Relief of Peiper

Ordered to move to the relief of Kampfgruppe 'Peiper', Max Hansen on December 21st started probing with his battlegroup between Trois Ponts and Grand Halleux. The 505th Parachute Regiment had established a defensive front to defend or blow the bridges …

1944-12-21

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Ordered to move to the relief of Kampfgruppe 'Peiper', Max Hansen on December 21st started probing with his battlegroup between Trois Ponts and Grand Halleux. The 505th Parachute Regiment had established a defensive front to defend or blow the bridges along this four-mile section behind the River Salm. Hansen attack at Trois Ponts overran the allied companies positioned on the East Side of the river. A withdrawal of survivors was ordered and although the German grenadiers made it to the bridge they were thrown back by fire from the antitank gun and the buildings. To the south, a strong defense at La Neuville, slowed the advance of German tanks and infantry. Just as the German forces overcame the defenders in La Neuville the battalion blew the bridge. The advanced had stalled and Allied Artillery forced the German troops to withdraw. On the 22nd, Panzergrenadiers fought a desperate battle for control of the Grand Halleux bridges. The paras blew one bridge while Germans were in the middle of it and the rest of the German force in the area fell back. There was no further attacks on the 505th sector.

Trois Ponts, Belgium

The Battle of Elsenborn Ridge refers to the northernmost German attacks during the Battle of the Bulge; the area from Elsenborn Ridge itself to Monschau was the only sector of the American front line attacked during the Battle of the Bulge where the Germans failed to advance. The battle centered on the boomerang-shaped Elsenborn Ridge east of Elsenborn, Belgium. In this region, Elsenborn Ridge marks the westernmost ridge of the Ardennes, rising more than 2,000 feet (600 m) above sea level; unlike the uplands further north, east and south, it has been extensively logged. West of Elsenborn Ridge, where the land descends in gentle hills to the cities of Liège and Spa, was a network of Allied supply bases and a well-developed road network. The Germans planned on using two key routes through the area to seize Antwerp and force a separate peace with the United States and Britain. Capturing Monschau, the nearby village of Höfen, and the twin villages of Rocherath-Krinkelt just east of Elsenborn Ridge, were key to the success of the German plans, and Hitler committed his best armored units to the area.

Wikipedia: Battle of Elsenborn Ridge

German

American

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