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The Twin Villages

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Title
The Twin Villages
Description
As German troops poured into the Ardennes, Lt.-Col. William McKinley, grandson of the former president, found his depleted 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division facing the 12th SS “Hitler Youth” Panzer Division. The 9th Infantry had seen heavy …
Subject
Publisher
Date
1944-12-18
Scenario#
46
Scenario Description
As German troops poured into the Ardennes, Lt.-Col. William McKinley, grandson of the former president, found his depleted 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division facing the 12th SS “Hitler Youth” Panzer Division. The 9th Infantry had seen heavy fighting in previous weeks and had been transferred to this “quiet” sector to rest and refit before re-joining the action. Instead of rest, McKinley scrambled to position his troops to withstand the SS onslaught, with both sides determined to control the Lausdell crossroads just outside the village of Krinkelt.
Location
Rocherath, Belgium
Battle Narrative
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.
Narrative Source
Combatants
German
American

Geolocation