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The Shell Begins to Crack

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Title
The Shell Begins to Crack
Description
After several days of battle, the goose egg that was the American’s St. Vith perimeter began to crack. Early in the morning of 21 December, a mixed force of German infantry and AFVs overran elements of the 27th Armored Infantry …
Publisher
Date
1944-12-21
Scenario#
PD03
Scenario Description
After several days of battle, the goose egg that was the American’s St. Vith perimeter began to crack. Early in the morning of 21 December, a mixed force of German infantry and AFVs overran elements of the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion and a company of the 811th Tank Destroyer Battalion. They punched through the American lines, advancing half a kilometer towards St. Vith. A scratch force, made up of riflemen from Company A, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, and Company B, 9th Engineers counterattacked. Soon joined by a platoon of Shermans, the Americans drove the enemy back.
Location
St. Vith, Belgium
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
The Battle of St. Vith was an engagement in Belgium fought during the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine in World War II. It was one of several battles on December 16, 1944 constituting the opening of Germany's Ardennes counteroffensive. The town of St. Vith, a vital road junction, was close to the boundary between the 5th and Sepp Dietrich’s Sixth Panzer Army, the two strongest units of the attack. St. Vith was also close to the western end of the Losheim Gap, a critical valley through the densely forested ridges of the Ardennes Forest and the axis of the entire German counteroffensive. Opposing this drive were units of the U.S. VIII Corps. These defenders were led by the U.S. 7th Armored Division and included the 424th Infantry (the remaining regiment of the 106th U.S. Infantry Division), elements of the 9th Armored Division's Combat Command B and the 112th Infantry of the U.S. 28th Infantry Division. These units, which operated under the command of Generals Robert W. Hasbrouck (7th Armored) and Alan W. Jones (106th Infantry), successfully resisted the German attacks, thereby significantly slowing the German advance.
Narrative Source
Combatants
German
American

Geolocation