Insanity At the Sanatorium

The Americans were slowly encirc/ing and cutting off supply to Kampfgruppe Peiper, an elite SS taskforce of the 1st SS Panzer Abteilung that had deeply penetrated the northern flank of the Bulge. One American objective was to block a Kampfgruppe escape route at the town of Stoumont. On the western …

1944-12-20

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The Americans were slowly encirc/ing and cutting off supply to Kampfgruppe Peiper, an elite SS taskforce of the 1st SS Panzer Abteilung that had deeply penetrated the northern flank of the Bulge. One American objective was to block a Kampfgruppe escape route at the town of Stoumont. On the western edge of the town was Eduard Sanatoríum. which was ideally located to serve as a strongpoint to stop Peiper's retreat. During the day on the 20th, a combined-arms team from the American 30th Division (Task Force Jordan, led by Captain John Jordan) failed in forcing their way into Stoumont. At dusk, the Americans began an assault on the Sanatorium, and by midnight had secured it. They found over 200 children and patients in its cellars. The SS were not content to have the Americans hold this valued piece of property and quickly counterattacked. - Dale Holmstrom

Stoumont, Belgium

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Counteroffensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II, and took place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg, towards the end of the war in Europe. The offensive was intended to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and to split the Allied lines, allowing the Germans to encircle and destroy four Allied armies and force the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis powers' favor.

Wikipedia: Battle of the Bulge

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