Das Malmedy Massaker
At Dietrichs 1. SS Panzer Division, Jochen Peiper forced his way continually towards a western direction. On the way from Thirimont to Stavelot a tragedy which, to this day has not quite been clarified happened. The facts are too contradictory. At the cross-roads of Baugnez on the hill east of Malmedy, 125 GIs of B battery of the 285. Field Artillery Observation Battalion who were on the way from Malmedy to St. Vith, were shot. It was the first massacre, in which Peipers men were involved with. In Stavelot a breakthrough was forced, Trois Pont taken but the important bridges were destroyed. Peiper had to turn to the northwest, direction Stoumont, to be able to keep his general direction to the river Meuse.
At lunchtime the battle was in full swing around St. Vith. General Clarke who had tried to relieve the encircled troops in the Snow Eifel, felt exposed to an encirclement by superior German strengths. The surrounded U.S forces had to struggle their way through to their own lines.
Meanwhile, the troops of von Manteuffel stood in front of Wiltz and moved further toward Bastogne which only was protected by two roadblocks of the special units “Rose” and “Harper”. Eisenhower sent two divisions from his reserve to the Ardennes. The 101. Air Born Division was ordered to Bastogne, the 82. Air Born Division however to Werbomont to stop Peipers push to the Meuse.The Combat Unit B of the 10. U.S. Armoured Division joined the 101. division.
At that time the commando “Harper” was attacked by the 2. Panzer Division 15 km in front of Bastogne. The attack came in the darkness and meant the end of the tanks and half tracks. The survivors streamed back on Longvilly. The division then turned off for the surprise of the Americans to the north and approached Noville, 8 km north of Bastogne. From southeast the Panzer-Lehr Division approached, as well as the 26. Volksgrenadier Division . Fear spread among Bastogne. Scattered units and truck convoys dragged through the town to the rear incessantly. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, acting division commander of 101. US Division., reported to Major General Troy H. Middleton, the Commander of the VIII Corps. McAuliffe substituted Major General Maxwell Taylor who had been quoted to Washington. His point of view was, to be in charge of all forces in Bastogne. That obviously was rejected by Colonel William Roberts, Commander of Combat Unit B of the 10. U.S. Armoured Division. Middleton decided that both should proceed independently of each other.
Colonel Roberts dispersed his units in a semicircle east of Bastogne. One unit under Lieutenant Colonel James O'Hara, closed the road to Wiltz. Lieutenant Colonel Henry James Cherry defended the road to Longvilly and Major William Desobry was entrusted with the defence of Noville. Bayerlein always at the head of his Panzer-Lehr-Division was closing in on Mageret and Bastogne on side-streets and side-tracks. To the north the 26. Volksgrenadier Division stormed against Longvilly and still further north Noville waited for the 2. Panzer Division. In front of Wiltz stood the 5. Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) Division under the command of Colonel Heilmann who was ordered to by-pass Wiltz and to push further west.. But Heilmanns troops, equipped badly equipped and hungry, knew that Wiltz was one single gigantic catering camp with food and warm coats . They wanted these treasures badly, one way or another.
In the meantime the fight around the Snow Eifel came to an end. The 106. US Division surrendered and 8 000, possibly even 9 000 US soldiers went into captivity. This was the greatest surrender in the history of the U.S. Army next to Bataan in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Bayerlein and the Panzer-Lehr arrived in Neffe after they seized a US ambulance detachment in Margeret. Twilight was falling and very dense fog wrapped up the area. He heard engine noise and was not sure whether this noise was from his own vehicles or from American tanks that a Belgian had told him stories about in Magaret. He decided to wait for dawn.. Within these minutes the first paratroopers of the 101. U.S. Air Born Division moved in the direction of Neffe and got in contact with Bayerleins troops quite fast. Bayerlein no friend of fear felt surrounded by ghosts respectively by a whole division and gave order to dig in.