South of Sixth Panzer Army was General Manteuffels Fifth Panzer Army, with the Seventh Army on its left. Little offtopic here but another misidentification might be the 1 destroyed 88mm assault gun (Ferdinand). This leads to a second candidate, the StuG III. It is a classic David versus Goliath tale straight out of World War II that features American heroism. Germanys Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to TIGER II. Task Force Jones and the 112th Infantry eventually found their way into 82nd Airborne Division lines during the night of the 24th, but not before the units suffered heavy losses. When Model released the Fhrer Escort Brigade to General Manteuffel, he thought that he would be able to gain quick access to the St. Vith road network. 1/18th Scale Cars; 1/24th Scale Assembly Kits; 1/24th Scale Cars; 1/43rd Scale Cars; . Luftwaffe-Feld-Division. The stubborn defenders of St. Vith played a major role in defeating the final German offensive of World War II in Western Europe. At 0400 hours on 16th December, 1944, men of the German 18th Volksgrenadier Division began to leave their positions and make their way towards the American lines. When B Company pulled back to refuel and rearm, A Company passed through to take up the fight. One Day at Stavelot, a Tale of Two Archives The Tiger II vs US Tank Destroyers in the Ardennes. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division completed its southern swing, encircling the two regiments of the 106th Division on the Schnee Eifel. Attacking the rear of a Tiger when you had no way of knowing if it was supported by one or more others is extremely unlikely. Jones had been counting on this when he sent Hoges 9th Armored Command to Winterspelt rather than Schoenberg. Battle of Losheim Gap - Wikipedia General Clarke again called on the 9th Armored for assistance to help stiffen his line, and Hoge responded by sending the 3rd Battalion, 424th Regimental Combat Team. Overall operational command for the offensive fell to Field Marshal Walther Model. It is interesting to note that the U.S 7th Armored Division suffered a moderate 425 Battle Casualties, on page 465 of Hitlers Last Gamble by Trevor N. Dupuy, for December 17-23, 1944 in the Battle of Saint Vith including the 1st day of the Battle of Manhay, out of the 3,397 Battle and Non-Battle Casualties suffered during the Battle by the U.S 112th Infantry Regiment of the U.S 28th Infantry Division, the U.S 424th Infantry Regiment of the U.S 106th Infantry Division, Combat Command B of the U.S 9th Armored Division and ofcourse the U.S 14th Cavalry Group. Although the American forces in the St. Vith area came under command of General Ridgways XVIII Airborne Corps, the Airborne Corps itself was under the command of Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, overall commander of the northern sector of the Bulge. By 1300 on the 21st, the entire line was ablaze with German artillery, rockets, tanks, and infantry. Dragon 1629 1/16th Feldwebel 352nd Volksgrenadier Division R 275.00. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division ( 18. CCB, 9th Armored was linked on its left with CCB, 7th Armored and what was left of the 424th Infantry Regiment on its right. It appeared now that the fate of his two northern regiments was sealed. At about 1330, three German self-propelled guns and 19 or 20 horse-drawn artillery pieces went into position on the high ground 800 yards to the southeast of Steinebruck. On 18 January 1945, the final alignment became (XVIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group) -- the alignment in the hierarchy given here. This information came from the division's senior headquarters, the VIII Corps, First U.S. Army. Add to cart. Tiger. Hoge managed to stop the stragglers, and soon a provisional company of men from the 424th was formed to reinforce the 27th AIB on its march toward the Our. 18th Volksgrenadier Division (Germany) (Paperback) 2014. 18th Volksgrenadier Division | Detailed Pedia The other, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division, bore the number of an infantry division destroyed on the Eastern Front, which had been reconstituted. The Pontiac, Michigan, resident also served 10 years in the U.S. Army. Zaloga, Steven. Soon after General Hoge left 106th Division headquarters for the drive back to Faymonville, Jones received a call from Middleton informing him that a combat command of Brig. General Hoge set up his command post in the Belgian village of Faymonville, approximately 12 miles north of the town of St. Vith, unaware of the pivotal role his command was to play in a very different battle. The lumbering heavy tank continued moving towards the American line before turning north towards the town of Hunningen, Belgium, passing the armored car. Outnumbered and in danger of encirclement, the cannoneers and their rifle support from C Company made a platoon-by-platoon withdrawal toward Winterspelt. Hunnicutt, R. P. Armored Car A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles. The ground was frozen solid. The Tiger I was a 57 tonne German heavy tank that has become one of the most famous tanks in history. At about noon that day, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Divisions 190th Regiment had broken through north of the 424th Infantrys Cannon Company. Not long after Rodt fell to the Fhrer Escort Brigade, an attack came against the 7th Armored from the direction of Recht. The Unknown Dead: Civilians in the Battle of the Bulge on JSTOR Osprey Publishing, 2013. The staff officer wanted to know if 9th Armored could spare some desperately needed help. As the offensive steam came to an end in the Ardennes, the division went on the defensive, and there they would stay. Due to the lack of detail in Troop Es entry, it is impossible to tell which Tiger tank is the one being referred to in the account. The earliest known mention can be found in the December 18th, 1944 morning report and record of events entry of Troop E, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which briefly states that an M-8 atchd [attached] to A Tr [Troop A] knocked out one Tiger tank. As stated above, a 37mm cant penetrate the armor of an Tiger tank. By the end of the day, the 27th AIB had withdrawn through Steinebruck without casualties despite enemy shelling of the village. Rather than reaching the Meuse and driving on to Antwerp, the offensive stalled and eventually was turned back. On February 5, 1945 General Walter Botsch took over command of the division. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. During the early hours of December 17, the Germans laid heavy mortar and artillery fire on the front-line positions of his regiment. This is an issue because there were two distinct types of German Tiger tanks, both of which took part in the Battle of the Bulge: The Tiger I and the Tiger II. The Germans were now on the high ground north of Eigelscheid overlooking the road to Winterspelt. The 9th Armored Divisions position at the Our was no longer tenable. The Commands main body was led by the 27th AIB with B Company in front, followed by Headquarters and C Company. Boyer, Donald P. St. Vith The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge 17-23 December 1944 A Narrative After Action Report. Bergstrm, Christer. His troops remained in place, and the pullout to the west side of the Our River began at dusk. Company C, 27th AIB withdrew under heavy artillery and sniper fire but managed to destroy a number of German vehicles. Lever het aan! This is before you take into account that the manufacturing process for German armor allowed for a tolerance in plates which often left plates 2 to 5 mm thicker than ordered. Jones wanted Clarke to counterattack immediately with his combat command and break that ring that these people have closed around the Schnee Eifel.. 1947. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for 18th Volksgrenadier Division. 18th Volksgrenadier Division (Germany) - liquisearch.com None of these Tiger IIs were lost at St. Vith and from photographic evidence at least three are recorded to have no burn damage and/or holes in the rear. 18th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht) - Alchetron, the free social Although the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division drove the American defenders from Winterspelt, all was not going well for the Germans. Therefore, he decided to use the 9th Armored at Winterspelt, since capture of that area by the Germans would open to the enemy a direct route to St. Vith, a route even shorter than that leading from the Schnee Eifel. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. The attacks made east of St. Vith on 18 December were carried by a part of the 294th Infantry [German], whose patrols had been checked by the 168th Engineers [US] the previous day. 188th Division (Nazi Germany) - Atozwiki.com The fortified goose egg ran nearly 10 miles in diameter, containing a mass of forest and only one decent road running northwest to southwest. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. Fortunately for Colonel Reid, word came at about 1730 that his 424th Infantry Regiment was to withdraw immediately. Situation reports suggested that the Germans were intent on crossing the Our River at Steinebruck. Generals Manteuffel and Lucht had planned an all-out attack to take St. Vith starting at daylight with a three- pronged envelopment by the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division against 9th Armored positions in the south. Ridgways plan was premised on the assumption that that the American forces in this goose egg-shaped defense could be supplied by air; however, whoever drew up the plan was thinking in terms of supply requirements for the lighter airborne divisions, not for fuel-hungry and shell-reliant armored forces. School of Tank Technology, April 1944. There are a few notable issues raised by this morning report and record of events entry, the most obvious one being that the M8 Greyhound is reported as being from Troop A of the 87th, not Troop B of the 87th, as it is in the contemporary story. The M8 was used mostly as a reconnaissance vehicle for scouting. Two of its tanks were mired in mud that had not frozen and had to be retrieved by a tank dozer. Furthermore, the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report (AAR) for the month of December 1944, written by Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Laurence Boylan, the commanding officer of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron at the time, makes no mention of this event either. On this day, CCB of the 9th Armored Division was still in its assembly area in the vicinity of Faymonville. Division C E R T I F I C A T E 24 June 1945 I certify that I am S-3 188 was raised in late 1939. Staff Sergeant Frank Mykalo knocked out a German machine-gun position, enabling the men in the lead half-tracks to dismount and deploy along the side of the road. Beevor, Antony. General Luchts plan for December 17 was simple. The Seventh Armored Division in the Battle of St. Vith. December 20 was a day of disappointment for the Germans around St. Vith. A mobile battalion of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division was already moving on Andler to seize the Schoenberg bridge and the road to St. Vith. Confusion, darkness, and mud slowed the move, but by morning a medium tank company and a platoon of riflemen had reached the village. In light of these circumstances, General Hasbrouck felt compelled to write to Clarke that unless the withdrawal began soon the opportunity will be gone., During the night of December 22, a cold wind had begun to blow out of the east bringing what weathermen call a Russian high. Although both Clarke and Hoge noted it, they saw little hope that the ground might freeze in time to aid their withdrawal, but after receiving Hasbroucks message Clarke stepped out and tested the ground. The 27th AIB was ordered to establish a defensive position south, east, west, and southeast of Malempre. This story has gained a good deal of attention in recent years, especially on the internet thanks to videos such as The Tank Duel at St. Vith, Belgium by Lance Geiger The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Operation Nordwind 1945 Hitlers last offensive in the West. However, I am not so emotionally attached to my favorite LAV that I cant see the improbabilities. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Ten tanks, numerous supply vehicles, armored cars, and jeeps were lost to enemy action. 18th Volksgrenadier Division Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/710cf52d-720a-4250-8e95-fc85dcedab01"; Our preliminary briefings had told us that there would be no armor in our path. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field Division. English PDF (15 MB) Jan B-603 352d Volks Grenadier Division (19 Freb.-21 Mar. Schiffer Publishing, 1997. The CCB command post was moved to Neubruck, a small group of farmhouses on Braunlauf Creek about two miles southwest of St. Vith. The troops were exhausted and spread out. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. All but five troopers of 2nd Platoon were lost to enemy action. By 1245, the original line was restored, and the antitank guns of Company A, 811th Tank Destroyers were recovered. 18th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht), the Glossary War Department Technical Manual TM 9-1904 Ammunition Inspection Guide. Ridgway knew Hoge to be calm, courageous, and imperturbable. With all of these contradictions, ambiguity, and lack of supporting documentation and evidence surrounding Troop Es entry in mind, it is safe to conclude that this is not the most reliable account of what really happened on the 18th of December, 1944 at St. Vith. A two-day rest was planned for everyone. It is time to withdraw.. Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1): St Vith and the Northern Shoulder. 22 () - Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. Soon after its crossing, B Company ran into German infantry dug in along the high ground overlooking the village of Elcherath. An attack to the east by the 7th Armored Division could then relieve the two surrounded regiments of the 106th. Ardennes-Alsace Campaign It is possible (if unlikely) that this event was completely unrelated to the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story. 4 Grosstraktor to Panzerbefehlswagen IV. It was to cross the Meuse on both sides of Liege before advancing on to Antwerp. It contained the 293., 294. and 295. grenadier regiments, Panzerjger-Bataillon 1818, Pionier-Bataillon 1818, Fsilier-Bataillon 1818 and Artillerie-Regiment 1818.[1]. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. At about 0115 on December 17, a platoon from 9th Armoreds D Troop, 89th Recon was detailed to proceed through St. Vith in a southeasterly direction and seize the high ground along Highway N27 south of Steinebruck. Panzer Tracts No. English Edition, Casemate Publishers, 2014. It is stated as being reported to Major Boyer by one Captain Walter Henry Anstey of Company A of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, who is said to have been a witness to the event. But if four versions was not enough, there is potentially another version of this tale contained in a combat interview given by Lieutenant Arthur A. Olson of Troop D, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron on the 8th of January, 1945. The 14th Tank Battalion was on its way to the Steinebruck bridge when Brig. Required fields are marked *. During ceremonies observing the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, General Clarke was able to talk to General Manteuffel and discuss German operations against St. Vith. Volksgrenadier-Division. Looking at German records The Fhrerbegleit Brigade with one Panzerabteilung of four companies of Pzkw IV and a Sturmgeschutzabteilung with four batteries of StuG III were in reserve assembled in the area around Daun on the 17th and not yet in action only beginning to move up at 1600H on the 18th. Close. Close. Osprey Publishing, 2003. The surviving Volksgrenadiers fled in disarray. The Ardennes 1944-1945: Hitlers Winter Offensive. Zaloga, Steven. The Tiger II, also known as the King Tiger, Royal Tiger, Knigstiger, and Tiger Ausf.B, was an enormous, 69.8 tonne German heavy tank. The move had scarcely begun when an enemy attack hit the junction between Company B, 27th AIB and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion. 223 223. Boylan, Vincent L. Letter to Robert W. Hasbrouck. By 2300 enemy patrols tested 27th AIBs new position and a night attack was thrown back with the help of D Troop, 89th Recon. Division 4. The armored infantrymen kept themselves well hidden until the column was directly in front of them and then opened fire. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division would use these assault guns in small probing attacks on the American lines east of St. Vith that same day. Company B of the 9th Engineers and D Company of the 89th Recon joined the line to supplement the armored infantry. Thus, the job of rescuing the two trapped infantry regiments on the Schnee Eifel passed from the 9th to the 7th Armored Division. The entry only states that a Tiger tank was knocked out. The village of Bauvenn was designated the linkage point for the two combat commands. Late on December 17, General Manteuffel was concerned with the lack of progress in his attack beyond the Schnee Eifel toward St. Vith. En route, the officer was approached by a member of General Clarkes staff who told him that German tanks were approaching St. Vith along the road from the north. . WWII Pictures on Twitter: "Soldiers of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division VGD led by Heinz Kokott, Heinrich Himmler's brother-in-law. The original story, if there even was one, was told and retold and distorted until everyone and their brother claimed to know the guys that did it.