Military Antiques Stockholm - Top
Display your banner here
Page 2 of 20 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 12 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 198

Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

Article about: Many thanks for your time and effort Luckystrike , this is an awesome thread many injoyable times , cheers Raymond

  1. #11

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    I think this link is worth including here, it shows original film footage of Peipers advance and then the first 11km of the route of advance driven today (speeded up). You will see several of the locations of my Then and Now pictures.
    YouTube - Kampfgruppe Peiper and the first 11 km from Losheim to Honsfeld
    LUCKYSTRIKE

  2. #12

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    Great photos and flick! Thanks

  3. #13

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    Luckystrike

    Outstanding thread

    I cant stop looking at it !

    Well done mate
    "In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem

  4. #14
    ?

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    Lucky this is a great pice of work , well done
    The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )

    1st July 1916

    Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
    Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
    Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
    Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
    We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
    But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader

    House Carles at the Battle of Hastings

  5. #15
    ?

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    I would love to do a trip like this someday Great job.

  6. #16

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    This selection of pictures have taken me a little longer to prepare due to the number of them. But I feel it's justified due to the personal actions carried out during this battle, no less than 6 Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded to US troops fighting in the villages. This hard won action also created enough delay in the Northern sector advance to ensure that the German Ardennes Offensive was ultimately doomed to failure.

    The Twin Villages Rocherath-Krinkelt

    Both villages share the same main street with Rocherath to the North and Krinkelt with the Church the South. Both German routes of advance Rollbahn A & B emerge from the forest to the East of the villages with A running into a cross road in the centre of Rocherath and B skirting the southern edge of Krinkelt and continuing on toward Wirtzfeld.
    The actions that took place in these two villages are to complicated to try to record here however if you're interested I'd recommend you get the book 'The Battle East of ELSENBORN and the twin villages' by Wiliam.C.C.Cavanagh.

    Around 12KM North of Rocherath lies the crossroads of Wahlerscheid, just before the German Offensive began the US 2nd Division had just captured this costly objective made up of deep trenches and 5 concrete bunkers guarding a cross road on the International Highway. This action named the area Heartbreak Crossroads.
    From the 16/12/44 a brave one sided battle was fought at the edge of the woods to the east of the villages by troops of 99th Infantry Division US 393rd Infantry facing the overwhelming forces of I. SS Panzer Corps.
    Ultimately they fell back into the villages and set up defensive positions. They had to hold to enable the 2nd US Inf Div to disengage at the Wahlerscheid crossroad and fall back into and then retreat through the villages or they would have been cut off. This was successfully achieved, they were then told to hold to enable the 2nd US Inf Div to fall back to the Elsenborn Ridge and dig in. The 99th were then able to fall back on this position.
    The villages were abandoned after 4 hard days often hand to hand fighting, sometimes US and German troops occupied adjacent buildings. At the close of this action US forces had destroyed no less than 111 German Panzers, assault guns and armoured vehicles.

    Picture 1 was taken looking to the East along Rollbahn A the I.SS Panzer-Korps advanced toward us. The US troops were dug in along this road in fox holes (still there) to the right and left. The next four pictures show then and now of Rollbahn A as it entered Rocherath just before the cross roads with the main street. The next set show Panzers knocked out in th Village heading South down the main street toward Krinkelt.
    LUCKYSTRIKE
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

  7. #17

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    The next 4 pictures still show Panzers in Rocherath. The 5 and 6 show looking South into Krinkelt down the main street, the picture was taken on the village border, Krinkelt church is to the right. The next couple of pictures show Rollbahn B running into Krinkelt toward the main street, looking West with the Church at the top of hill. The final two pictures show the original Church, sadly it was too badly damaged during the battle to save and was demolished a new one now stands in its place.
    LUCKYSTRIKE
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  


  8. #18

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    Phew.. finally tonights last batch...
    There are a few more showing the church and a knocked out Sherman just outside then we go inside. I thought the comparison of the interior of the old with the new interesting. The next pictures were taken on the main street just to the South of Krinkelt.
    Their are two memorials in the Village the first dedicated to the US 99th Infantry Division and the second to the 2nd Infantry Division.
    Finally whilst walking through the villages I spotted this house window, notice the shell cases they'll probably mementoes of the hard fought battle.
    LUCKYSTRIKE
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

  9. #19

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    This is just amazing Luckystrike

    I cant wait for the next episode!!!!

    Nick
    "In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem

  10. #20

    Default Re: Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..

    Meanwhile the next couple of picture were taken on the 17/12/44 whilst the battle for the twin villages was still raging.

    Just behind the Front

    Some of the German spearheads succeeded in skirting to the South of Krinkelt and continued heading along Rollbahn B toward the next village Wirtzfeld. The next picture shows US forces in the process of evacuating this village as the German spearheads approach. Pictured are a column from the US 99th Inf Div (372nd Field Artillery Batt) on the lane that will take them to Elsenborn Village 6km away. Note the M10 pointing down the road toward the centre crossroads the expected direction the German spearheads would appear from.
    The German plan was for their column to continue West from Wirtzfeld toward and into Dom Butgenbach (5km West) but spirited US defence of the lower slopes of the Elsenborn ridge, with much support from US field artillery forced the Germans to take the Southern route toward and into the town of Bullingen.
    The second picture shows the railway viaduct at Berg 2km NE of Dom Butgenbach. Troops of the US 1st Division (26th Reg) are seen climbing the hill toward Butgenbach where they were to dig in and prepare for its defence.
    LUCKYSTRIKE
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  

    Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..   Now & Then.. Ardennes Iconic Image Journey..  


Page 2 of 20 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 12 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Marna Militaria - Down
Display your banner here