18th volksgrenadier division 18th volksgrenadier division

Three times the grenadiers [German] tried to rush their way through the foxhole line held by the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion (Lt. Col. William H. G. Fuller) and B Troop of the 87th astride the Schnberg road. 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. As the offensive steam came to an end in the Ardennes, the division went on the defensive, and there they would stay. Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. First Edition, Presidio Press, 2002. 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. General Frederich Kittel, the division commander, ordered his mobile battalion up from his 164th Regiment reserve at Pronsfeld and into the attack along the Winterspelt road. During his meeting with Hoge, General Ridgway became convinced that defending this area any further would be futile. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating the 571st Volksgrenadier Division. js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/710cf52d-720a-4250-8e95-fc85dcedab01"; 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. A two-day rest was planned for everyone. The German tank then stopped dead in its tracks and shuddered; there was a muffled explosion, followed by flames which billowed out of the turret and engine ports. English PDF (33 MB) Jan B-700 One, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division, was holding the northern reaches of the Schnee Eifel. Company A of the 27th AIB had been assigned to the 99th Infantry Division and was in the process of being retrieved when the march to St. Vith began. By this time the Germans had essentially closed the trap on the two infantry regiments on the Schnee Eifel. At daybreak on December 21, the Germans launched their first assault of the day on CCB, 9th Armored. It was a new and inexperienced division made up of Luftwaffe personnel, former Kriegsmariners out of a of the Army, 1965. That evening General Clarke also put his command into Commanster. Confusion, darkness, and mud slowed the move, but by morning a medium tank company and a platoon of riflemen had reached the village. Volksgrenadier-Division. No reinforcements were expected. Volksgrenadier Division 5. This break appeared to be only a dream, however, as it seemed every outfit wanted a piece of CCB, 9th Armored to help shore up its positions. The M5 got within a yard of the Tiger and knocked it out with 5 rounds. He could not believe it. At 0400 hours on 16th December, 1944, men of the German 18th Volksgrenadier Division began to leave their positions and make their way towards the American lines. First-time contributor Charles Gutierrez is the son of a 9th Armored Division veteran. Not only does Troop Es version of the story involve a different unit than the original story, it also takes place in a different location, note the following map. The other, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division, bore the number of an infantry division destroyed on the Eastern Front, which had been reconstituted. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. What a fantastic real-life story or is it? To this end, General Hoge was in the town of Monschau to check on the possibility of getting his command across in that area. Sell, buy or rent Panzers in Winter: Hitler's Army and the Battle of the Bulge (Praeger Security I 9780275971151 0275971155, we buy used or new for best buyback price with FREE shipping and offer great deals for buyers. The next version of this story can be found in a 1947 book by Major Donald P. Boyer of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion titled St. Vith, The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge, 17-23 December 1944: A Narrative After Action Report. Lieutenant Olsons version of the story would be the most contradicting version yet. 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. Soon after its crossing, B Company ran into German infantry dug in along the high ground overlooking the village of Elcherath. This article already explains ballistics and mentions that while Panther was vulnerable to lower-caliber AT guns, the Tigers were almost immune to them. Division C E R T I F I C A T E 24 June 1945 I certify that I am S-3 General Hoge set up his command post in the Belgian village of Faymonville, approximately 12 miles north of the town of St. Vith, unaware of the pivotal role his command was to play in a very different battle. 13th Company, 28th Jager Regiment, 8th Jager Division 286. All in all, the only things that the American claims concerning the famed M8 Greyhound versus Tiger engagement can agree on are that on the 18th of December 1944 an M8 Greyhound from some unit of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron killed some sort of German tank in or around the town of St. Vith. After putting down a heavy concentration of artillery fire, the Germans moved their infantry across the river east of the position held by the 2nd platoon of D Troop, 89th Recon. That cold snap that hit us has frozen the roads. 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. 1940 194111. There was little they could do other than vow to get the attack moving early on the 20th. It can be safely assumed that the armored car that Lieutenant Olson is talking about in his story is an M8 Greyhound due to the fact that the only armored cars that the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron fielded were M8 Greyhounds. Out of this grand battle would come a too-good-to-be-true story symbolic of the stiff American resistance put up against the German offensive, that of how an M8 Greyhound armored car destroyed a Tiger I heavy tank. 1940. 2014 The German 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of Nazi Germany.HistoryThe was established in 1934 under the cover name. But if four versions was not enough, there is potentially another version of this tale contained in a combat interview given by Lieutenant Arthur A. Olson of Troop D, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron on the 8th of January, 1945. Panzer Tracts No. That is correct, however, that was off the topic of this story. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Add to cart. In my opinion, the only definite conclusion that can be made from all this is that some American vehicle engaged something at St. Vith on the night of the 18th. Third Printing, US Army Armored School, 1966. With all of these contradictions, ambiguity, and lack of supporting documentation and evidence surrounding Troop Es entry in mind, it is safe to conclude that this is not the most reliable account of what really happened on the 18th of December, 1944 at St. Vith. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Hoge pointedly asked Ridgway how it could be done. Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. Lieutenant Colonel Boylan also makes no mention of this event in a 1946 letter he wrote to Major General Robert W. Hasbrouck, the former commanding general of the 7th Armored Division, which details the actions of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron at the Battle of St. Vith. For example, when G.I. . School of Tank Technology, April 1944. The leading vehicles of General Hoges command entered St. Vith on Sunday morning just as dawn was breaking and halted close to the 106th Divisions command post at the St. Joseph Kloster. By 1245, the original line was restored, and the antitank guns of Company A, 811th Tank Destroyers were recovered. Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. Resistance by service company personnel in Rodt was fierce with every possible mandrivers, cooks, radio operatorsemployed in the defense; however, after nine hours of battle against the much superior German force, Rodt fell. Inform us! Boylan, Vincent L. After Action Report, Month of December, 1944. Troop D, 89th Recon and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion formed a line from Grufflingen to Thommen, and Companies B and C of the 14th Tank Battalion took up positions between Thommen and Maldange. Together they broke up the attack. This initial thrust carried the enemy approximately 400 yards into the battalions sector. Penguin Books, 2016. Design, Production & Modifications. On December 21, 18. Field Marshal Montgomery, believing that Ridgways Corps could not attack successfully toward Vielsalm and that the American forces within the goose egg could better be used in support of other forces committed to the northern shoulder defense, decided upon a general withdrawal. On this day, CCB of the 9th Armored Division was still in its assembly area in the vicinity of Faymonville. Gen. Hasbrouck, commander of the 7th Armored Division, sent a message to General Ridgway urging withdrawal, which in part read, P.S. Armour Plate Porforation [sic: Perforation] of Tank and Anti Tank Guns. Home News Random Article Install Wikiwand Send a suggestion Uninstall Wikiwand Upgrade to Wikiwand 2.0 The only known witness to the supposed event, Captain Walter Henry Anstey, died on 26th October 2003 at the age of 90, taking the truth of the events that day to his grave. First Edition, Presidio Press, 2002. Revised Edition, Arms and Armour Press, 1973. Rejection & Neglect available to buy on Payhip! However, Company B, 27th AIB was sent to help ease the situation, covering the cavalrys left flank. Clad in armor between 25 mm and 180 mm thick and armed with deadly 88mm KwK 43 L/71 gun, the Tiger II was one of the deadliest tanks of the Second World War. General Jones wanted Hoge to use the infantry of his 27th AIB to seize the series of hills near Winterspelt while the 14th Tank Battalion was to remain west of the Our River for use as the situation developed. 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. 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. So many soldiers of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division converged on Wallerode for the final push against St. Vith that the villagers themselves threatened to be squeezed out. So, rather than spill blood needlessly to take meaningless ground, Hoge called off the attack on Winterspelt. Those factors dictated that at least another 24 hours would be needed before a major assault on St. Vith could begin. Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1): St Vith and the Northern Shoulder. History. On December 21, 18. Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field Division. 18th Artillery Division 651. At about 1330, three German self-propelled guns and 19 or 20 horse-drawn artillery pieces went into position on the high ground 800 yards to the southeast of Steinebruck. Aside from the cold and mud, there was also the enemy to contend with. Beevor, Antony. 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. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2004. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. That night, infantry patrols found German medics removing their wounded. One German tank was seen going up in flames. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571.Volksgrenadier-Division.Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field . Slayden, knowing that the nearest units of the 7th Armored Division were at least 60 miles away in the Netherlands, had serious doubts that a whole combat command could reach St. Vith on the 17th, much less by 0700 hours. Companies A and B held a line from Grufflingen to Hohenbusch with Company A, 14th Tank Battalion to their north. Perhaps the most unlikely performer of the entire battle was the 18th Volksgrenadier Division. He is being outflanked and is retiring west another 2,000 yards refusing both flanks. Eventually retreating through Germany until the end of the war, when it surrendered. 45 mm. If it was on a slope and firing down to the engine bay, then maybe but that would require it to be at such an angle that the M8 would topple and roll down. Panzer Tracts, 2001. The Ardennes 1944-1945: Hitlers Winter Offensive. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2005. English Edition, Casemate Publishers, 2014. However, he kept these misgivings to himself. By 2300 enemy patrols tested 27th AIBs new position and a night attack was thrown back with the help of D Troop, 89th Recon. Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1918) Periode: Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) . The closest primary German armored thrust route to the south ran through Burg Reuland, also about five miles from St. Vith. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The column came upon stragglers from the 424th Infantry retreating in disarray toward St. Vith. Zaloga, Steven. Infantry divisions would begin the attack along the entire length of a 50-mile front, forcing a rupture along the Allied line and giving the German panzer divisions freedom of movement in the unoccupied ground beyond the front. Although the Germans were facing stiff resistance all along the American defensive line, they were determined to take St. Vith. Although General Jones was deeply worried about his two regiments on the Schnee Eifel, he was also highly concerned about the German advances in the Winterspelt area where his 424th Infantry Regiment was defending. (1944) 111 111. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. Before departing, however, Hoge gave orders to Lt. Col. Leonard E. Engeman, commander of the 14th Tank Battalion, to get a strong force ready to move out to assist 7th Armored should it become necessary. 22 22. Similar events have happened more than once, though on the Eastern Front. A scratch force made up of one platoon of riflemen from Company A, 27th AIB and a platoon from Company B, 9th Engineers were sent to contain the Germans. The division fought in the Ardennes, inflicting on the 106th US Infantry Division the worst defeat suffered by U.S. forces in the ETO, when over 8,000 US soldiers surrendered to the volksgrenadiers. Having first conferred with General Jones, Hoge ordered a withdrawal from the river to begin after nightfall. If Hoge told him that the situation was bad, then without a doubt the situation was worse than he thought. On February 5, 1945 General Walter Botsch took over command of the division. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. 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 . }(document, 'script', 'exco-player')); The M8 Greyhound was a small, 7.9 tonne American armored car with 6.4 mm to 25.4 mm of armor, only enough to protect against rifle caliber bullets, and armed with a 37 mm M6 main gun, a peashooter at this point in the war. His troops remained in place, and the pullout to the west side of the Our River began at dusk. 3. 223 223. The failure to capture St. Vith was preventing the linkup of the Fifth and the Sixth Panzer Armies. The StuG III explanation also accounts for why Troop B makes no mention of it in their morning report and record of events entry for 18th December 1944 and why Lieutenant Colonel Boylan makes no mention of it his 1946 letter or in the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report for the month of December 1944. A mobile battalion of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division was already moving on Andler to seize the Schoenberg bridge and the road to St. Vith. Infanterie-Division 19398 . Bergstrm, Christer. The 62nd, like the 18th, included three regiments of two battalions each. 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. Im going to guess that they just created this all up in their head. In addition, the massive road jam caused by the inability to pass through St. Vith was creating acute shortages of gasoline and ammunition well to the west of St. Vith. It contained the 293., 294. and 295. grenadier regiments, Panzerjger-Bataillon 1818, Pionier-Bataillon 1818, Fsilier-Bataillon 1818 and Artillerie-Regiment 1818.[1]. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. I am a huge M8 Greyhound fan, having built a model at age 13 and I now own a 1:6 scale one with 4-man crew. Armored Champion, The Top Tanks of World War II. Rather than reaching the Meuse and driving on to Antwerp, the offensive stalled and eventually was turned back. Generals Manteuffel and Lucht had planned an all-out attack to take St. Vith starting at daylight with a three- pronged envelopment by the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division against 9th Armored positions in the south. Thus, the Fifth Panzer Army commander ordered that St. Vith be taken no later than the second day of the offensive. Given the unreliability of the American accounts of this supposed event and the lack of any supporting documentation from the Germans, it is safe to say that neither a Tiger I nor a Tiger II was knocked out by an M8 Greyhound on 18th December 1944 in or around the town of St. Vith. Tigers In Combat I. Osprey Publishing, 2013. 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. Slayden had been sent to Jones by Middleton as an adviser until the 106th Division could become acclimated. The 9th Armored Divisions position at the Our was no longer tenable. Lucht anticipated that the Americans would counterattack the next day, but that their reaction would be too late to avoid complete encirclement. Clarke, Bruce. By dark, just as General Hoges command was getting underway from Faymonville, Kittels mobile battalion and infantry from the 190th Regiment were closing in on Winterspelt. Infanterie-Division 19398 . Since 7th Armoreds withdrawal meant that 9th Armoreds left flank would be in danger, the two generals agreed that Hoge would have to readjust part of his line to maintain contact with Clarkes new rearward position. Company C, 27th AIB withdrew under heavy artillery and sniper fire but managed to destroy a number of German vehicles. VGD captured St. Vith, winning a great victory. VGD) was a volksgrenadierdivision of the German Army(Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Good Tank, Poor Deployment | T-34-76 and T-34-85 in Yugoslav Partisan Service. However, this platoon never completed its mission. 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. With the enemy inside Steinebruck and excellent direct fire by the German artillery, what was left of 2nd Platoon, 89th Recon withdrew along the St. Vith road. At about noon that day, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Divisions 190th Regiment had broken through north of the 424th Infantrys Cannon Company. [1] On March 6, 1945, when Botsch was ordered to take command of the LIIIrd Army Corps, the 18. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. The original story, if there even was one, was told and retold and distorted until everyone and their brother claimed to know the guys that did it. Since the move from Faymonville to Winterspelt involved a greater distance, Hoge decided to get his command on the road immediately. By 1300 on the 21st, the entire line was ablaze with German artillery, rockets, tanks, and infantry. (function (d, s, n) { Rapidly, the M8 advanced to within 25 yards (23 meters) of the Tiger I and quickly pumped three rounds into its rear. Lever het aan! It is certainly possible that the tank destroyed in this engagement was a Panzer IV or a StuG III but in the absence of new evidence coming to light it can only be concluded that either the Greyhound crew knocked out a completely different tank or were otherwise exaggerating some action. Engeman set out with two task forces to meet the enemy. They were repulsed by machine-gun fire. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division under the command of Generalmajor Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn patrolled the Schnee Eifel area. Zaloga, Steven. The capture of St. Vith was, however, important for three other reasons: to ensure the complete isolation of Allied troops that might be trapped on a nearby ridge called the Schnee Eifel; to cover the German supply lines unraveling behind the armored corps to the north and south; and to feed reinforcements laterally into the main thrusts by using the St. Vith road net. Farther to the west, the 82nd Airborne, trying to keep a corridor open for the St. Vith defenders, was coming under intense pressure from the 2nd SS Panzer Division. Operation Nordwind 1945 Hitlers last offensive in the West. The foot elements of the 27th AIB were then to move out with Company B, 482nd Antiaircraft Artillery and some light tanks from Company D, 14th Tank Battalion following behind Company B, 27th AIB. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, United States 106th Infantry Division on the 16th and 17th of December 1944 (the first two days of the battle of the Ardennes were as follows: 1. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. At approximately 0930 on December 17, B Company was the first 9th Armored Division unit to cross the Our River. events, and resources, The Battle of the Bulge & The Defense of St. Vith. The route terminated at several vital crossroads in the city of St. Vith. Therefore, he decided to use the 9th Armored at Winterspelt, since capture of that area by the Germans would open to the enemy a direct route to St. Vith, a route even shorter than that leading from the Schnee Eifel. Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1): St Vith and the Northern Shoulder. The guns of two platoons of Company A, 811th Tank Destroyers were overrun. Not only does this change Captain Ansteys version of the story, but this also confirms the possibility that Troop Es entry could have been talking about a Tiger II. 1945. Could a Panther be a possibility? War Department, 1944. The Germans attacked the center of the 27th AIB. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. Unable to advance, it pulled back to the nearest high ground and dug in. Daniel P. Kneeland, Grafton, Ma. Panzer Tracts No. This story has gained a good deal of attention in recent years, especially on the internet thanks to videos such as The Tank Duel at St. Vith, Belgium by Lance Geiger The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Design, Production & Modifications. Despite nearly a foot of snow, the ground underneath was still soft, and with the passage of only a few heavy vehicles it was soon churned into a morass of mud. The village of St. Vith lay approximately 12 miles behind the front lines on December 16, 1944, the day the offensive code-named Operation Watch on the Rhine began. Penguin Books, 2016. The commanders were at the center of the Foret Domaniale du Grand Bois. General Luchts plan for December 17 was simple. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. The 294th Volksgrenadier Regiment was a unit of the larger 18th Volksgrenadier Division. This version is also attributed to Captain Anstey and is nearly the exact same as his original version of the story as well as being plagued by the exact same issues. Dragon 1625 1/16th Obersturmfuhrer Totenkopf Division Budapest 1945 R 275.00. At 0400 hours on 16th December, 1944, men of the German 18th Volksgrenadier Division began to leave their positions and make their way towards the American lines. Such events might have taken place in reality, true. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. After that mornings enemy assaults, the line of the 27th AIB was reestablished west of Neubruck. The move had scarcely begun when an enemy attack hit the junction between Company B, 27th AIB and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion. The fight ended when he slammed the M8 (he called it a Greyhound) into the rear of Tiger and the gun crew fired three rapid fire rounds into the engine compartment. After 1200 hours on 17th December 1944, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division was reinforced by a mobile battalion. One Day at Stavelot, a Tale of Two Archives The Tiger II vs US Tank Destroyers in the Ardennes. Communications with division headquarters in St. Vith were limited to liaison officers running along a road now being shelled by the Germans. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Out of the 1,467 tanks the Germans brought with them to the Battle of the Bulge on the 16th of December, 1944, 52 of them were Tiger IIs and 14 of them were Tiger Is. Approximately three hours later a German company marched out of Neidingen and along the road leading straight into C Companys position, apparently totally unaware of 9th Armoreds recent change of position. 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 bridge at Steinebruck was intentionally left intact by General Hoge on the outside chance that some of the American troops trapped in the vicinity of the Schnee Eifel might be able to maneuver their way there. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Manteuffel had hoped for considerably more on the 19th. Since General Hoge was supposed to be under Joness command and did not understand the overall situation around St. Vith, he decided to find out exactly what was going on. This left General Clarke with only one full company of armored infantrymen. 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. The 18. The heroic defense of St. Vith, though costly in men and materil, disrupted the German timetable extensively. 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. The platoon lost four men missing and two wounded in the ensuing engagement. Bergstrm, Christer. To cover this dangerous gap in the line C Company, 27th AIB was ordered to the Our between Troop D, 89th Recon and Company A, 27th AIB. Sicherungs-Division) was a rear-security division in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany.