Festung Europa: The Anglo-American/Nazi War by Kacer Jon

Author:Kacer, Jon [Kacer, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Sea Lion Press
Published: 2015-09-25T07:00:00+00:00

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It was, perhaps, inevitable, that the Allied version of the Irresistible Force would meet the Reich’s Immovable Object and the location of the encounter often seems to be almost poetic when viewed at five decades distance. At the time, however, neither the 6th Marine Division and 3rd Armored or the 14th and 33rd SS Panzer Divisions had time for such lyrical musings as the forces engaged near Arras, where the SS had established a major Waffen-SS bunker complex.

Unlike the Atlantic Wall defenses, which were focused on stopping an invader, the SS bunker complexes were designed to give protection to major SS formations and to act as bases from which the surrounding countryside could be kept under control. The complexes ranged in size for overgrown garages to the massive fortifications such as the one near Arras. Initially begun in late 1944, the Arras complex consisted of a series of interconnected bunkers with below ground access tunnels connecting them to a central citadel. The citadel also, in the case of the Arras location, provided underground, or more properly, under concrete, staging for upwards of 300 Panther III tanks, although combat losses and transportation difficulties had reduced the operational panzers at Arras to 185 tracks at the beginning of the battle. The Arras complex was well equipped with tube artillery (up to 210mm), mortars and the already much despised Nebelwerfer rocket launchers in various sizes up to 320mm as well as having been upgraded with substantial AAA defenses ranging all the way to 128mm in size. Arras was also the first SS position equipped with the RPzB.120 wire guided ATGM encountered by the Allies. Covering close to two square miles, the Arras Complex was the largest single SS defensive position in northwestern France, built to allow the Reich to dominate the entire region.

The Americans were, of course, not completely unaware of the existence of the Arras complex. Even today the outlines of the position can be seen in satellite photos of the area, while the photo reconnaissance photos taken in the lead up to Gravel clearly showed the positions held by the SS. Alamo Scout units had also been active in the Arras area, and several members of the garrison had been captured and persuaded to provide information on the position. Even with this hard won information the reality of the complex was only discovered with time.

It was the 2nd Battalion 29th Marines that made the initial approach to the Arras complex. As was the case with most of the USMC formations, it had retained as many amtracks as possible for troop transport and fire support as the battalion advanced inland. Especially prized were the ‘tracks equipped with flamethrower mounts or the 20mm Gatling cannon, both of which had proved to be indispensable in defeating defensive bunkers. The 2nd Battalion also had a company of Marine M-26 Pershing tanks in direct support as it moved in on the Arras complex. The battalion was arrayed in the formation that had worked during earlier attacks,

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