Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble (52 page)

39. Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne sing carols on Christmas Eve just a few hours before the all-out German attack on the perimeter.

40. The end of the German thrust to the Meuse. Remnants of the Kampfgruppe Böhm from the 2nd Panzer-Division in a farmyard in Foy-Notre-Dame.

41. General Patton (
right
) reaches Bastogne on 30 December and decorates both Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe (
left
) and Lieutenant Colonel Steve Chappuis (
centre
), the commander of the 502nd Parachute Infantry, with the Distinguished Service Cross.

42. American reinforcements advancing in steeply wooded Ardennes terrain.

43. A patrol from the British XXX Corps in the Ardennes wearing snowsuits made out of villagers’ bedsheets.

44. The Allied counter-offensive in January 1945. Soldiers from the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division finally advance from Bütgenbach, which they had defended since 17 December.

45. La Roche-en-Ardenne was so badly destroyed that when swallows returned to rebuild their nests in the spring, they became disorientated.

46. Investigators start the work of identifying the American soldiers massacred at Baugnez near Malmédy.

47. After the massacre of American soldiers near Malmédy, their comrades, with the encouragement of senior commanders, shot most Waffen-SS soldiers who surrendered. Yet many had been forced into SS uniform against their will, or were pathetically young, like this boy.

48. Joachim Peiper on trial for war crimes including the massacre near Malmédy. Although the death sentence was commuted, members of the French Resistance killed him later.

12th Army Group

Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley

US First Army

Lieutenant General Courtney H. Hodges

V Corps

Major General Leonard T. Gerow

102nd Cavalry Group; 38th and 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons (attached)

613th Tank Destroyer Battalion

186th, 196th, 200th and 955th Field Artillery Battalions

187th Field Artillery Group (751st and 997th Field Artillery Battalions)

190th Field Artillery Group (62nd, 190th, 272nd and 268th Field Artillery Battalions)

406th Field Artillery Group (76th, 941st, 953rd and 987th Field Artillery Battalions)

1111th Engineer Combat Group (51st, 202nd, 291st and 296th Engineer Combat Battalions)

1121st Engineer Combat Group (146th and 254th Engineer Combat Battalions)

1195th Engineer Combat Group

134th, 387th, 445th, 460th, 461st, 531st, 602nd, 639th and 863rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions

1st Infantry Division
‘Big Red One’

Brigadier General Clift Andrus

16th, 18th and 26th Infantry Regiments

5th, 7th, 32nd and 33rd Field Artillery Battalions

745th Tank Battalion; 634th and 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalions

1st Engineer Combat Battalion; 103rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

2nd Infantry Division
‘Indianhead’

Major General Walter M. Robertson

9th, 23rd and 38th Infantry Regiments

12th, 15th, 37th and 38th Field Artillery Battalions

741st Tank Battalion; 612th and 644th Tank Destroyer Battalions

2nd Engineer Combat Battalion; 462nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

9th Infantry Division
‘Old Reliables’

Major General Louis A. Craig

39th, 47th and 60th Infantry Regiments

26th, 34th, 60th and 84th Field Artillery Battalions

15th Engineer Combat Battalion; 38th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron

746th Tank Battalion; 376th and 413th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions

78th Infantry Division
‘Lightning’

Major General Edwin P. Parker Jr

309th, 310th and 311th Infantry Regiments

307th, 308th, 309th and 903rd Field Artillery Battalions

709th Tank Battalion; 628th and 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalions

303rd Engineer Combat Battalion; 552nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

Combat Command R, 5th Armored Division (attached); 2nd Ranger Battalion (attached)

99th Infantry Division
‘Checkerboard’

Major General Walter E. Lauer

393rd, 394th and 395th Infantry Regiments

370th, 371st, 372nd and 924th Field Artillery Battalions

324th Engineer Combat Battalion; 801st Tank Destroyer Battalion

535th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

VII Corps

Major General Joseph Lawton Collins

4th Cavalry Group, Mechanized; 29th Infantry Regiment; 740th Tank Battalion

509th Parachute Infantry Battalion; 298th Engineer Combat Battalion

18th Field Artillery Group (188th, 666th and 981st Field Artillery Battalions)

142nd Field Artillery Group (195th and 266th Field Artillery Battalions)

188th Field Artillery Group (172nd, 951st and 980th Field Artillery Battalions)

18th, 83rd, 87th, 183rd, 193rd, 957th and 991st Field Artillery Battalions

Two French Light Infantry Battalions

2nd Armored Division
‘Hell on Wheels’

Major General Ernest N. Harmon

CCA, CCB and CCR; 41st Armored Infantry Regiment; 66th and 67th Armored Regiments

14th, 78th and 92nd Armored Field Artillery Battalions

17th Armored Engineer Battalion; 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion

702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion; 195th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

Elements of 738th Tank Battalion (special – mine clearing) attached

3rd Armored Division
‘Spearhead’

Major General Maurice Rose

CCA, CCB and CCR; 36th Armored Infantry Regiment; 32nd and 33rd Armored Regiments

54th, 67th and 391st Armored Field Artillery Battalions

23rd Armored Engineer Battalion; 83rd Reconnaissance Squadron

643rd and 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalions; 486th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

83rd Infantry Division
‘Ohio’

Major General Robert C. Macon

329th, 330th and 331st Infantry Regiments

322nd, 323rd, 324th and 908th Field Artillery Battalions

308th Engineer Combat Battalion; 453rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

774th Tank Battalion; 772nd Tank Destroyer Battalion

84th Infantry Division
‘Railsplitters’

Brigadier General Alexander R. Bolling

333rd, 334th and 335th Infantry Regiments

325th, 326th, 327th and 909th Field Artillery Battalions

309th Engineer Combat Battalion

701st Tank Battalion, replaced by 771st Tank Battalion on 20 December

638th Tank Destroyer Battalion; 557th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

XVIII Airborne Corps

Major General Matthew B. Ridgway

14th Cavalry Group, Mechanized

254th, 275th, 400th and 460th Field Artillery Battalions

79th Field Artillery Group (153rd, 551st and 552nd Field Artillery Battalions)

179th Field Artillery Group (259th and 965th Field Artillery Battalions)

211th Field Artillery Group (240th and 264th Field Artillery Battalions)

401st Field Artillery Group (187th and 809th Field Artillery Battalions)

7th Armored Division
‘Lucky Seventh’

Brigadier General Robert W. Hasbrouck

CCA, CCB and CCR; 23rd, 38th and 48th Armored Infantry Battalions

17th, 31st and 40th Tank Battalions; 87th Reconnaissance Squadron

434th, 440th and 489th Armored Field Artillery Battalions

33rd Armored Engineer Battalion; 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion

203rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

820th Tank Destroyer Battalion (25–30 December)

30th Infantry Division
‘Old Hickory’

Major General Leland S. Hobbs

117th, 119th and 120th Infantry Regiments

113th, 118th, 197th and 230th Field Artillery Battalions

517th Parachute Infantry Regiment attached; 105th Engineer Combat Battalion

743rd Tank Battalion; 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion

110th, 431st and 448th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions

75th Infantry Division

Major General Fay B. Prickett

289th, 290th and 291st Infantry Regiments

730th, 897th, 898th and 899th Field Artillery Battalions

275th Engineer Combat Battalion; 440th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

750th Tank Battalion; 629th and 772nd Tank Destroyer Battalions

82nd Airborne Division
‘All American’

Major General James M. Gavin

504th, 505th, 507th and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments

325th Glider Infantry Regiment; 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion

319th and 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalions

376th and 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalions; 80th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

551st Parachute Infantry Battalion; 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion (2–11 January)

740th Tank Battalion (30 December–11 January)

643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (4–5 January)

106th Infantry Division
‘Golden Lions’

Major General Alan W. Jones

422nd, 423rd and 424th Infantry Regiments

589th, 590th, 591st and 592nd Field Artillery Battalions

81st Engineer Combat Battalion; 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion

634th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (8–18 December)

440th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (8 December–4 January)

563rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (9–18 December)

101st Airborne Division
‘Screaming Eagles’

Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe (Major General Maxwell D. Taylor)

501st, 502nd and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments

327th Glider Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry

321st and 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalions

377th and 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion

326th Airborne Engineer Battalion; 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion

81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

US Third Army

Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr

109th, 115th, 217th and 777th Anti-Aircraft Gun Battalions

456th, 465th, 550th and 565th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions

280th Engineer Combat Battalion (later assigned to Ninth Army)

III Corps

Major General John Millikin

6th Cavalry Group, Mechanized; 179th, 274th, 776th and 777th Field Artillery Battalions

193rd Field Artillery Group (177th, 253rd, 696th, 776th and 949th Field Artillery Battalions)

203rd Field Artillery Group (278th, 742nd, 762nd Field Artillery Battalions)

1137th Engineer Combat Group (145th, 188th and 249th Engineer Combat Battalions)

183rd and 243rd Engineer Combat Battalions; 467th and 468th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions

4th Armored Division

Major General Hugh J. Gaffey

CCA, CCB and CCR; 8th, 35th and 37th Tank Battalions

10th, 51st and 53rd Armored Infantry Battalions

22nd, 66th and 94th Armored Field Artillery Battalions

24th Armored Engineer Battalion; 25th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron

489th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion; 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion

6th Armored Division
‘Super Sixth’

Major General Robert W. Grow

CCA, CCB and CCR; 15th, 68th and 69th Tank Battalions

9th, 44th and 50th Armored Infantry Battalions

128th, 212th and 231st Armored Field Artillery Battalions

25th Armored Engineer Battalion; 86th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron

691st Tank Destroyer Battalion; 777th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

26th Infantry Division
‘Yankee’

Major General Willard S. Paul

101st, 104th and 328th Infantry Regiments

101st, 102nd, 180th and 263rd Field Artillery Battalions

101st Engineer Combat Battalion; 735th Tank Battalion

818th Tank Destroyer Battalion; 390th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

35th Infantry Division
‘Santa Fe’

Major General Paul W. Baade

134th, 137th and 320th Infantry Regiments

127th, 161st, 216th and 219th Field Artillery Battalions

60th Engineer Combat Battalion; 654th Tank Destroyer Battalion

448th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

90th Infantry Division
‘Tough ’Ombres’

Major General James A. Van Fleet

357th, 358th and 359th Infantry Regiments

343rd, 344th, 345th and 915th Field Artillery Battalions

315th Engineer Combat Battalion; 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion

774th Tank Destroyer Battalion (21 December–6 January)

537th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

VIII Corps

Major General Troy H. Middleton

174th Field Artillery Group (965th, 969th and 700th Field Artillery Battalions)

333rd Field Artillery Group (333rd and 771st Field Artillery Battalions)

402nd Field Artillery Group (559th, 561st and 740th Field Artillery Battalions)