Although the American forces in the St. Vith area came under command of General Ridgways XVIII Airborne Corps, the Airborne Corps itself was under the command of Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, overall commander of the northern sector of the Bulge. Model informed Manteuffel that he would be given the Fhrer Escort Brigade, which was nearly equal in strength to an American light armored division, for the upcoming assault on St. Vith. Because Ridgway was not in total agreement with the withdrawal and to get a feel for the real situation on the ground, he and Hasbrouck made their way to General Clarke at Commanster. At about midday, the field marshal sent a message to General Hasbrouck: You have accomplished your missiona mission well done. The division's intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robert P. Stout, noted that the division faced two known enemy divisions, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division and the 26th Volksgrenadier Division. All but five troopers of 2nd Platoon were lost to enemy action. Penguin Books, 2016. They were repulsed by machine-gun fire. 1941622 . The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army ( Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Combat Interviews of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient, December 17-23, 1944. The column came upon stragglers from the 424th Infantry retreating in disarray toward St. Vith. Under cover of automatic weapons fire from a platoon of light tanks, Sergeant Eugene Dorland and two other men from the engineers went into the cold, bullet-splattered water carrying three cases of TNT and placed their charges on the south abutment of the bridge. On February 5, 1945 General Walter Botsch took over command of the division. Two of its tanks were mired in mud that had not frozen and had to be retrieved by a tank dozer. So, rather than spill blood needlessly to take meaningless ground, Hoge called off the attack on Winterspelt. At St. Vith, Lt. Col. William H. Slayden was with Jones when Jones received the call from Middleton concerning 7th Armored Division support. Jones wanted Clarke to counterattack immediately with his combat command and break that ring that these people have closed around the Schnee Eifel.. Hoge departed Faymonville at approximately 1800, arriving at General Joness headquarters in the St. Josephs Kloster about a half hour later. After Clarke and Hoge settled upon a mutually supportive command structure, Clarke noted that Hoges command was, for the most part, forward of a railroad track built on a high embankment. Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field Division. 194311 The similarity in appearance between the Panzer IV and Tiger I is often cited as a reason to why there are so many claims made by soldiers during World War II of battling Tiger Is, despite Tiger Is being a fairly rare encounter. However, there is one major issue with this explanation, Panzer IVs were not attacking Troop B. Close. The Americans knew that their only hope in doing any sort of damage to this beast was to get as close as possible to it and shoot its weaker rear armor. Soon after its crossing, B Company ran into German infantry dug in along the high ground overlooking the village of Elcherath. 223 223. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. The men of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps had expected to be on the Meuse by December 19, but on the night of December 20 the Americans still denied them access to St. Vith. August 18th, 1989 Kalb, Herbert Kalbhenn, Heinrich * February 3rd, 1915 more Kaldeway, x Kalesse, Gerhard (Grenadier-Regiment 689) * July 15th, 1918 October 23rd, 2011 Kaletsch, Georg * October 16th, 1914 March 6th, 1944 Kaletsch, Wilhelm Kalinowski, Josef (Panzergrenadier-Regiment "GD") * January 23rd, 1916 April 5th, 1944 Grave: UNK Schneider, Wolfgang. Manteuffels operation in the St. Vith area was already three days behind schedule. 18e volksgrenadier division English translation: 18th volksgrenadier division (wehrmacht).. Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. The northern prong of the horseshoe was composed of CCB, 7th Armored Division from Poteau and Vielsalm. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Orders for CCB, 9th Armored to move to a new defensive position were issued at 1600. 1947. Chamberlain, Peter, et al. 12th Volksgrenadier Division 89; 197; 487; 557; 650; 727. The two commanders agreed that even without the mud to contend with the withdrawal would have to be delayed simply because of heavy enemy pressure. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. The greatest danger existed in the 424ths position because the regiments flank lay vulnerable to attacks by the 116th Panzer Division to the south. Osprey Publishing, 2013. General Luchts plan for December 17 was simple. Late on December 17, General Manteuffel was concerned with the lack of progress in his attack beyond the Schnee Eifel toward St. Vith. Volksgrenadier-Division 5 [ ] 120th Infantry Regiment (30th Infantry Division) 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion 319th Field Artillery Glider Battalion 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment German Units 3d Parachute Division 12th SS Panzer Division 18th Volksgrenadier Division 246th Volsgrenadier Division 884th March Battalion 905th Assault Gun Brigade General Clarke again called on the 9th Armored for assistance to help stiffen his line, and Hoge responded by sending the 3rd Battalion, 424th Regimental Combat Team. The earliest known mention can be found in the December 18th, 1944 morning report and record of events entry of Troop E, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which briefly states that an M-8 atchd [attached] to A Tr [Troop A] knocked out one Tiger tank. Johnston, W. Wesley. Germanys Tiger Tanks D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production & Modifications. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Zaloga, Steven. Schneider, Wolfgang. Infanterie-Division Hamburg 19453 . Osprey Publishing, 2010. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. To execute this maneuver, Hoges entire command would have to move all the way up to St. Vith and back down again. The American plan was that once the 2nd Infantry Division reduced the German defenses at the Wahlerscheid crossroads, CCB was to spearhead a drive to the reservoirs north of Gemund and Schleiden. There are no German records or histories which indicate that, on 18th December 1944, a Tiger I or a Tiger II was knocked out in or around St. Vith. events, and resources, The Battle of the Bulge & The Defense of St. Vith. I think we can make it now. None of these Tiger IIs were lost at St. Vith and from photographic evidence at least three are recorded to have no burn damage and/or holes in the rear. English Edition, Casemate Publishers, 2014. Fortunately, a tank destroyer from Vielsalm turned up and hit the leading two German panzers, which drove the rest for cover. The troop was to hold until relieved by the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion (AIB) and then reconnoiter farther down the road toward Winterspelt. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, commander of CCB, 7th Armored Division, arrived at General Joness command post in St. Vith at approximately 1030. On its way to the new position, C Company came under a sudden artillery and rocket barrage in the village of Lommersweiler. CCB, 9th Armored was linked on its left with CCB, 7th Armored and what was left of the 424th Infantry Regiment on its right. VGD. Given that the American accounts do not give a consistent account of what happened that day at St. Vith, the other side of this story must also be investigated. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. During the early hours of December 17, the Germans laid heavy mortar and artillery fire on the front-line positions of his regiment. The route terminated at several vital crossroads in the city of St. Vith. Within the Kloster, General Hoge found a division headquarters staff in a state of disarray and confusion. The Tiger I was a 57 tonne German heavy tank that has become one of the most famous tanks in history. According to two combat interviews given by men of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report for the month of December 1944, and Lieutenant Colonel Boylans 1946 letter, on 18th December 1944, the Germans attacked the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B) with infantry and tanks. Much like the Panzer IV, the StuG III was a mainstay of the German army as well as Germanys most produced armored fighting vehicle of the war with over 9,400 produced. On 18 January 1945, the final alignment became (XVIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group) -- the alignment in the hierarchy given here. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division completed its southern swing, encircling the two regiments of the 106th Division on the Schnee Eifel. During the rest of the day and on into the evening of December 17, CCB, 7th Armored moved into St. Vith and began a buildup that resembled a large horseshoe on the high ground to the east of the village. They were followed in order by the half-tracks and other vehicles of the 27th AIB, the tank companies, the antiaircraft company, and the engineers. Jentz, Thomas. By dark, Lt. Col. Engeman and his two task forces were back in their assembly area in the vicinity of Breitfeld. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. His troops remained in place, and the pullout to the west side of the Our River began at dusk. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Company B of the 9th Engineers and D Company of the 89th Recon joined the line to supplement the armored infantry. The tanks of the 14th Tank Battalion and the half-tracks of the 27th AIB paused to pick up the foot elements of the 424th RCT, 106th Infantry Division. The division had lost four companies of armored infantry. 18th Artillery Division 651. Despite the loss of St. Vith, General Ridgway believed that the American armored and infantry forces defending St. Vith since December 16 could still hold. Germanys Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to TIGER II. Beevor, Antony. Volksgrenadier Division 2. Ministry of Supply, 1945. The stubborn defenders of St. Vith played a major role in defeating the final German offensive of World War II in Western Europe. 188 was raised in late 1939. Volksgrenadier Division 5. Colonel Alexander D. Reid, commander of the 424th Infantry Regiment, had reason to fear encirclement. There is no comparison to Tiger. However, it cannot be definitively stated that this is another version of the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story due to its ambiguity. Its supporting field artillery battalion was at Kalterherberg, two miles south of Monschau, engaged in firing missions for the 2nd and 99th Infantry Divisions. After the Tiger I had passed, the armored car then slipped out of its concealed position and began accelerating towards the tank in an attempt to close the gap between the two. While a single troop of the 14th Cavalry Group continued to resist the German spearheads, the 106th's engineers dug in to block the crucial Schoenberg road 2 miles east of St. Vith, a last ditch defense, hoping . It was a new and inexperienced division made up of Luftwaffe personnel, former Kriegsmariners out of a December 20 was a day of disappointment for the Germans around St. Vith. War Department Field Manual FM 2-20 Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized. Ridgways 82nd Airborne was building a fairly firm line west of the St. Vith defenders that should prevent the Germans from cutting off the salient from the rear. The move had scarcely begun when an enemy attack hit the junction between Company B, 27th AIB and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion. At 0130 the 27th AIB was hit hard and the sector held by Company B, 9th Engineers was deeply penetrated, causing the armored infantry to fall back under the protective guns of Company A, 14th Tank Battalion. Thus, the Fifth Panzer Army commander ordered that St. Vith be taken no later than the second day of the offensive. The rounded portion of the horseshoe was composed of Colonel Dwight Rosebaums CCA, 7th Armored between Poteau and Rodt and General Clarkes CCB, 7th Armored in the very center protecting St. Vith. According to the British, 37 mm M6 guns APC M51 can only penetrate around a maximum of 65mm of rolled homogeneous armor plate (RHA) at 30 degrees under V50 ballistic standards. Given that the rear hull armor of a Tiger II is 80 mm of RHA angled at 30 degrees, it is essentially impossible for the M8 Greyhounds 37 mm M6 gun to penetrate the rear hull armor of the Tiger II. The U.S. 9th Armored Division contested the German advance around St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge, and won precious time in the process. The area being defended was beginning to take the form of a large horseshoe, its axis running approximately northeast to southeast. Elements of D Company, 89th Recon screened the flanks. Your email address will not be published. He said that the fight took about ninety minutes and that they used almost all their ammunition. When Model released the Fhrer Escort Brigade to General Manteuffel, he thought that he would be able to gain quick access to the St. Vith road network. Osprey Publishing, 2002. Shortly thereafter, Hasbrouck called and asked, Bruce, do you think you can get out? Clarke answered, A miracle has happened, General! VGD led by Heinz Kokott, Heinrich Himmler's brother-in-law. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18.Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Lever het aan! Little offtopic here but another misidentification might be the 1 destroyed 88mm assault gun (Ferdinand). Adding to the slowdown of operations against St. Vith, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division was still using two of its three regiments and all but one of its artillery battalions against the two trapped 106th Infantry Division regiments on the Schnee Eifel. After Action Report, Month of December, 1944. Add to cart. EN. No reinforcements were expected. He could not believe it. VGD division was absorbed into the 26. Troop D, 89th Recon held the sector from Steinebruck to Weppeler while A Company, 27th AIB put up a defensive line anchored on the high ground east of Maspelt. While making his reconnaissance at Monschau he received an urgent message to call V Corps headquarters.

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