European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Touring the ardennes the ardennes with its meandering streams deep valleys and forested Hills is a the Quot tourist spot of Belgium and Luxembourg. Tip take along a Mountain Bike its great for seeing the terrain and getting around in the Busy  to visit Winter has its advantages. You see and feel the ardennes As it was in december 1944. This is the time for the True Quot bulge Quot enthusiast fewer people and no foliage on Trees so it s easier to see the terrain. In the Spring and summer the weather is better the museums Are open longer and there a More Daylight for touring. In the Spring before the leaves Are on the Trees it is still possible to see the Battle Sites  maps of areas of interest Are available locally. The Belgium National geographic Institute map #116, Desneux St. Vith is an excellent 1 100,000 map that has the entire Northern shoulder including Kamp Gruppe Peiper s  a la Gleize Belgium at the end of Joachim peipers route open March 15 through nov. 30, 10 am. To 6 . It is open weekends year round. A Bastogne historical Center belgian collection of world War ii vehicles. A Clervaux Luxembourg in an ancient Castle in a Beautiful but touristy town. It s open May through mid september a die Kirch Luxembourg a new museum with More than 150 types of uniforms and Many pictures. Open May 1 through oct. 31, 10 . To noon and 2-6 . A Wiltz. Luxembourg also in a medieval Castle. Open mid june through mid september. Good Campground with outdoor swimming Pool  cemeteries a Henri Chapelle american cemetery and memorial Belgium. Southwest of Aachen off autobahn 3 7,889 grave Sites. A ardennes american cemetery and memorial Neuville in Condron Belgium. South of Liege off Highway n-63 5,327 headstones including 11 sets of Brothers. A Luxembourg american cemetery and memorial Hamm Luxembourg. East of Luxembourg City near the Airport 5,076 grave Sites including general Patton a. Camping the ardennes has Many campgrounds just look for the signs with the trailer. For the Quot bulge Quot fanatic who likes to Winter Camp finding an open Campground can be a problem. There a a Good year around Campground on Lake Buttgenbach just West of else born Ridge. There is even a indoor swimming Pool nearby and in summer windsurfing boards can be rented. If you re planning to Camp there in summer reservations Are recommended. Write or Cal camping Morriken de . S.1. Morriken Center 1, b-4750 Buttgenbach country code 32 080-446358food/drink the ardennes cuisine is excellent. For a Quick snack try the local Street Corner French Fries writes with one of Many sauces. The National drink of belgians is  Gas stations Aachen Germany near the Belgium Borde has a 24-hour Esso. Take the Aachen Brand exit off autobahn 44 and head for Center of town. The station at Mosheim Germany on the Belgium Border is open monday through saturday from 7 30 . To 8 . On sunday it opens at 8 .�? Michael r. Craddock a Damn engineers damned engineers Quot Peiper reportedly said when the americans blew the Bridge at Hab Fremont As he approached. . Army . Army Joachim Peiper was 29 when Given command of his own  after the War during the War crimes trials in Dachau Germany in May 1946,.Joachim Peiper a who accepted responsibility for the actions of his men a was among those sentenced to death for the Malm by massacre. In 1949, his sentence was changed to life imprisonment. And in 1956 shortly before Christmas Peiper the last prisoner in the Landsberg fortress was released. He had served nearly 11 years. He first worked for porsche in charge of american sales and then later for Volkswagen. He was forced to leave both jobs because of publicity stemming from his connection with War atrocities. Public attention was generated once by John Toland s 1959 Book Battle the Story of the bulge and then by the movie the Battle of the bulge in which Robert Shaw portrayed Peiper. Finding the environment hostile in Germany he moved his family to the Small Village of Traves in the Alsace Region of France. There he supported himself by translating military books from German into English and vice versa. He lived quietly in the Alsace until the summer of 1976 when a sensational article on the Quot notorious Quot resident of Traves appeared in a French communist newspaper. Peiper began receiving hostile phone Calls telling him to leave France. Once again the former nazi commander made a stand. He sent his wife and daughter to Munich but stayed on in Traves. Two weeks later firebombs destroyed peipers House and killed the former commander of Kamp Gruppe  Michael r. Craddoc Peiper. Continued from Page /5j focusing on his Westward push. Next was a town where the Rivers ambl6ve and Salm were bridged at three Points a hence the name of the town trois Ponts. But As Peiper neared trois Ponts the engineers blew up the Bridges. After studying his map Peiper moved farther Down the Valley and found a loophole in the american defences. The Bridge at Chenaux close to la Gleize was captured intact but As the column was crossing it was attacked by 16 p-47 Thunderbolt planes and for two hours the column was halted. Finally the germans moved on but this crucial two hour delay gave co a of the 291 St engineers time to Rig explosives on the next Bridge Over the Lienne Creek five Miles away at Habi Emont. As Peiper s column neared the Creek the Bridge went up in a Cloud of smoke and debris. Only a few vehicles behind the leaders Peiper saw the Bridge collapse. Legend has it that Peiper pounded one knee with his fist and muttered Quot the Damn engineers the damned engineers Quot unknown to Peiper the american command was reacting rapidly to his threat. Ordered Forward to Stop Peiper were units from the 82nd airborne 30th div s 119th inf and portion of the 3rd army div. Kamp Gruppe Peiper was in for a fight. By dec. 22, Peiper had pulled Back to la Gleize where the american artillery began an almost constant barrage. The germans would later Call the Village of la Gleize Der Kessel the cauldron Peiper could not Man Euver because he was out of supplies. The stands by american troops in front of else born Ridge and at Dom Buttgenbach had Cut his Supply route and an anticipated Airdrop netted Only some containers of cigarettes and schnapps. On the afternoon of the 22nd, Peiper reached his Headquarters by radio to apprise them of his predicament and to request permission to pull Back. Instead he was told that there were six Tiger tanks that belonged to him near stave lot. What did Peiper want done with them asked the radio operator. Peiper disgusted with the question replied sarcastically Quot Send via Airlift to la  composing himself Peiper again asked for permission to break out of the siege. At 5 . The reply came Back Quot you May break out but Only if you bring All wounded and  Peiper angrily pointed at the radio car. Quot blow up the Damn thing permission or not we re breaking out of Here on foot a soon the code words were being passed around. Quot Frohe Weihn Achten Quot Quot merry Christmas quo meant Quot immediate escape a blow up your tanks and  by 2 . On dec. 24, Peiper was leading remnants of his once powerful task Force out of la Gleize at 11 . Christmas eve Peiper s group ran into an american patrol. In the ensuing firefight Peiper was grazed by a Bullet. Finally at 10 . Christmas Day just under 800 weary men a out of a total of 5,800 a crossed Back Over German lines. For Over a week Peiper and his men had been constantly engaged in combat. Peiper fell asleep for nearly 24 hours. A but As i did so i knew it was All Over. We d lost. Not Only the Battle of the ardennes but also the  maj. Michael r. Craddock is with the 83th medical Del in Stuttgart Germany. Sources Tor this article include a time Tor trumpets a the untold Story of the Battle of the bulge by Charlesb Macdonald the Battle of the bulge then end now by Jean Paul Pallud the March to Victory by John t. Bookman and Stephan t. Powers and Battle the Story of the bulge by John Toland Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday december 30, 1992