THE ARDENNES:
BATTLE OF THE BULGE

by Hugh M. Cole

CMH Publication 7-8


Contents

Chapter

FOREWORD AND PREFACE

I. THE ORIGINS

Hitler's Perspective, September 1944
How the Plan Was Born

II. PLANNING THE COUNTEROFFENSIVE

Details of the Plan
The Big Solution
A Double Envelopment?

III. TROOPS AND TERRAIN

The Order of Battle
The Allies Return to the Attack
The Terrain

IV. PREPARATIONS

Deception and Camouflage
The Western Front in Early December
The Intelligence Failure
The German Concentration

V. THE SIXTH PANZER ARMY ATTACK

The 99th Division Sector
The Initial Attack, 16 December
The First Attacks in the Monschau-Hofen Sector Are Repulsed, 16 December
The German Effort Continues, 17-18 December
Losheimergraben Is Lost
The German Attack Toward Rocherath and Krinkelt, 16-17 December
The 395th Infantry Conforms to the Withdrawal
The 2d Division Gives Up the Wahlerscheid Attack
The 394th Infantry Abandons the Murringen Position

VI. THE GERMAN NORTHERN SHOULDER IS JAMMED

The 2d Division Withdraws
The 1st Infantry Division Sends Reinforcements to Butgenbach
The Defense of the Twin Villages, 18 December
The Last Attack at Hofen Fails, 18 December
The 2d Division Withdraws to the Elsenborn Line, 19 December
The Enemy Tries the Western Flank, 19-23 December

VII. BREAKTHROUGH AT THE SCHNEE EIFEL

Introductory Note
Dispositions of the 106th Infantry Division
Enemy Preparations for Another Cannae
The Attack in the Losheim Gap
The Attack Hits the 106th Division
The 424th Infantry and CCB, 9th Armored
Cannae in the Schnee Eifel
The Question of Air Resupply

VIII. THE FIFTH PANZER ARMY ATTACKS THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION

The 110th Infantry Sector, 16-18 December
The 112th Infantry Sector, 16-20 December
The Fall of Wiltz

IX. THE ATTACK BY THE GERMAN LEFT WING: 16-20 DECEMBER

The 109th Infantry Defense on the Sauer and Our Rivers, 16-20 December
Elements of the 9th Armored Division Battle at the Sauer, 16-20 December

X. THE GERMAN SOUTHERN SHOULDER IS JAMMED

The German Thrust Begins
Southern Flank-A Summing Up

XI. THE 1ST SS PANZER DIVISION'S DASH WESTWARD, AND OPERATION GREIF

Kampfgruppe Peiper on the Move
Operation Greif

XII. THE FIRST ATTACKS AT ST. VITH

The 7th Armored Division Move to St. Vith
The Enemy Strikes at the St. Vith Perimeter

XIII. VIII CORPS ATTEMPTS TO DELAY THE ENEMY

CCR, 9th Armored Division, and the Road to Bastogne
The Advance of the XLVII Panzer Corps
Team Cherry on the Longvilly Road
The 101st Airborne Division Moves Into Bastogne

XIV. THE VIII CORPS BARRIER LINES

Middleton's First Moves
The Gap North of Bastogne
Defense Southwest of Bastogne
Renewed Drive Around Bastogne

XV. THE GERMAN SALIENT EXPANDS TO THE WEST

The 30th Division Meets Peiper
The West Flank of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 20 December
Action in Front of the XVIII Airborne Corps Right Wing, 20 December
The Net Closes on Peiper

XVI. ONE THREAT SUBSIDES; ANOTHER EMERGES

The Attempt To Relieve Peiper's Kampfgruppe
The 3d Armored Division Is Checked, 21-23 December
The Fight at the Baraque de Fraiture Crossroads, 23 December

XVII. ST. VITH IS LOST

The Defenders of St. Vith Pass to the XVIII Airborne Corps
The Enemy Closes on the St. Vith Salient
The Final Withdrawal From the St. Vith Sector

XVIII. THE VII CORPS MOVES TO BLUNT THE SALIENT

Division of the Battlefield
The VII Corps Assembles
German Armor Advances on the VII Corps
The Main Battle Is Joined, 24 and 25 December

XIX. THE BATTLE OF BASTOGNE

The Initial Deployment East of Bastogne
Bastogne Is Encircled
The Enemy Begins a Concentric Attack
The Battle on Christmas Day

XX. THE XII CORPS ATTACKS THE SOUTHERN SHOULDER

The End of the Defensive Battle, 22 December
The XII Corps Moves to Luxembourg
The XII Corps' Counterattack

XXI. THE III CORPS' COUNTERATTACK TOWARD BASTOGNE

Preparations for the Attack
The 80th Division Advance
The 26th Infantry Division Attack
The 4th Armored Division Attack
The 80th Division Battle in the Woods, 25-26 December
The 26th Division Fight for a Bridgehead on the Sure, 24-27 December
The 4th Armored Division Reaches Bastogne

XXII. THE BATTLE BEFORE THE MEUSE

The Meuse River Line
The Meuse Seems Within Reach
The Celles Pocket
The Fight at Humain
The Fight at Verdenne

XXIII. THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE SALM AND THE OUR: 24 DECEMBER-2 JANUARY

The Battle at the Manhay Crossroads
The Fight in the Aisne Valley
The 2d SS Panzer Is Halted
The 82d Airborne Withdraws From the Salm River Line
"The Sad Sack Affair"
The Elsenborn Shoulder

XXIV. THE THIRD ARMY OFFENSIVE

Widening the Bastogne Corridor
The Opposing Grand Tactics
The Sibret-Villeroux Actions
The Two Attacks Collide
The III Corps Joins the Attack
The Lone Battle of the 26th Division
The VIII Corps' Attack Continues

XXV. EPILOGUE

The Weather
The Opposing Troop Strengths
The Opposing Weapons
The Artillery Arm in the Ardennes
The Air Weapon
Logistics
The Turning Point in the Ardennes
The Place of the Ardennes Offensive in World War II

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE


page updated 27 November 2000


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