Ardennes Disaster

the Ardennes Strike
As planning for the Ardennes Offensive continued, several changes that would change the face of the war took place. First, General Erich Brandenburger’s Seventh Army had been boosted with the inclusion of the 6th SS Gebirgs Division ‘Nord’, the 11th Panzer and the 15th Panzergrenadier divisions. Alongside these was the Fuhrer Grenadier Brigade, made up of tough troops pulled from the defence of Berlin. Seventh army’s job was to strike through Luxembourg and hold up Patton’s First army, keeping them away from the more important fighting in the North.

Watch on the Rhine
On the 16th of December, 1944, at 5:30 Am, Wacht am Rhein went ahead. In the north, under the light of artificial moonlight, two Panzer Armies rolled forwards. In the south, the 212th, 276th and 352nd Volksgrenadier Divisions launched their assault, smashing into the 1st Army. As this was happening, the 101st Paratroop division was ordered

Nuts!
it was dawn on the 19th of December when the 101st finally reached Bastogne. they could see the city shrounded in smoke and dust. Mcauliffe stood there as what had happened sank in. "Nuts!" he Spat out. the Americans had lost the race to Bastogne.

the city took less than an hour to fall, with elements of three divisions (two of them Panzer divisions) striking the city.

to the south, Luxembourg city now found itself under artillery fire from Seventh army.

Reactions at the Top
the entire 21st army group had now been cut off in a huge pocket dubbed the 'Holland Pocket'. Air resupply flights continued without pause, but they were sitting ducks for the new Jet fighters of the Luftwaffe.

[[Catrgory:World War II]