European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A German Blitz that threatened to sack the allies by Effie Batman staff writer he Battle in Belgium s ardennes Forest lasted More than 30 dark Winter nights. With a hastily reinstated. Field marshal Gerd von Rundstedt As the front Man on the Siegfried line Adolf Hitler planned to retake Antwerp Belgium and split the Allied forces generally British to the North and Ameri cans to the South. The allies preoccupied with one and two pronged drives into the German Frontier were caught off guard. They discounted the idea that a German army on the run would mount a Winter offensive. This was despite the fact that the germans had beaten a Footpath through the same Eifel valleys and thick forests in 1870,1914 and 1940 Gen. Sepp Dietrich commander of the 6th is Panzer army voiced scepticism of the plan All Hitler wants me to do is to Cross a River Cap Ture Brussels and then go on and take Antwerp. And All this in the worst time of the year through the ardennes when the Snow is Waist deep and there in t room to deploy four tanks abreast let alone a Mored divisions when it does t get Light until 8 audit s dark again at 4 and the reformed formed divisions made up chiefly of kids and sick old men and at   the German drive into the soft Middle of the Allied lines nearly worked. To the North British Field marshal Bernard Montgomery s 21st army group was recoiling from the Market Garden strike toward the Rhine River. It was a push that took him a Bridge too far. To the South it Gen. George Patton s 3rd army was battling for Bridgehead in the Saar before the Long drive toward Berlin. Between them the allies had five american Divi Sions drawn thinly across 100 Miles the 4th, 28th, 2nd, 99th and 106th. Their boys were either new to combat or Licking their wounds from earlier beatings. On dec. 16, Hitler s army s mad the bold strike under the cover of Winter Clouds and cold. The americans got their first bitter taste of Blitzkrieg. Allied brass including Gens. Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley was slow to recognize German tanks crunching through the Frozen forests As any thing More than a diversion. Even a flood of de coded intelligence reports failed to reveal the scope of the German attack. Hardly 30 hours into the Battle Dietrich s 6th is Panzer army was at the key Crossroads of st. Vith Belgium. _ _ it was there that Dietrich was stalled by american Quick reaction Rifle teams and anti tank squads. The 7th army div task Force and supporting units held out for a week suffering terrible losses. At Malme by 1st Panzer regt commander it. Col. Joachim Pepper was responsible for the murder of 84 american prisoners of War. In what was later called the Malme by massacre they were lined up and machine gunned behind a cafe. Sabotage by Otto skor Zeny s German combat team disguised As americans wreaked havoc the allies rushed the 101st airborne div in trucks to Bastogne at Breakneck Speed from rims France 100 Miles away. " the paratroopers were Only the Day before telling each other that the germans were on the run. The dog faces thought they would next be on their Way to Japan.  instead along with others they held the besieged City of Bastogne in blood to blood combat. At one Point they defended a perimeter As Little As 16 Miles a diameter of about five  world wit a 50 years ago Battle of the bulge. I. At 5 30 . On dec. 16,1944, the germans opened fire on the us. 1st army in the sector of the Western front. The germans hoping to seize Antwerp Belgium fought 60 Miles into the ardennes before being pushed Back by the allies. The German counteroffensive reached its High Point on dec. 24,1944. D Rundstedt s counteroffensive front line on dec. 16,1944 German attacks front line on dec. 24 and 25 front Une on night of Dea 20 . Corps and divisions counterattacks some american unit locations the outcome. "  by Jan. 20,1945, the German armies were Back at their starting Point. In 34 Days of fighting 100,000 of the original 250,000 German soldiers were killed wounded or imprisoned. Eight Hundred of their tanks and at least 1,000 aircraft were destroyed. Of the 600,000 Allied soldiers 81,000 americans and 1,400 British were casualties. Front lines before the Battle front on the morning of dec. 16,1944 allies germans a Germany v to Donalt Coney a. A \4s\lxembolbrgarlonv f if flu Iii old Foft a Avn Vidy Nitim. I i o Abu. Source 2194 Days of War an illustrated chronology of the second world War consulate general of Belgium . Army Centero military history a cart Fox but the City would not yield. On dec. 22, when the germans thought the de fenders had had enough they sent in a messenger to ask the 101st Brig. Gen. Anthony Mcauliffe to sur Render. _ Mcauliffe whose men had taken to calling them selves the battling bastards of Bastogne sent Backshis message "nuts.". Meanwhile Patton turned his 3rd army 90 de Grees and headed to the Rescue. On dec. 26 his Sherman tanks broke through the German line to meet the 101st troops in their foxholes., it. Gen. Hasso von Manteuffel s 5th Panzer army churned on through the 30-mile breach Between Bastogne and st. Vith still intent on reaching the port at Antwerp. As his units drove toward the Meuse River Small pockets of resistance battled on. In Village after Village surprised and often ill pre pared gis battled their Way Back and Forth Over the Region  Bridges Crossroads and narrow River passes. ".  "  " -. Soldiers fought on their bellies crawling Over fro zen mud. They stuffed newspapers in their boots and jackets to keep warm against the freezing fog and Snow. The wounded who were not moved within minutes froze. %.". Von Manteuffel s 2nd Panzer div ran out of Gas and out of fight four Miles from the Meuse River at Celles. Fifty Miles into Belgium it was the closest the German offensive reached to the strategic port. On Jan. 23, the allies retook st. Vith deep into january with the bulk of their reserves spent Hitler s Best pulled Back to fight for their Homeland. December 11, 1994 sunday Page 5