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I'm pretty sure that's where a bunch of Germans held out in a mountaintop Abbey of some kind. To displace them required that US forces bomb a densely-populated church area without mercy, inflicting thousands of civilian casualties.

When Germans want to allege "the Americans were JUUUUST as bad", they usually talk about this place.

I'm taking NO POSITION, you understand.

I think you're wrong about the thousands of civilian casualties. I believe there were only a few monks resident in the abbey at the time and few were killed. Bombing the place turned out to be counterproductive as the Germans found the resulting rubble made much more effective cover from the US infantry assault than the intact buildings would have. That's what I've read anyway.

To displace them required that US forces bomb a densely-populated church area without mercy, inflicting thousands of civilian casualties.

That's not the way I heard it. The abbey was unoccupied by the Germans, until the U.S. made a huge blunder and bombed it into ruins. The Germans then occupied the ruins, which made perfect defensive positions and greatly increased allied casualties.

Do you know what Signal Company Chronicle means? Do you think it refers to a certain sect of the 34th? The Signal Company?

Good evening.
"When Germans want to allege "the Americans were JUUUUST as bad", they usually talk about this place."

I haven't heard much of that, from anybody. Everything I've read tells a tale of three hideous battles fought bravely by all combatants.

Michael Frazier

I'm pretty sure that's where a bunch of Germans held out in a mountaintop Abbey of some kind. To displace them required that US forces bomb a densely-populated church area without mercy, inflicting thousands of civilian casualties.
When Germans want to allege "the Americans were JUUUUST as bad", they usually talk about this place.

I'm taking NO POSITION, you understand.

I dont recall it being any significant Civilian massacre by bombing as the monks had left and even had time to store the Abbeys art treasures in deep crypts which survived the Abbeys being bombed into ruins.

The position was perfect for an observation point and was occupied by a small German unit at first and the Allies bombed the hell out of it and the Germans reinforced the ruins which made an even better defensive position. The fight was a meat grinder which required costly assaults on rugged terrain. I recall something about a Polish unit making an almost suicidal attack (And all dying) which lead to the taking of the position.