to reinforce the isolated 424th Infantry, and to use CCB/7th Armored Division to counterattack against the German penetration in the Losheim Gap thereby defending the two regiments on the Schnee Eifel.

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