Thanks
ping
Thanx my dad did reconaisance for this battle, but they called it scouting.
Appreciate the post. FReepers who are interested should look into the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, which lasted 45 days and killed 24K US GIs.... PRIOR to the last ditch Bulge operation of the Nazis. The Hurtgen Forest was not covered much-— because it was superseded by the Bulge.
Absolutely horrific what happened to our men at Hurtgen— and, with the exception of winter coming on, and the nazis having any further strength to put in— it could have wiped out our forces in that region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8InfzkHYI
M8 Greyhound vs King Tiger 1944
Outside St. Vith, an M8 Greyhound armored car armed with only a 37mm gun took out a German Tiger II heavy tank.
In memory of my late Uncle Fred, 84th. Infantry Division. Wounded 1/3/45, Soy, Belgium. In memory of them all.
My grandfather was a medic during that battle. He refused to talk about it because of how horrific it had been. While getting his papers in order, we found out that he’d been awarded 2 bronze stars, and even had a letter of commendation from the president.
I often wish we could have found a way for him to meet one of the people he saved. He suffered from severe depression most of his life, and I think that might have helped. I tried searching several times, but his name was so common it was hard to get anywhere.
I suppose water can keep you going in the heat, but cold will get you one way or another without protection. Misery either way.
My dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge and received a Purple Heart. He’ll be 93 on December 28. He was just 19. They patched him up and sent him back out when he was out of the hospital. 26th Infantry Yankee Division. He was the bugler. His division liberated a concentration camp but doesn’t remember which one. He does remember the Americans forced the townspeople to line up and walk through the camp. They were cocky and in light spirits going in, but on the way out, it was quite another story. The women were sobbing and the men hung their heads when they had seen what they had allowed.
Grandfather was there, 2nd/3rd wave.
Never talked about it. Few years ago, figured why:
By that time, almost the entirety of the first and second wave had been decimated by artillery and freezing temperatures. Very few of them had winter provisions. Anyways, he most likely arrived watching entire trucks filled with bodies heading back behind lines. I can only imagine the feeling.
He was shot, through and through, and survived. Lived til his early 90s but was dead long before that.
My Father’s Battalion was cutting timber in the Ardennes when their commander was asked if he could cease that operation and move to another blocking the Germans.
He replied that they could and did. As it turned out they missed just about all the combat. Another combat engineer battalion, the 291st did end up right at the tip of the spear.
The first picture showing Germans - the one in the foreground with his back to the camera: Is he carrying an M1 carbine? Just the barrel and front sight give me that impression.
I talked with him for over 50+ years, and he would never utter a single word about the War.
If anyone would ax him about the 'Battle' he would give such a look, that no further questions would be axed.
While I was in the Army, and home on leave {1959}, he said to me, "I hope you never have to see what I saw". That was it, not one more word, but he did cry.
And then, so did I.
I was then sent to Schweinfurt, Germany by the Army and I visited Bastogne and I cried...again.
Until people visit battle fields, whether in Europen cities, or Gettysburg, PA or Boston, MA. or New Orleans, LA. they will never 'feel' what was sacrificed by our brave patriots.
I did, and I cry, not for the patriots they gave their lives, but for the waste and disrespect that we are heaping on them for the corrupt ways...we have chosen.
Makes me puke.
A recurring theme in stories of that battle is that it was exceedingly cold.
Does anyone know how cold? Daytime highs/overnight lows?
An abandoned perfectly good looking panzer = blown transmission.
College-aged men who left their “Safe Space”.
Thank you for this post.
My Dad was a Master Sergeant with the 7th Armored (one of the pics). I can hardly imagine what today’s generation would be able to achieve in similar circumstances.
OMG you’re right! It was my own father’s first march into battle with Patton’s Third Army. He almost lost his toes from frostbite. Most of his troop ended up shell shocked after their first battle on Christmas eve against the well fortified Germans holed up in a Belgian town.
RIP
Leaning Right,
Thank you for posting this article on the Battle of the Bulge which began 84 years ago today.
Grey Friar
One of my 2nd or 3rd cousins was killed in the Battle of the Bulge. He was a cook. When they got hard pressed - and didn’t have any more hot food anyway - the order was that they were now all infantrymen. They were grabbing rear echelon guys, the walking wounded and any others they could get hold of and throwing them in the battle to halt the breakthrough.