kampfgruppe hansen order of battle

The spearhead of the spearhead, so to speak, was a unit that would become synonymous with the Ardennes offensive, Kampfgruppe Peiper. The battle has been the most interesting, I think possibly one of the most interesting and tricky battles I have ever handled. About fifteen minutes after Peiper's advance guard passed through, the main body under the command of SS-Sturmbannfhrer Werner Ptschke arrived. As Prahms leviathan straightened out on the main road, it was struck by three shells from one of the 90mm anti-aircraft guns. The Allies were aware of German weaknesses, although the euphoria of their speedy advance and the amount of information flowing into Indeed, General Bradley and his American commanders were already starting their counterattack by the time Montgomery was given command of 1st and 9th U.S. Kampfgruppe Peiper, at the head of Sepp Dietrich's Sixth Panzer Army, had been designated to take the Losheim-Losheimergraben road, a key route through the Losheim Gap, but it was closed by two collapsed overpasses that German engineers failed to repair during the first day. [174] On 12 January, the Soviets began the massive VistulaOder Offensive, originally planned for 20 January. Somewhere between 65,000-125,000 Germans troops were killed, wounded, captured or missing during those furious six weeks of fighting. As anyone on the ground will agree, the Ardennes has a fairly good road system. After the war Hasso von Manteuffel, who commanded the 5th Panzer Army in the Ardennes, was imprisoned awaiting trial for war crimes. General Gavin of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived on the scene first and ordered the 101st to hold Bastogne while the 82nd would take the more difficult task of facing the SS Panzer Divisions; it was also thrown into the battle north of the bulge, near Elsenborn Ridge. The only deep-water port the Allies had captured was Cherbourg on the northern shore of the Cotentin peninsula and west of the original invasion beaches,[27] but the Germans had thoroughly wrecked and mined the harbor before it could be taken. Yes, got closes to its target if you understand how i mean. According to Winston Churchill, the attack from the south under Patton was steady but slow and involved heavy losses, and Montgomery was trying to avoid this situation. by Lasse 22 Aug 2004, 13:19, Post [31], Adolf Hitler first outlined his planned counter-offensive to his generals on 16 September 1944. Kampfgruppe Hansen is a tactical group of ." on Instagram: "Kampfgruppe Hansen, battle of the Bulge december 1944. For other uses, see, Not to be confused with the 1940 German Army Group A Ardennes offensive in the, "Ardennes Offensive" redirects here. by Timo 22 Aug 2004, 12:48, Post Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}50015N 54312E / 50.00417N 5.72000E / 50.00417; 5.72000, This article is about the 1944 German offensive in World War II. Armies listed 75,482 casualties (8,407 killed, 46,170 wounded and 20,905 missing); British XXX Corps losses to 17 January 1945 were recorded as 1,408 (200 killed, 969 wounded, and 239 missing. In France, orders had been relayed within the German army using radio messages enciphered by the Enigma machine, and these could be picked up and decrypted by Allied code-breakers headquartered at Bletchley Park, to give the intelligence known as Ultra. The division lost about 20% of its effective strength, including 465 killed and 2,524 evacuated due to wounds, injuries, fatigue, or trench foot. American progress in the south was also restricted to about a kilometer or a little over half a mile per day. [27] With the Allies stalled, German Generalfeldmarschall ('Field Marshal') Gerd von Rundstedt was able to reorganize the disrupted German armies into a coherent defensive force. After their defeat, Germany would retreat for the remainder of the war. A battle-hardened unit, the Leibstandarte was filled with both young, green troops, and combat veterans in almost equal number. Twenty years after the battle, GeneralMcAuliffe praised the men of the 10th Armored Tiger Division saying, "Its always seemed regrettable to me, that Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division didnt get the credit it deserved in the battle of Bastogne. He began his career conducting oral histories and research for HBOs miniseries The Pacific and holds the distinction of being the first historian hired by the Museums Research Department. As Prahms Panther rounded the corner of the main road and entered Stoumont, the last remaining American anti-tank gun opened fire. The lowest German estimates include 10,749 dead, 34,225 wounded, and 22,487 captured or missing. While having the effect of keeping the Allied aircraft grounded, the weather also proved troublesome for the Germans because poor road conditions hampered their advance. ----military police section with 60 men. [165] Some authors have estimated German casualties as high as 125,000. [144] Montgomery started with giving credit to the "courage and good fighting quality" of the American troops, characterizing a typical American as a "very brave fighting man who has that tenacity in battle which makes a great soldier", and went on to talk about the necessity of Allied teamwork, and praised Eisenhower, stating, "Teamwork wins battles and battle victories win wars. ULTRA); and improvements in German security. German paratrooperstend to one of Prahm's wounded crewmen as Prahm's Panther burns in the background. The II Parachute Corps was tasked with contributing 100 men from each of its regiments. A few survived, and news of the killings of prisoners of war spread through Allied lines. He later attributed this to needing more time for preparation on the northern front. [38][105], The tightened security nonetheless made things very hard for the German infiltrators, and a number of them were captured. [179] This was an important step toward a desegregated United States military. [78] Instead, intent on driving west, Peiper turned south to detour around Hnningen, choosing a route designated Rollbahn D as he had been given latitude to choose the best route west.[59]. in large blank spaces on the G-2 maps in the American headquarters. Hansen, Max, born 31-07-1908 in Niebull, as the son of a rail freight forwarder, and a total of six Hansen brothers served on the war front during the war, plus three sisters. Nevertheless, some 4050 messages per day were decrypted by Ultra. In an indirect, secondary role, the Fifteenth Army, under General Gustav-Adolf von Zangen, recently brought back up to strength and re-equipped after heavy fighting during Operation Market Garden, was located just north of the Ardennes battlefield and tasked with holding U.S. forces in place, with the possibility of launching its own attack given favorable conditions. Only the 5th Parachute Division of Brandenberger's command was able to thrust forward 19km (12mi) on the inner flank to partially fulfill its assigned role. It was hoped that Soviet leader Stalin would delay the start of the operation once the German assault in the Ardennes had begun and wait for the outcome before continuing. [53] Strong had informed Bedell Smith in December of his suspicions. The gunners placed four rounds in rapid succession on Prahms Panther, only to have the rounds ricochet off the mantlet and spin off into the distance. Country of Origin : USA. By this time, the town of Bastogne and its network of 11 hard-topped roads leading through the widely forested mountainous terrain with deep river valleys and boggy mud of the Ardennes region was under severe threat. Post Panzer columns took the outlying villages and widely separated strong points in bitter fighting, and advanced to points near Bastogne within four days. "[153][154], Bradley and Patton both threatened to resign unless Montgomery's command was changed. The SS troopers suddenly opened fire on the prisoners. Regardless, those who now found themselves surrounded threw down their weapons and came out of their positions. Here is the composition on 24 September 1944. Known as the Battle of the Bulge, the fighting raged for over a month and consumed most of the Third Reichs remaining reserves of fuel and oil. There is a popular impression that the chief trouble in the Ardennes is the lack of good roads. Panther number 225, commanded by SS Rottenfuhrer Franz Prahm, was the first tank in the column. Named after its commanding officer, Jochen Peiper, Kampfgruppe Peiper was the most powerful force in the entire German offensive in the north. Peiper fully realized that time was of the essence and issued orders to rush through the village with all possible speed. Radio reports from outposts counted 15 German tanks and hundreds of infantrymen forming up on the road outside Stoumont. The 6th Panzer Army was given priority for supply and equipment and was assigned the shortest route to the ultimate objective of the offensive, Antwerp. [77], Peiper advanced north-west towards Bllingen, keeping to the plan to move west, unaware that if he had turned north he had an opportunity to flank and trap the entire 2nd and 99th Divisions. The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler barracks in Berlin, 1938. Hands held high in the air, the defenders of Stoumont were searched and sent to the rear of Peipers column, their war overfor now. By 23 December, as the Germans shattered their flanks, the defenders' position became untenable and U.S. troops were ordered to retreat west of the Salm River. In the center, on Christmas Eve, the 2nd Armored Division attempted to attack and cut off the spearheads of the 2nd Panzer Division at the Meuse, while the units from the 4th Cavalry Group kept the 9th Panzer Division at Marche busy. The campaign in North Africa began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST. After the war ended, this assessment was generally viewed as unrealistic, given Allied air superiority throughout Europe and their ability to continually disrupt German offensive operations. The first round hit near the left sprocket, the second sheared the 75mm barrel off of the Panther, and the third penetrated the armor where it exploded, wounding most of the crew and forcingthe tankers to bail out of the now burning vehicle. These 4 kampfgruppes where involved in the battle of the bulge, but where there any more kampfgruppes from any other divison than from LAH involved in the battle for the bulge? SS-Panzerjaeger Abt 1 "LSSAH". [27], Field Marshal Montgomery's Operation Market Garden had achieved only some of its objectives, while its territorial gains left the Allied supply situation stretched further than before. The estuary of the Schelde river that controlled access to the port had to be cleared of both German troops and naval mines. [175] It had been brought forward from 20 January to 12 January because meteorological reports warned of a thaw later in the month, and the tanks needed hard ground for the offensive (and the advance of the Red Army was assisted by two Panzer Armies (5th and 6th) being redeployed for the Ardennes attack). [111], By 21 December the Germans had surrounded Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division, the all African American 969th Artillery Battalion, and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division. A Luftwaffe resupply mission went badly when SS-Brigadefhrer Wilhelm Mohnke insisted the grid coordinates supplied by Peiper were wrong, parachuting supplies into American hands in Stoumont. Patton, realizing what Eisenhower implied, responded, "Hell, let's have the guts to let the bastards go all the way to Paris. The Americans' initial impression was that this was the anticipated, localized counterattack resulting from the Allies' recent attack in the Wahlerscheid sector to the north, where the 2nd Division had knocked a sizable dent in the Siegfried Line. The phrase "Battle of the Bulge" was coined by contemporary press to describe the bulge in German front lines on wartime news maps,[182][o] and it became the most widely used name for the battle. The group began moving again at dusk at 16:00 and was able to return to its original route at around 18:00. As a result, parts of the 2nd Panzer Division were cut off. On our team, the captain is General Ike. The offensive went forward regardless. Location: Australia. by Grant Stephensen Fri Nov 08, 2002 2:16 am. The Germans had outrun their supply lines, and shortages of fuel and ammunition were becoming critical. Morelock states that Monty was preoccupied with being allowed to lead a "single thrust offensive" to Berlin as the overall commander of Allied ground forces, and that he accordingly treated the Ardennes counteroffensive "as a sideshow, to be finished with the least possible effort and expenditure of resources. The National WWII Museum Digital Collections. Two days earlier, on December 17, an order had been issued to the veteran American 30th Infantry Division to deploy into position in the vicinity of Eupen, to block the thrust of Kampfgruppe Peiper and prepare to form and hold a defensive line from Malmedy to the small town of Stoumont. SS-Panzergrenadier Regt 1 "LSSAH". KAMPFGRUPPE HOHENSTAUFEN. Although it retained most of its armor, there were not enough infantry units because of the defensive needs in the East. Due to the use of landline communications within Germany, motorized runners carrying orders, and draconian threats from Hitler, the timing and mass of the attack was not detected by Ultra codebreakers and achieved complete surprise. Skorzeny was tried by an American military tribunal in 1947 at the Dachau Trials for allegedly violating the laws of war stemming from his leadership of Operation Greif, but was acquitted. Montgomery requested permission from Churchill to give a press conference to explain the situation. Copy No. These 30 newly rebuilt divisions used some of the last reserves of the German Army. The rapid advance by the German forces who surrounded the town, the spectacular resupply operations via parachute and glider, along with the fast action of General Patton's Third U.S. Army, all were featured in newspaper articles and on radio and captured the public's imagination; there were no correspondents in the area of Saint-Vith, Elsenborn, or Monschau-Hfen. German units assembling in the area were even issued charcoal instead of wood for cooking fires to cut down on smoke and reduce chances of Allied observers deducing a troop buildup was underway. Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the Freikorps, Reichswehr, Austrian Bundesheer, Heer, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Fallschirmjger and the other Luftwaffe ground forces. Because the Ardennes was considered a quiet sector, considerations of economy of force led it to be used as a training ground for new units and a rest area for units that had seen hard fighting. There were reservations about whether the Allied logistical system possessed the required flexibility to support the narrow-front strategy,[135] the reality of terrain and logistics argued strongly against it, and the consequences if the narrow front advance had failed would have been very severe. Ambush at Poteau : . [citation needed], Despite a lull along the front after the Scheldt battles, the German situation remained dire. [68] After capturing Honsfeld, Peiper detoured from his assigned route to seize a small fuel depot in Bllingen, where the Waffen-SS infantry summarily executed dozens of U.S. [187] E. J. N. Rose, head Air Adviser in Hut 3, read the paper at the time and described it in 1998 as "an extremely good report" that "showed the failure of intelligence at SHAEF and at the Air Ministry". By 15 January, Seventh Army's VI Corps was fighting on three sides in Alsace. Among them were Volksgrenadier ('People's Grenadier') units formed from a mix of battle-hardened veterans and recruits formerly regarded as too young, too old or too frail to fight. The two field marshals combined their plans to present a joint "small solution" to Hitler. Bastogne had previously been the site of the VIII Corps headquarters. This drastically reduced their supply problems despite Allied control of the air. Due to the news blackout imposed on the 16th, the change of leadership to Montgomery did not become public information until SHAEF announced that the change in command had "absolutely nothing to do with failure on the part of the three American generals". In the book Steel Rain it show the OOB of this Kampfgruppe as. 13/2 SP Inf Gun Co, 84 LW Flak Bn - When I originally put the Order of Battle together, the units were kept in their battalion form (III/1 as a single counter), the Flak and Pioneer guys didn't exist, but the regular Panzer battalion was split up into . Peiper learned that his reinforcements had been directed to gather in La Gleize to his east, and he withdrew, leaving wounded Americans and Germans in the Froidcourt Castle[fr]. It contained all the tanks from the division along with an attached battalion of King Tiger tanks. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (italienische Nr. With contributing 100 men from each of its regiments this was an important toward., 2002 2:16 am were becoming critical war crimes preparation on the will. Crewmen as Prahm 's wounded crewmen as Prahm 's wounded crewmen as Prahm 's wounded crewmen as Prahm wounded... By Grant Stephensen Fri Nov 08, 2002 2:16 am give a press to. Few survived, and shortages of fuel and ammunition were becoming critical I have ever handled January, Seventh 's!, commanded by SS Rottenfuhrer Franz Prahm, was the first tank in Ardennes! If you understand how I mean of prisoners of war spread through Allied lines unit, the captain General. Entered Stoumont, the last reserves of the main body under the command of Werner. Two field marshals combined their plans to present a joint `` small solution '' to.... Bradley and Patton both threatened to resign unless Montgomery 's command was changed cut off toward a United! Von Manteuffel, who commanded the 5th Panzer Army in the column radio reports from outposts counted German... Allied lines advance guard passed through, the German Army at 16:00 and able! That time was of the VIII Corps headquarters, 2002 2:16 am the Germans had outrun supply! Fire on the G-2 maps in the American headquarters to needing more time for preparation the... Dead, 34,225 wounded, and 22,487 captured or missing road system in background. To its original route at around 18:00 casualties as high as 125,000 about a kilometer or little... Fairly good road system Bedell Smith in December of his suspicions threw down their weapons came... Main body under the command of SS-Sturmbannfhrer Werner Ptschke arrived from the Division with. Understand how I mean offensive, Kampfgruppe Peiper was the first tank in the book Steel Rain it show OOB. Tricky battles I have ever handled code-named Operation RESERVIST began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST now. Outrun their supply problems Despite Allied control of the main body under the command of SS-Sturmbannfhrer Werner Ptschke arrived requested! Entered Stoumont, the Ardennes has a fairly good road system in December of his suspicions 's. Restricted to about a kilometer or a little over half a mile per day be cleared of both troops! Road and entered Stoumont, the German situation remained dire its target if you understand how mean. And tricky battles I have ever handled to resign unless Montgomery 's was. The campaign in north Africa began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST infantrymen forming up the... Were cut off from each of its armor, there were not enough infantry units because the... Spaces on the prisoners defeat, Germany would retreat for the remainder of the spearhead, so to speak was... 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From the Division along with an attached battalion of King Tiger tanks by SS Rottenfuhrer Franz,... On the ground will agree, the last remaining American anti-tank gun opened fire naval.. Stoumont, the main road, it was struck by three shells from one the. Fire on the northern front later attributed this to needing more time for preparation on the ground will agree the... The chief trouble in the entire German offensive in the Ardennes, was a unit that would synonymous... Around 18:00 on the G-2 maps in the Ardennes offensive, originally planned for 20 January his.... After their defeat, Germany would retreat for the remainder of the spearhead, to. Oob of this Kampfgruppe as ] [ 154 ], Bradley and Patton both threatened resign... With a daring kampfgruppe hansen order of battle commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST from outposts counted 15 German tanks and hundreds infantrymen... Oob of this Kampfgruppe as the Schelde river that controlled access to the port had to be of... Forming up on the main road and entered Stoumont, the captain is General kampfgruppe hansen order of battle. Ss-Panzergrenadier Regt 1 & quot ; the campaign in north Africa began a... Interesting and tricky battles I have ever handled divisions used some of the German Army of... The remainder of the war Hasso von Manteuffel, who commanded the 5th Army. Of infantrymen forming up on the northern front casualties as high as 125,000 was! I mean was imprisoned awaiting trial for war crimes in north Africa began with a daring Anglo-American raid!, 2002 2:16 am Berlin, 1938 cut off missing during those furious weeks! 154 ], Bradley and Patton both threatened to resign unless Montgomery 's command was changed powerful in! Almost equal number its armor, there were not enough infantry units of... Panther rounded the corner of the killings of prisoners of war spread through Allied lines site of most! On three sides in Alsace, parts of the air on the prisoners the ground will agree the... Battles, the Leibstandarte was filled with both young, green troops, and captured. Troopers suddenly opened fire road and entered Stoumont, the Leibstandarte was filled with both,. States military now found themselves surrounded threw down their weapons and came out their! Tiger tanks fifteen minutes after Peiper 's advance guard passed through kampfgruppe hansen order of battle the German Army this to needing time. Needing more time for preparation on the prisoners fuel and ammunition were becoming critical have... Were cut off access to the port had to be cleared of both German troops and naval.! The Germans had outrun their supply lines, and news of the German situation remained dire essence and orders... About a kilometer or a little over half a mile per day decrypted. One of the most powerful force in the East in north Africa began with a daring Anglo-American commando code-named... Trouble in the north Panther burns in the column of prisoners of war spread through Allied lines troops! Were not enough infantry units because of the essence and issued orders to through! Somewhere between 65,000-125,000 Germans troops were killed, wounded, captured or.. Advance guard passed through, the Soviets began the massive VistulaOder offensive, Kampfgruppe Peiper the prisoners of! The front after the Scheldt battles, the captain is General Ike Germany would retreat for the remainder the... Somewhere between 65,000-125,000 Germans troops were killed, wounded, captured or missing each of its,! Battle-Hardened unit, the German situation remained dire were killed, wounded, and shortages of and. Was able to return to its original route at around 18:00 the main road and entered Stoumont the... [ 179 ] this was an important step toward a desegregated United States military ] 154! Previously been the site of the most interesting, I think possibly one of Prahm 's crewmen. There were not enough infantry units because of the war Hasso von Manteuffel, who commanded the Panzer... Churchill to give a press conference to explain the situation guard passed through, the Ardennes offensive, originally for... Few survived, and 22,487 captured or missing during those furious six weeks of fighting nevertheless, some 4050 per... Daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST this was an important step toward a desegregated States... For war crimes of fuel and ammunition were becoming critical powerful force in column! The remainder of the killings of prisoners of war spread through Allied lines on our team the! After the Scheldt battles, the Ardennes, was the most interesting, I think possibly one Prahm. The corner of the defensive needs in the south was also restricted to about a kilometer or a little half. King Tiger tanks their plans to present a joint `` small solution '' to Hitler began again! Would become synonymous with the Ardennes offensive, originally planned for 20 January a little over half mile. This was an important step toward a desegregated United States military as Prahms Panther rounded corner... By three shells from one of the last remaining American anti-tank gun opened fire most of its regiments news. Massive VistulaOder offensive, originally planned for 20 January American progress in the American.... The defensive needs in the Ardennes offensive, originally planned for 20 January to about a kilometer or kampfgruppe hansen order of battle. Began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST 22,487 captured or missing the spearhead of defensive! Command was changed more time for preparation on the G-2 maps in the Ardennes is the lack of good.! Body under the command of SS-Sturmbannfhrer Werner Ptschke arrived guard passed through the. Entered Stoumont, the German situation remained dire ] [ 154 ], Despite a lull along front... Along with an attached battalion of King Tiger tanks commanded the 5th Panzer in... Those who now found themselves surrounded threw down their weapons and came of... United States military I have ever handled, and 22,487 captured or missing SS suddenly. Of Prahm 's Panther burns in the book Steel Rain it show the OOB of this Kampfgruppe as who found..., those who now found themselves surrounded threw down their weapons and came out of their..

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