European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Americans inspect a tank demolished near Els Enbom Ridge. U,5. Army 48 years ago this month a Young ruthless German officer spearheaded the Battle of the bulge by Michael r. Craddock by the fall of 1944, the once vaunted German army had been pushed Back to its own Borders. So fast and furious had been the Allied breakout from Normandy that Many predicted the War would be Over by Christmas. The offensive Power of the German army was gone. The Only reasonable course of action or the German commanders was to husband their resources for defending the  but wars Are not predictable and no one could anticipate what was being planned by the supreme commander of the German army Adolf Hitler. At 5 30 . On dec. 16, 1944, 1,900 German guns erupted along an 85-mile Quot quiet Quot front of the Belgium Luxembourg German Border. The barrage ended after 90 minutes replaced by the new nazi fright weapon Quot artificial Moonlight Quot a searchlights that provided an eerie Moonlight As they reflected off the Snow. Soon the German War machine emerged from the darkness while Hitler s latest secret weapon the Messerschmidt jets streaked overhead at unbelievable speeds. Germany s last great offensive in what the americans have come to Call the Battle of the bulge had begun americans most commonly associate the Battle of the bulge with Bastogne Belgium but while Bastogne became a rallying Point of american resistance it was not a crucial part of Hitler s plan wacht am whom watch on the Rhine. In fact on dec. 18, the second Day of the offensive the 2nd Panzer div could have easily taken Bastogne but was ordered to bypass the City. Not until the offensive came to a halt did the germans turn their Wrath against the surrounded town. Of More significance was the clash in the Northern sector of the Battle of the bulge Between the 1 St . Army and the German 6th Schut Staffel Panzer army. The Gallant stand of v corps especially by the 2nd and 99th inf dive is considered among the greatest in american military history. Hitler had Given priority in men equipment and supplies to the 6th is Panzer army and its heavy tanks for it was assigned the Schwer punkt a main Point of attack a for the entire offensive. Within the army were powerful Battle groups called Kamp Gruppen organized for penetration and the deep attack. One Kamp Gruppe was selected to be the main armoured spearhead for the attack. Its Mission break through the thin american lines and drive deep to the Meuse River and then on to the port at Antwerp. It was under the leadership of the dynamic and resourceful s3 Obe Sturm ban Fuhrer it. Col Joachim Peiper. Though just 29, Peiper brought to the ardennes offensive Long months of combat experience in Russia. He had earned the admiration of his troops for bravery and ruthlessness. In one Battle on the Eastern front his Panzer regiment claimed 2,500 russians killed and Only three captured. This was testimony to the brutality fanaticism and mounting desperation that characterized the War in the East at least Kamp Gruppe Peiper As Peiper practice it. Many of the men who came with Peiper to the ardennes had also experienced that savagery. Peipers 4,000 men another 1,800 would join later and tank heavy task Force 72 medium tanks and 20 Tiger Tan shit the thin american lines at the Boundry Between the v and Viii corps East of Malm Day Belgium. Soon Peiper was in a corps rear area. Outside the town of Housfeld peipers column came upon . Vehicles in Retreat. Peipers column calmly pulled in behind them and completely surprised the americans in Housfeld. At Housfeld the first of the Kamp Gruppe Peiper massacres took place. Near the Center of the Village an is officer prodded eight sleepy americans Barefoot and in their underwear at gunpoint from a House. They were lined up and shot Down with a burp gun. From another House five americans emerged under a White Flag. A group of German soldiers opened fire killing four of them and wounding the fifth. As the wounded Soldier cried for help a tank rolled Over him and crushed him. Running Short of fuel Peiper headed North to the town of Bullinger and captured 50,000 Gallons of fuel. In taking Bullinger Kamp Gruppe Peiper had seemingly trapped the bulk of the 2nd and 99th inf dive most of the divisions men artillery pieces supporting tanks and tank destroyers were located along or near the Road leading Northeast from Bullinger through the twin villages of Krinkels Vocherath and on North to the Wahle Scheid crossroad area. If Peiper headed North out of Bullinger he could Roll up two divisions. However if he continued on three Miles West to Buttgenbach and then turned North to the town of else born he could come in behind everyone a possibly As Many As 30,000 men. Peiper decided to press Forward along his assigned route toward Lig Neuville and stave lot for time was crucial in reaching the Bridges on his drive to the Meuse River and beyond. At a Junction known As Baugnet the americans called it five Points because of the five roads that spread out from this intersection near malm6dy, Peiper s column collided with Battery b of the 285th Field arty observation in. The German half tracks and tanks veered off the Road and charged across the open Fields toward the Baugnet Crossroads with their guns firing along the american column. The wheels of the Lead american truck were blown halting the entire column. From the moment the germans opened fire confusion descended Over the Convoy. Most of the men Dove for cover in the ditches or behind abandoned vehicles. Some tried to run to the nearby Woods a but German fire Cut them Down. As the firing died Down american soldiers emerged from ditches their hands in the air. The germans herded All the prisoners to a Field. The prisoners approximately 130, were tightly grouped into eight rows and stripped of their possessions a cigarettes watches glasses Etc. Then a command was Given to shoot. A gunner in one of the Mark in panzers fired one shot that hit a prisoner in Pont knocking him backward and toppling men behind in an accordion fashion. Some of the officers yelled for the men to stand fast on the Hope of preventing More shooting. But another shot was fired killing a medical officer 1st it. Carl r. Guenther and then somebody shouted Quot Mach Alle kaput Quot Quot make All dead Quot and machine guns on both tanks opened fire. Men fell in All directions Many diving to the ground and trying to Bury themselves under fallen comrades. The firing continued the machine guns raking Back and Forth across the fallen bodies. This carnage lasted 15 minutes amid screams groans and cries of agony. For the next two hours germans in passing vehicles amused themselves by firing into the clumps of bodies. Soon German engineers 1st is Pioneer co. Moved into the Fields to finish Peiper took Housfeld after a Brief fight then turned toward Bullinger. Site of malm6dy massacre Peiper s offensive it a it 2 mini w Lig Neuville Belgium i v a j . Army a amps Susan Harris . Army the malm6dy massacre actually took place South of that town at a place where five roads intersected. Off survivors. Any sign of life was met with a shot Point Blank in the heart or head. Some germans asked men to speak up promising medical treatment. A few made the mistake of responding. Still some of the americans were alive. They tried desperately to control their breathing not Only to keep their bodies still but also to prevent vapor from showing in the cold As they exhaled. To the survivors it seemed the pounding of their hearts would surely give them away. Shot in the calf and the foot it. Virgil t. Lary recalled that a German came his Way shooting Here and there. Quot a Bullet went through the head of the Man next to me. I Lay tensely still expecting the end. Could he see me breathing could i take a kick in the Groin without wincing he was standing at my head. What was he doing time seemed to stand still. And then i heard him reloading his pistol in a deliberate manner. Laughing and talking. A few Odd Steps before the reloading was finished and he was no longer so close to my head then another shot a Little farther away and he had passed me up. Quot of the 130 men 43 escaped. Five Days after what came to be known As the Almedy massacre a heavy Snow fell covering the bodies and temporarily concealing the Slaughter. Historian Charles b. Macdonald called the massacre at the Baugnet Crossroads the Quot most heinous crime inflicted on american troops during the course of the War in  Peiper who had moved on before the Slaughter began rolled into the next town . Army p-47 air strikes were costly to peipers armoured column. This tank was hit just after crossing the ambled be Bridge background. Lig Neuville. He entered the hotel do Moulin where he finished the still warm lunch of . Gen. Edward Timberlake whom he had missed by Only 10 minutes. After a two hour delay in Lig Neuville to reorganize. Peiper s Battle group moved on. But in Lig Neuville another War atrocity was happening. A German sergeant Paul Ochmann detailed eight american soldiers to dig Graves for three dead germans. Once they had finished Ochmann lined them up in a Row and systematically went Down the line shooting them in the head ahead in the town of stave lot Kamp Gruppe Peiper secured one of the Bridges not All Bridges could withstand the weight of tanks crucial to its Success a the Bridge Over the ambled be River at stave lot. American engineers from the 202nd engr combat in attempted to destroy the Bridge but the charges failed to detonate. What they did not know was that in their midst were two germans disguised As americans who had sabotaged the attempt North of stave lot was a fuel dump contrary to the portrayal of the incident in the film the Battle of the bulge Peiper did not know about the fuel dump. Only a Small patrol approached the Roadblock before turning around because Peiper was continued on Page 16 Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday december 30,1992 the stars and stripes Page 15