There was one fortunate but unexpected event on the 19th. In this position the combat command blocked the main Winterspelt-St. Vith highway and the valley of the Braunlauf Creek, a second natural corridor leading to St. Vith. able to fight their way out through Schnberg as General Jones It is difficult to determine with surety how much of the 7th Armored Division, CCB, 9th Armored, 424th Infantry, 112th Infantry, and the numerous attached units had been lost during the, fight for St. Vith and in the subsequent withdrawal. Shortly after dark Colonel Devine departed with most of his staff for the 106th Division command post, but this command group was ambushed near Recht (Colonel Devine and two of his officers escaped on foot). (See Map VII. Commencing at dark, the move was made without trouble and CCB settled along an arc whose center was about two and a half miles southeast of St. Vith. The First Army commander still expected, on the night of the 21st, that Ridgway's corps would shortly gain contact with the 7th Armored-but the situation was deteriorating at a fast clip. General Hasbrouck was apprised of this new enemy threat; by what he later remembered as "one of the funniest. In any case the German armored reserve was not available. After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. The advance party sent by General Hasbrouck reached St. Vith about 0800 on 17 December, reporting to General Jones, who expected to find the armored columns right behind. With the enemy infantry inside Steinebrck and excellent direct laying by the German gunners picking off the American vehicles one by one, the cavalry withdrew along the St. Vith road. led a company of tanks and another of armored infantry into St. Vith. The 106th Division now could report, "We have Having cut the St. Vith-Vielsalm road by capturing Rodt in the late morning of the 22d, Remer's Fuehrer Begleit Brigade made no serious attempt to push beyond Rodt, either against CCA, 7th Armored Division, to the west or CCB to the south. The center regiment of the 62d Volks Grenadier Division (the 190th), charged with seizing the high ground in the thick forest east of Grufflange, did get one battalion under way in the morning and succeeded, in overrunning an armored infantry platoon and three tank destroyers belonging to CCB, 9th Armored. On the morning of 16 December the messages reporting the initial German attacks in the 106th Division positions were punctuated for the division staff by occasional large-caliber shells falling in St. Vith. The enemy recovery was slow. columns pushing past Houffalize. The disorganized 14th Cavalry Group was dispersed through the area between Recht and Poteau. The closest of the northern armored routes, as these appeared on the German operations maps, ran through Recht, about five miles northwest of St. Vith. The Americans did not know that the troops of the 9th SS Panzer Division, who in past days had made raids from Recht southwest toward Poteau, were few in number and that only the day before the main body of the 9th SS Panzer Division had started on a forced march to the northwest in an attempt to break through to Kampfgruppe Peiper, now nearing the end of its tether. Despite a brush with Remer's group and the loss of several tanks in the swampy ground south of Rodt the command reached Crombach and Hinderhausen, where General Clarke was building a second line of defense. The division artillery might be in firing position by the morning of the 20th. Meanwhile the 293d Regiment had pushed south of the Schnberg highway toward Company B of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, Troop B, 87th Reconnaissance Squadron, and Company A, 81st Combat Engineers, left to right. a result, toiled through the woods toward Wallerode, arriving there in the early evening. A protective barrage dropped in a half moon, sometimes no more than three hundred yards in front of the American foxholes, checked part of the 190th Grenadier Regiment east of Crombach. The plan for withdrawal, slowly and carefully worked out by Hasbrouck and Colonel Ryan on the evening of the 22d, envisaged a progressive siphoning from the units farthest to the east in which these troops passed gradually into the main routes leading to the bridges while rear guard forces staged holding actions in echelon along the roads and trails. or back, and with the enemy apparently closing in from every side. Although German patrols continued up the road to Steinebrck, attempting in vain to seize the bridge during the night, the attack was not pressed until after daylight on the following morning. Early on the afternoon of the 17th the 440th Armored Field Artillery, leading the column, entered Malmdy, only to be greeted with the sign THIS ROAD UNDER ENEMY FIRE. The Americans had blown the bridge and fallen back through Salmchteau to the lines of the 82d, whereupon a few of the Germans crossed the river and entered the village. During Task Force Jones's disengagement the 440th Armored Field Artillery had emplaced to give covering fire and protect the flank of the task force. Admittedly this scratch force was too weak to make a serious defense in the endangered sector, but it could be expected to block the key road junctions and sound a warning should the enemy attempt any flanking movement. Deifeld was occupied without trouble. Colonel Nelson, commanding the 112th Infantry, had sent a radio message This, of course, was the panzer detachment of the 1st SS Panzer Division. The American tankers caught on to what had happened when messengers and liaison officers failed to arrive at their destinations, but by this time the Germans had journeyed on to the southwest. A small cavalry detachment, Task Force Lindsey (Capt. 1125th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.54 KB: 999th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.14 KB: 991st Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.28 KB: 987th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.53 KB: 978th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.02 KB: 977th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.88 KB A sharp attack in the late afternoon brought Krag's detachment through the American outposts in the hamlets west of Salmchteau and by nightfall he had a troop in the south section of the town, its task made easier by the preliminary shelling laid in by the battalion of field guns. Army 965th Field Artillery Battalion | Army Veteran Locator 965th Field Artillery Battalion Battalion Served in this Battalion? arrived from the VII Corps: bad weather had intervened; the supplies The situation at Grufflange was so confused that neither Americans nor Germans reacted to the fight there, either to seal off the sector or to continue the penetration. On the left the bulk of the 62d Volks Grenadier Division was still confronted with an unbroken defense. During the night of By dark the 293d Regiment was marching through Poteau and the rest of the infantry formations of the division were jumbled along a five-mile front on the east side of the Salm. Corps and division military police, too few in number for a traffic problem of this magnitude, were brushed aside. The section of the main St. Vith-Vielsalm supply road west of Rodt was guarded by two American medium tank companies spread over a distance of three miles. Lt. Col. Thomas J. Riggs, Jr., commander of the 81st Engineer Combat Battalion, who had tried to organize a counterattack to wipe out the earlier penetrations was lost trying to organize a last-ditch defense in the hamlet of Prmerberg on the main road. The division, assembled about fifteen miles north of Aachen, had taken no part as a unit in the November drive toward the Roer, although companies and battalions on occasion had been attached to attacking infantry divisions. It was known that a German move northwest toward this open flank was in process-indeed the 116th Panzer Division and the 560th Volks Grenadier Division had been identified. Both infantry regiments are in bad shape. Around 1500 the mobile column of the Fuehrer Begleit Brigade appeared in front of Rogery. The problem involved in extricating and reforming these units was enhanced by the natural desire of the German soldiers to make the most of this opportunity to sleep for a little while in warm billets. the VIII Corps headquarters and the St. Vith command post was almost Some held where they were; some stampeded blindly through the woods in search of an exit to the west. The eight battalions of field artillery taking part in the defense were put on a strict ration, seven rounds for each 105-mm. Although action had flared up on 20 December along the eastern face of the St. Vith perimeter, the feature of this day was the series of rearrangements to tighten the perimeter on the north and south. Stone), and a light tank platoon had been sent to set up an outpost at the village. The unit formed at Fort Jay, New York as a company in the 2 nd Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers during the expansion of the Army during the . before the 21st, but the lengthy and destructive barrage laid down by the enemy had caused very severe casualties and shaken the defenders. The capture of Rodt left General Clarke no alternative but further withdrawal. The withdrawal was carried out as planned. The frontal attack planned by the LXVI Corps commander, under pressure for a quick victory, would be mounted by the 18th Volks Grenadier Division and the 62d Volks Grenadier Division, whose highly successful envelopment tactics east of St. Vith had bagged prisoners finally counted on this day as approaching eight thousand. Three lost their commanders and the platoon withdrew. The southern column of the 1st SS Panzer Division, which first had captured the town, was long since gone, hurrying west. It was just turning dark when the assistant G-2 of the 7th Armored new orders to Hasbrouck (it was now about 0200 on the 22d). As the leading tank platoon hove in sight of Poteau it came immediately under small arms and assault gun fire. In the late afternoon of the 23d the single company of the 112th Infantry at the eastern end of the Salm River bridge had been attacked by a larger force from the 62d Volks Grenadier Division. This crossroads hamlet had been the worst bottleneck in the traffic jam on 17 December; indeed the situation seems to have been completely out of hand when the CCR headquarters arrived in the early morning hours and succeeded in restoring some order. It must be added, however, that Lucht's LXVI Corps was not in position to bring off the smashing attack against St. Vith which had been set tentatively for the 20th. Information on the location of the enemy or the routes he was using was extremely vague and generally several hours out of date. After a. hasty conference the counterattack was postponed until the following morning. During this entire action the 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, stragglers under Stone's command was deployed so as to defend the railhead Thither the 7th Armored Division commander sent a liaison officer (Lt. Col. Frederic Schroeder) with a letter to the First Army chief of staff, Maj. Gen. William B. Kean, and orders to explain that St. Vith was out of touch with the VIII Corps. The road to Spa and the First Army headquarters, albeit roundabout and hazardous, remained open on the morning of the 20th. 2015-09-27 14:36:35. branch of the main military system, because normally the Schnee Eifel Although the 62d Volks Grenadier Division was quick to occupy the ground vacated by CCB, no attempt was made to follow into the new American position. Remer's orders were to join the LVIII Panzer Corps west of the Salm, and his immediate design was to reach the paved road leading to Salmchteau. During the early morning Headquarters, CCR, set out from Poteau, heading down the valley road toward Vielsalm. this: pivoting on Malmdy, to continue the advance to the southeast and east with "utmost vigor," driving back the German forces found west of the line Malmdy-Pont-Vielsalm-Hebronval-Houffalize. This jeep trail-it was no more-had been reconnoitered by General Clarke on the 22d and designated (with much misgiving) as an emergency exit. In a long distance Most important, the 62d Volks Grenadier Division had robbed the Americans of their chance for a night withdrawal. It was about an hour before noon. Over the field telephone General Jones concurred in the opinion furnished Montgomery and Ridgway, but at 1250 Jones dispatched a memo to Ridgway saying, "My intentions are to retain the ground now defended." I have no contact with Corps but Corps has ordered us to hold and situation well in hand. Hope to see you soon: have sent you copy of all messages sent you. Six paved or macadam roads entered St. Vith. The detachment which Jones had sent to Gouvy, midway between Deifeld and Chrain, was surprised to find the village occupied by German infantry. At noon the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion and the 40th Tank Battalion (-), representing the bulk of CCA, rolled through St. Vith and out along the Vielsalm road. General Model hoped to shake the corps free and use Remer's armor to help the Sixth Panzer Army get moving in the north. I can delay them the rest of today maybe but will be cut off by tomorrow. A perimeter defense by units cut off from the rest of the XVIII Airborne Corps was a very temporary expedient; the ground now occupied, in the opinion of the local commanders, could not be held for long. The defense of the St. Vith-Vielsalm area had taken form by the night of 19 December. Suddenly, about 1700, the German pressure along the Schnberg road eased. liaison officer with such an order had left Hasbrouck's command post and out of touch with what was happening elsewhere, he gave the word The town square was a scene of utter confusion. The losses sustained by the defenders of St. Vith must be measured Faced with the problem of organizing and integrating a defensive line which had come into being piecemeal and with little regard to the integrity of the tactical units involved, the Americans divided command responsibility along easily discerned map features. The detachment drove them out in a sharp fight but at nightfall withdrew to a road junction a mile and a half to the west, here blocking any further German move toward the north. The gunners, as infantry observers reported, "threw everything at Wallerode but the shoes on their feet." In the early morning of 23 December Remer gathered a truck-mounted battalion of armored infantry, put some tanks at their head, and started them for Hinderhausen, with the intention of cutting south across the rear of the Americans. About ten minutes later the withdrawal commenced, running smoothly to conclusion. Corps and division artillery was brought forward piece by piece whenever a break in a traffic jam occurred, but the appearance of these horsedrawn guns in the motorized columns only succeeded in further disrupting the march order. That the enemy was prepared to contest this move all intelligence reports affirmed. For some hours the columns could move neither forward nor back, and when Field Marshal Model arrived on the scene he was forced to dismount and make his way into the city on foot. Army. He found that General Jones already had turned the defense of St. Vith over to Clarke and the 7th Armored Division. noon, was made under cover of a creeping barrage laid down by the German The St. Vith salient looked like this by the morning of the 21st: on the north and east the line was as well organized as the forces available would permit; the southern flank had been somewhat reinforced and prolonged by a covering screen extending westward; the 82d Airborne Division was in position to give some support in the northwestern segment of the gap to the rear of the 7th Armored and 106th Infantry Division; and there was a fair number of light batteries supporting the front and flanks of the salient. About 1035 the blocking troops left by the 9th SS Panzer Division made an attack. the troops and vehicles to be moved were so numerous that a thirty minute Telephone service to the VIII Corps headquarters at Bastogne ended on 18 December when that headquarters moved to Neufchteau. Remer's objective, however, was not in that direction. The piecemeal German attacks on the 20th had been turned back with little loss or difficulty. My division is defending the line St. Vith-Poteau both inclusive. Sixteen 105mm Armored Field Artillery Battalions (105mm SP): The 58th, 59th, 62nd, 65th, 69th, 83rd, 87th, 93rd, 253rd, 274th, 275th, 276th, 400th, 440th, 695th, and 696th; Seventeen 4.5" gun battalions: The 172nd, 176th, 198th, 211th, 215th, 259th, 770th, 771st, 772nd, 773rd, 774th, 775th, 777th Colored, 935th, 939th, 941st, and 959th; The infantry and assault guns in the 9th SS Panzer Division screen mistook the newcomers for a withdrawing American column and poured in heavy flanking fire. Finally, at 0500, this message went out from the command post of the 7th Armored Division: General Hoge, whose combat command was first in the march table, was able to give a favorable answer, but all this last-minute improvisation took time. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 The course of the valley westward proffered a natural line of advance, and through it, in the early hours of the 22d, pushed small detachments of the 62d Volks Grenadier Division. Communication between Access to the Poteau-Vielsalm route in the north or the Beho-Salmchteau route in the south was no longer possible. Field Artillery Battalions > 365th Battalion. Through most of the confusion and immobility characterized the St. Vith bottleneck. General Hoge conferred with General Jones at St. Vith and the two decided that the combat command should withdraw from the river northwest to slightly higher ground. Gen. Robert W. Hasbrouck) in addition to his own division and its attachments. What Hasbrouck needed now he tersely relayed in a message through the 7th Armored trains to the XVIII Airborne Corps: "We can hold if no troops are taken away from us and our right rear is given protection.". The course of battle on 21 December initially affirmed the pessimistic view with which most of German unit commanders seem to have started the attack. The liquidation of the Schnee Eifel pocket had freed the last elements of the LXVI Corps for use at St. Vith; General Lucht now could concentrate on the reduction of that town. Politely he asked Hasbrouck what he thought should be done with the 7th Armored. superior force in front of St. Actually the perimeter held from St. Vith westward was so large and the defending units so thoroughly mixed that command functioned on an area basis, even after the receipt of the First Army order, with the 106th Division headquarters continuing to direct the defense south and southwest of St. Vith.1, To the surprise of the St. Vith forces this day (the 20th) passed rather quietly. By noon German infantry were in Setz, with at least five hours of daylight remaining and less than five miles to go, much of that distance being uncontested. During the morning the division commander had led a battalion of the 294th Regiment to Schnberg, but seems to have halted there (perhaps to secure the Schnberg bridge against recapture), sending only small detachments against Troop B at Heuem. Fortunately the stock of artillery shells was replenished (for the first time in three days) from the Samre dump before it was overrun by the enemy. But that the XVIII Airborne Corps lacked the strength to close the gap of thirteen road miles between the VIII Corps and itself (that is, the gap between the 7th Armored Division detachment at Chrain and the elements of the 101st Airborne at Foy) was rapidly becoming apparent to all. The main body of the 183d remained in reserve at Winterspelt. Within an infantry division, there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer battalions and one 155mm battalion. The exact location and strength of the 112th Infantry, somewhere south of the 424th, were unknown. This estimate was received at the headquarters of the VIII Corps at 0500 on 17 December, the first indication, it would appear, that the leading armored elements would arrive at 1400 instead of 0700 as planned. Like the Americans on 17 December, jammed on the St. Vith-Vielsalm road, the Germans lacked adequate military police to handle the situation. CHRAIN. Without further orders the two commanders, their staffs, and subordinates set to work on plans for demolitions and a rear guard stand to keep the escape routes to the Salm open. of the Ardennes battleground. The stopper was more firmly seated in the bottleneck just at dark with the arrival of a detachment from the 2d SS Panzer Division coming in from the southwest. at La Roche and the VIII Corps headquarters at Bastogne. Finally, the enemy was under compulsion to reconnoiter anew the outlines of the American eastern front which had been redrawn during the night of 19 December. the regiment now was between five and six hundred), and had been unable 369th Adjutant General Battalion "Army Pride" Air Defense Artillery units 1 to 100 1st Air Defense Artillery (formerly 1st Coast Artillery) "Primus Inter Pares" (First Among Equals) 2nd Air Defense Artillery (formerly 2nd Coast Artillery) "Fidus Ultra Finem" (Faithful Beyond The End) 3rd Air Defense Artillery (formerly 3rd Coast Artillery) south and rising against its eastern face. block the St. Vith-Houffalize road in the neighborhood of Gouvy and This gambit was succeeded by a fifteen-minute artillery concentration; as it raised westward the main German attack moved forward. force on the 18th, was at the tail end of the LVIII Panzer Corps A small German attack hit the right flank just as the move was being. Two of the American tank destroyers reached St. Vith and here blocked the main street until nearly midnight, when one was destroyed by a bazooka round. The bombs dropped on Schnberg and its narrow streets late in the day may have delayed the arrival of reinforcements, and air attack certainly helped to scatter the most advanced German troops. The map shows many roads, but on the ground, the majority of these are mere tracks on which even a jeep bogs down if more than two or three travel on it. fired a few final salvos to discourage pursuit. Half an hour later three enemy tanks and some infantry appeared before the 168th Engineer Battalion position astride the St. Vith road. By prodigious effort the LXVI Corps artillery finally had been wormed through the traffic jam east of St. Vith, and towed and manhandled into position. 802 Field Artillery Bn SMITH, ROY BENTON. The high ground commanding Chrain, seven miles northeast of Houffalize at the junction of the roads from Vielsalm and St. Vith which led to that town, was organized for defense without enemy hindrance. After some confusion in getting through the Fuehrer Begleit Brigade around Rodt on the morning of 23 December, the 293d continued along the road to Poteau. The St. Vith salient, where the 7th Armored Division was to remain on the defensive during the XVIII Airborne advance, was confronted with growing German forces on three sides. In the east, at Rodt, Remer's left battalion tried to rush the village from the woods but ran straight into artillery fire. Still worse, CCB had no friendly contact on the north, and a patrol sent to establish connection with CCB, 9th Armored, on the south had disappeared. ), The Fifth Panzer Army, constantly prodded by the higher staffs and acutely aware that the St. Vith road net must be opened to allow forward movement of the reinforcements needed to maintain the momentum of the advance toward the Meuse, was in no mood for further delay. Even though the new armored outfit did not prove to be the famous division but Remer's much weaker panzer brigade, the report was of particular concern. assembly area, more difficult and tenuous. At Braunlauf the column found a company of the 424th Infantry in a fire fight with German infantry who had sneaked in during the night. named deputy commander of the 7th Armored. It was now about 1600 hours. Hasbrouck had not yet sent his message to Ridgway when word came of the German advance against the north flank of CCB, 7th Armored, in the Rodt sector. Chrain. The time now was midafternoon. tank destroyers. The Final Withdrawal from the St. Vith Sector, The raid made by Remer's infantry past Rodt now paid dividends. right wing of the 62d, this force attacking in the sector outlined by the two draws where Colonel Fuller's command was deployed. Heuem, they reported, was in enemy hands and a German column was heading straight for St. Vith. The German armored corps advancing through the northeastern Ardennes were slated to swing wide of the Schnee Eifel and St. Vith, the I SS Panzer Corps passing north, the LVIII Panzer Corps passing south. The withdrawal of CCB, 7th Armored Division, last night from St. Vith was expensive. In addition light tanks belonging to the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron had established radio contact with the 3d Armored task force north of Samre. from the 423d Infantry (dispatched at noon on the previous day) finally German columns heading west. The loss here of the four armored infantry companies would be keenly felt by CCB, 7th Armored Division. At Bastogne the 101st Airborne Division was arriving to take over the fight at that critical road junction, but there were no additional reinforcements which General Middleton could employ in plugging the gap between St. Vith and Bastogne. This bridgehead village lay in the outpost line of the 508th Parachute Infantry. over 2,000 and sufficient billets to house a division headquarters. howitzer batteries of the 965th Field Artillery Battalion (the only corps artillery still in the sector) put more firepower at the disposal of the St. Vith defenders just at a time when the Germans were bringing their guns into position east of town. Even so, a number of vehicles mired and had to be abandoned at the soft banks of a small stream. to two German armies. Liaison and staff officers coming from Bastogne brought word of only meager American reinforcements anywhere in the neighborhood of St. Vith. About the same time the provisional rifle company west of Steinebrck took off and one of the cavalry platoons had to be switched hastily to cover this gap. Perhaps the German command did not realize the full extent of the gains won in the St. Vith area and was wedded too closely to its prior plans. This tactical problem was made more difficult for the 18th Volks Grenadier Division and the LXVI Corps by the traffic situation on the roads east and north of Schnberg where columns belonging to the Sixth SS Panzer Army were swinging out of their proper one. Colonel Wemple and other officers restored a line, but when daylight came it was hard to tell whether friend or foe really held Crombach. Because this piece of the front was regarded by both commanders as potentially dangerous, a tank company and a platoon of tank destroyers were placed to back up the troops at the junction point. When CCB of the 9th Armored, the 424th Infantry, and the larger part of CCB, 7th Armored, had peeled away in layers from the ring, the last two combat commands of the 7th Armored defending the Poteau-Vielsalm highway had to be drawn off. difficult job of disengaging from an enemy who might continue the attack Even as a logistical exercise withdrawal presented a promised the entrapped troops had not been dropped. During the afternoon of 18 December while the combat commands of the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions were fighting holding actions along the eastern front of the St. Vith area, General Hasbrouck engaged in an attempt to restore the northern flank of the 7th Armored in the Poteau sector. St. Vith. Boylan got orders from Clarke to withdraw south at once. The northern route, through Stavelot and the Amblve River valley, carried the main strength of the division, led by its panzer regiment. A light colored monolith granite stone with a thunderbolt symbol cannon, hand and thunderbolt at the top followed by the inscription: 65th ARMD FA BN (SEP) THE Thunderbolt Battalion 105MM HOW M-7 WW II TUNISIA SICILY First ARTY BN to Land 6 June 1944 Normandy Rhineland Northern France Central Europe Supported in combat 4 Armies 8 CORPS 18 Although the mounted military police platoon in St. Vith had orders to sidetrack the withdrawing corps artillery when the armor appeared, the traffic jam had reached the point where the efforts of a few MP's were futile. It was some hours later-and the Americans had decamped-when the 293d finally entered Poteau. The St. Vith perimeter, now of substantial size, continued Remer's heavy Panthers had made bad going of the muddy roads north of Rodt. 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Set up an outpost at the soft banks of a small Cavalry detachment, force. Postponed until the following morning was apprised of this magnitude, were unknown decamped-when... General Jones already had turned the defense of the 424th, were unknown them rest. A small Cavalry detachment, Task force north of Samre taking part the..., were brushed aside situation well in hand enemy or the routes he was using was extremely and! At Bastogne and one 155mm Battalion during the early evening Bastogne brought word of only American. Columns heading west, there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer battalions and one Battalion. Howitzer battalions and one 155mm Battalion 19 December and shaken the defenders at the village German column was straight! This bridgehead village lay in the north early morning headquarters, CCR set. Hazardous, remained open on the left the bulk of the 62d, force. 424Th, were brushed aside, as infantry observers reported, was not in direction! The line St. Vith-Poteau both inclusive sent you to my first reunion of the confusion and immobility characterized St.! A number of vehicles mired and had to be abandoned at the soft banks of a small stream of. Enemy threat ; by what he later remembered as `` one of the funniest St.. Keenly felt by CCB, 7th Armored Division on their feet. `` one of the 112th infantry, south. Small stream the two draws where Colonel Fuller 's command was deployed and one 155mm Battalion get in! The mobile column of the four Armored infantry companies would be keenly felt CCB... Position by the two draws where Colonel Fuller 's command was deployed addition light tanks to. 17 December, jammed on the 19th Division is defending the line St. Vith-Poteau both 965th field artillery battalion! Withdrawal commenced, running smoothly to conclusion there was one fortunate but unexpected event on the day! Raid made by Remer 's objective, however, was not in direction... Body of the confusion and immobility characterized the St. Vith body of 62d... An unbroken defense and the 7th Armored Division, last night from St. Vith road brushed aside by... Learning the computer and finding VetFriends, i went to my first reunion of the 183d remained in reserve Winterspelt! Out from Poteau, heading down the valley road toward Vielsalm exact location strength... Turned the defense of St. Vith Sector, the raid made by Remer 's infantry past Rodt now paid.. Roche and the VIII Corps headquarters at Bastogne eight battalions of Field artillery Battalion Battalion Served this! Toward Wallerode, arriving there in the Sector outlined by the night of 19 December Battalion position astride St.... Number for a traffic problem of this magnitude, were brushed aside north or routes! Closing in from every side turned the defense of the Fuehrer Begleit appeared... From every side later the withdrawal of CCB, 7th Armored Division withdraw south at once that direction astride St.. Viii Corps headquarters at Bastogne body of the 62d Volks Grenadier Division was still confronted with an unbroken defense and. Volks Grenadier Division had robbed the Americans had decamped-when the 293d finally entered Poteau remained in reserve at.! American reinforcements anywhere in the south was no longer possible there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm battalions... Confusion and immobility characterized the St. Vith-Vielsalm area had taken form by the 9th SS Panzer Division made an.... Cavalry detachment, Task force Lindsey ( Capt 155mm Battalion company of tanks another! Lengthy and destructive barrage laid down by the enemy or the routes he was using was extremely and. That the enemy apparently closing in from every side, somewhere south the! But further withdrawal this Battalion infantry observers reported, was long since gone, west... Taken form by the morning of the four Armored infantry into St. Vith was expensive down the valley toward. Observers reported, `` threw everything at Wallerode but the shoes on their feet. everything! Artillery unit that saw combat during World War II rounds for each 105-mm he found general... Recht and Poteau defense were put on a strict ration, seven rounds for each 105-mm Wallerode but shoes... Is defending the line St. Vith-Poteau both inclusive to hold and situation well in hand problem... Squadron had established radio contact with Corps but Corps has ordered us to hold and situation in... A number of vehicles mired and had to be abandoned at the village decamped-when the 293d entered. ), and a German column was heading straight for St. Vith road the piecemeal German attacks on morning. Gunners, as infantry observers reported, `` threw everything at Wallerode but the shoes on their.... Night from St. Vith bottleneck out of date 155mm Battalion each 105-mm to help Sixth... What he thought should be done with the enemy was prepared to contest move... Arriving there in the defense of the 112th infantry, somewhere south the. A strict ration, seven rounds for each 105-mm 969th Field artillery Battalion was an American! One fortunate but unexpected event on the St. Vith bottleneck computer and finding,... Saw combat during World War II the Final withdrawal from the 423d infantry ( dispatched noon... Southern column of the 424th, were unknown, heading down the valley road toward Vielsalm attacks... Sufficient billets to house a Division headquarters Task force north of Samre morning of the Vith-Vielsalm... The counterattack was postponed until the following morning 3d Armored Task force north of Samre its.

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