Via Ferrata
16-12-2004, 20:04
Exactly 60 years ago, on 16 December 1944, the Germans started their Ardennes Offensive, called "The Battle of The Bulge" by Americans (called like that because of the form of the frontline) and knowed by the rest of the world as above or "Herbstnebel" (officially named like that because normally the offensive would have srarted in november).
In a heroic last atttempt in the allready lost war, the remnants of the Whermacht and the elite panzer and grenadier SS-units tried to reach the Meuse and cross to Antwerp. This would have cut the allied font in 2.
99% of the German generals were agtainst it and thought that it was unrealistic. Even after a succes (Antwerp) their lines would be cut of and their was still no answer to the airsuperiority.
The German divisions where outnumbered (Panzer Lehr only started the offensive with 57 tanks instead of 250) and some elite division replacements after Normandy were done with very young soldiers (17/18). Anyway they fought bravely for a lost case and performed outstanding against US armour. Even now, ex Sherman tankists say that would have given anything to drive a Panther, TigerII or other German Panzer instead of driving this very weak armoured coffin from wich it took seven casualties to make one Tiger kill (with a Sherman 75mm canon, this was only possible from the rear and side).
Also a offensive from wich people remember the Malmédy massacre in wich fleeding US POWS where shot by some SS soldiers (wich is in fact not a warcrime: it is tolerate to shoot at POWS that run away). Mostly we see the Hollywood version of it but that is not the way it happened according to surviving POWS and citizens that saw it.
Near café Bodarwé (the house is still there, saw it lately) says Mrs Bodarwé, some US POWS where brought togerther in a field, some still armed because they just gave up after a fight on the street. When the SS company of Peiper that made them POW drove away with their halftracks and 2 PzkwIV, another unit of Peiper arrived from the other direction of the hill in halftracks, they should have brought them away. When they arrived, they saw that several POWs still caried arms and started shouting that they should "disarm", an order, followed by some but not by most. In seconds, the line of Pows that stood before others (near the street and before the halftracks on it)became affraid and started to push back, some started to run, so trying to escape and reach the trees on the back of the field (still there). After some somations towards the now all running crowd, a Romanian SS-er fired in the fleeding crowd, soon all start firing. Priess (the commander in chief) hit the Romanian SS men in the face for that.
After the firing, the Germans solved the wounded from their pain and misery by giving them the "coup de grace", just like they did with their own fallen while terribly wounded.
This story is only once realy resurched, a first time by Americans, during the process at Dachau in 1947 in wich Peiper and all involved SS men, were released by a US millitary court, subscribing the above version. The process and witness story of involved SS, GI and citizens are written down in Belgian G. Cuppens Magnum epos: "Massmurder at Malmédy" that came ouit in 1990. He worked during 35 years on his book and specially the stories of thos US, German, Belgian in the book are great and they com eto the same conclusion as the court: No deliberate shooting.
Problem is that the story was widespread at the front and at some places like Malmédy, GI's alligned (before a house)30 SS POWS and shoot them (they where from another unit) even Whermachtsoldiers were victim of this.
Other strange things during Herbstnebel: the unnkowed amount of died US soldiers killed by its own airforce when it bombed Malmédy in wich also 110 civilians died, most US soldiers where grouped on the market place in the city center and died but the amount could not be counted anymore. In St Vith , 1100 citizens died when the B-17 came over aso aso. This was done because there was a possibility that the retreating Germans could find shelter in those cities or recapture them and return them into fortress.
End of january, the Germans were again at their start line of 16 december, leaving unreplacable armour and people.
In a heroic last atttempt in the allready lost war, the remnants of the Whermacht and the elite panzer and grenadier SS-units tried to reach the Meuse and cross to Antwerp. This would have cut the allied font in 2.
99% of the German generals were agtainst it and thought that it was unrealistic. Even after a succes (Antwerp) their lines would be cut of and their was still no answer to the airsuperiority.
The German divisions where outnumbered (Panzer Lehr only started the offensive with 57 tanks instead of 250) and some elite division replacements after Normandy were done with very young soldiers (17/18). Anyway they fought bravely for a lost case and performed outstanding against US armour. Even now, ex Sherman tankists say that would have given anything to drive a Panther, TigerII or other German Panzer instead of driving this very weak armoured coffin from wich it took seven casualties to make one Tiger kill (with a Sherman 75mm canon, this was only possible from the rear and side).
Also a offensive from wich people remember the Malmédy massacre in wich fleeding US POWS where shot by some SS soldiers (wich is in fact not a warcrime: it is tolerate to shoot at POWS that run away). Mostly we see the Hollywood version of it but that is not the way it happened according to surviving POWS and citizens that saw it.
Near café Bodarwé (the house is still there, saw it lately) says Mrs Bodarwé, some US POWS where brought togerther in a field, some still armed because they just gave up after a fight on the street. When the SS company of Peiper that made them POW drove away with their halftracks and 2 PzkwIV, another unit of Peiper arrived from the other direction of the hill in halftracks, they should have brought them away. When they arrived, they saw that several POWs still caried arms and started shouting that they should "disarm", an order, followed by some but not by most. In seconds, the line of Pows that stood before others (near the street and before the halftracks on it)became affraid and started to push back, some started to run, so trying to escape and reach the trees on the back of the field (still there). After some somations towards the now all running crowd, a Romanian SS-er fired in the fleeding crowd, soon all start firing. Priess (the commander in chief) hit the Romanian SS men in the face for that.
After the firing, the Germans solved the wounded from their pain and misery by giving them the "coup de grace", just like they did with their own fallen while terribly wounded.
This story is only once realy resurched, a first time by Americans, during the process at Dachau in 1947 in wich Peiper and all involved SS men, were released by a US millitary court, subscribing the above version. The process and witness story of involved SS, GI and citizens are written down in Belgian G. Cuppens Magnum epos: "Massmurder at Malmédy" that came ouit in 1990. He worked during 35 years on his book and specially the stories of thos US, German, Belgian in the book are great and they com eto the same conclusion as the court: No deliberate shooting.
Problem is that the story was widespread at the front and at some places like Malmédy, GI's alligned (before a house)30 SS POWS and shoot them (they where from another unit) even Whermachtsoldiers were victim of this.
Other strange things during Herbstnebel: the unnkowed amount of died US soldiers killed by its own airforce when it bombed Malmédy in wich also 110 civilians died, most US soldiers where grouped on the market place in the city center and died but the amount could not be counted anymore. In St Vith , 1100 citizens died when the B-17 came over aso aso. This was done because there was a possibility that the retreating Germans could find shelter in those cities or recapture them and return them into fortress.
End of january, the Germans were again at their start line of 16 december, leaving unreplacable armour and people.