Battlefield Travel - Exklusive militär-historische Reisen

Background

On September 16th, 1944 Hitler explained to his closest confidents that he decided to cut off the Allies from their supply chain by a surprise attack in the Ardennes and to destroy Antwerp as fast as possible. In the following months the attack, which carried the alias "Wacht am Rhein" (Watch on the Rhine), was prepared and on December 16 at 05.30, 20 divisions with 250,000 men at a front from Monschau in the north to Echternach in Luxemburg formed up.

One of the spearheads of this risky operation was Obersturmbannführer Jochen Peiper, Commander of the the SS Panzer Regiment. A former Adjutant Himmler`s, who already was awarded with the EK I & II (Iron Cross), Ritterkreuz (knight's cross) and German Cross in Gold for oustanding achievements as a Panzer leader in Russia. His thrust through the Ardennes, his participation in the Malmedy Massacre, the fight for roads and bridges, the end of his formidable Panzer Group in La Gleize as well as his violent death in July 1976 in France, form the frame this unique day tour by the Northern Ardennes.