Small museums - La Gleize and Bastogne - Hidden gems

[Irish1965]

Since there is a lockdown I will post some photo's of my trip to the ardennes in 2018. Visited some nice musea.

Enjoy.

La Gleize - Museum December 44:

This is the place where the tip of the spear was stopped. Surrounded by American forces at La Gleize, 800 survivors of the 1st Panzer SS lead by Peiper fled on Christmas Eve, leaving behind 135 armored vehicles including the 69 tons King Tiger which still stands in front of the museum. The gunbarrel was shot. It is this failure that is considered today as the principal cause of Germany's defeat in the Battle of the Ardennes.
It is often said that if the Americans won the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne, the Germans lost it at La Gleize.










Tank - Tiger 213 - history:

Tiger 213 was used as a platoon command tank by SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Dollinger during the final battles around La Gleize. It is unknown whether or not Dollinger started the attack on December 16 in 213, or whether he had moved to it after his original tank had dropped out. 213 was initialy the tank of section leader SS-Unterscharführer Franz Faustmann, but Dollinger was using it later at La Gleize.

213, another Tiger (221) and a PzKw IV were defending the Werimont Farm high ground on the outskirts of La Gleize. On December 21, U.S. tanks of Task Force McGeorge and Task Force Lovelady of the 3rd Armored Division attacked La Gleize.

Around noon, Dollinger in his 213 and SS-Untersturm-führer Georg Hantusch in his 221 opened fire on 15 US tanks coming from Roanne but scored no hit. The American tanks fired back and blew off the front third of Dollingers tank's gun. Hantusch's Kingtiger got also severely hit and both tank crews had to bail out.

Dollinger, suffering from a head wound, took cover in the cellar of the Werimont farm. 213 was abandoned at the Werimont Farm when Kampfgruppe Peiper withdrew from La Gleize on foot.

After the war the Americans removed all the abandoned military equipment. Madame Jenny Geenen-Dewez bought the tank in July 1945 from the American troops that where clearing the village. Price: a bottle of Cognac. (Source website Histoire )



The imposing Tiger was moved into the main square of La Gleize and later restored by welding part of an original Panther barrel and muzzle brake from one of Skorzeny's disguised tanks left near Malmedy, to the remaining part of the Tiger barrel.

Inside the Museum very tastfull displays:





Than some pictures of the amazing displays and collection in the 101st Airborne Museum "De Mess". The 101st Airborne museum in Bastogne is located in the former officers mess building of the Belgian Army, built in 1936. This prestigious building was used by the German army as "Unteroffiziersheim" during the occupation of Bastogne in WWII. (source: Museum website www.101airbornemuseumbastogne.com)
















I hope to travel again in 2021 and look for some more hidden gems. Or should I post some more from the archives?

Cheers Paul

[Lee]

Thankyou for the post. I am in the same boat with you. looking through my stuff and sorting out kit.
I was in Arnhem at the museum loved it but no camera on me so the pics are in my head lol