A Midnight Clear

Leaving their heavy equipment and vehicles behind, members of Kampfgruppe Peiper knew it was time to get back to their own lines in the waning hours of Christmas Eve. Peiper's 800 men timed their movement with the expected withdrawal of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and this went off …

1944-12-24

OA23

Leaving their heavy equipment and vehicles behind, members of Kampfgruppe Peiper knew it was time to get back to their own lines in the waning hours of Christmas Eve. Peiper's 800 men timed their movement with the expected withdrawal of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and this went off without much activity, as the 505th PIR was trying to avoid the delay a firefight would cause. Unfortunately for the men of the 1st SS, Lt. Col. Shanley's 508th PIR was much more willing to stay and fight, and around midnight some hammering by Germans attempting to repair the bridge across the Salm alerted them to the attack.

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.

German

American

Scenario Type = Standard