70th Anniversary Battle of the Bulge !

[zundappuk]

Dear Forum members,

As most of you will know we are approaching the 70th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge/Ardennenenoffensive.

To mark this event my local tourist association decided to set up some walks where the battle opened. Namely where the 277th Volks grenadier Divsion attacked the US 99th Inf. Div at 05:30 on December 16 1944. This is the so called Hollerather Knie on what is now the B265 and was then called the International Highway by the US forces. See this link for one website; Hollerather Tourismus-Gemeinschaft | Informationen here for the press coverage; Wanderwege und Ausstellungen: Erinnerungen an die Kriegswirren | Eifelland - Kölnische Rundschau

The Hotel Hollerather Hof have a small militaria exhhibition, and other local facilities do too.

On Monday the 15th at the Hotel Schroeder at Loesheimergraben there will be a talk on the Air War over the Bulge, plus a session from the authority that licence use of metal detectors in the area. Sadly I cannot go as I have a business trip to Austria:1scream:

Finally tomorrow there will be a US Army colour party laying wreaths at local memorials in the Belgian Ardenne.

David

[Paul D]

Thanks for the post / info David i have been in the bulge 5 times this year but cannot make it over for the 70th Anniversary !! I always visit the Hellenthal / Hollerath area and the location where the offenisive started where the memorial to 277 VGD and 99 ID is in the forest !

[zundappuk]

Paul,

That is interesting as that is where I live. PM me next time you come over!

David

[Paul D]

Will do David !!

[Paul D]

At 5,35 am 70 years ago today after a ten minute hurricane barrage the forward assault units of the 989th Grenadier Regiment 277VGD supported by PanzerJagers and Engineers smashed into the Frontline positions of the 3rd Bn 393 Infantry Regiment of the US 99 Infanrty Division , the Battle Babies , so called because most of the Division had seen no combat action before this day.

Just to their south were the 3 /393 who were assaulted by Gren Regt 991 . The German Infantry wee to make the break in for the Armoured Groups of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugend.

Due to the resistance of the green US troops the HJ had to commit it's own Infantry , Panzerjagers etc into the fighting and it took nearly 36 hours for them to batter their way through the forests to the famous twin villages of Krinkelt / Rocherath , which by now had been reenforced and is where the attcak of the HJ in the initial phase of the Bulge ground to a halt.

Further south the troops of the of the 394 Infantry Regiment 99 ID fought the 12 VGD and 3 FSJ the break in units for Kampfgruppe Peiper from the LAH , holding them up for 24 hours.

As a regular visitor to this area i want on this historic day to commend the young Battle babies who fought , bled and died in these whispering forests 70 years ago , buying the time for the Senior Allied Command the time to react to the German assault in the Ardennes.

[Paul D]

[Paul D]