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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. Johnston, W. Wesley. There was a bitter struggle to the south of Grufflingen, and the Germans were again active in the Neubruck area. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division(18. There is no comparison to Tiger. Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. In blinding snow and on slippery roads the tanks and infantry of CCB, 9th Armored headed for Bauvenn. The corps consisted of two infantry divisions. This article already explains ballistics and mentions that while Panther was vulnerable to lower-caliber AT guns, the Tigers were almost immune to them. August 18th, 1989 Kalb, Herbert Kalbhenn, Heinrich * February 3rd, 1915 more Kaldeway, x Kalesse, Gerhard (Grenadier-Regiment 689) * July 15th, 1918 October 23rd, 2011 Kaletsch, Georg * October 16th, 1914 March 6th, 1944 Kaletsch, Wilhelm Kalinowski, Josef (Panzergrenadier-Regiment "GD") * January 23rd, 1916 April 5th, 1944 Grave: UNK The 18th Volksgrenadier Division under the command of Generalmajor Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn patrolled the Schnee Eifel area. According to two combat interviews given by men of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report for the month of December 1944, and Lieutenant Colonel Boylans 1946 letter, on 18th December 1944, the Germans attacked the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B) with infantry and tanks. 223 223. Excellent deductive research! However, there is one major issue with this explanation, Panzer IVs were not attacking Troop B. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Boylan, Vincent L. After Action Report, Month of December, 1944. Germanys Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to TIGER II. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. 1941622 . First Edition, Presidio Press, 2002. A Company moved south under the protection of the high river bank, while C Company deployed along the left side of the road as the enveloping company. 223 223. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. At least 900 soldiers who had stood in front of the town were either dead or captured. 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 . Rejection & Neglect available to buy on Payhip! 1945. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division would use these assault guns in small probing attacks on the American lines east of St. Vith that same day. Combat Interviews of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient, December 17-23, 1944. Thus, there are four different versions of this story circulating: Troop Es version with a Tiger I, Troop Es version with a Tiger II, Captain Ansteys version with a Tiger I, and Captain Ansteys version with a Tiger II. Johnston, W. Wesley. 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. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Fire from the 16th Field Artillery broke up other enemy formations trying to assemble on the high ground to the south. of the Army, 1965. Additionally, the M8s 37 mm M6 gun is more than capable of penetrating the rear hull and rear casemate armor of the StuG III. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, commander of CCB, 7th Armored Division, arrived at General Joness command post in St. Vith at approximately 1030. 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. Division C E R T I F I C A T E 24 June 1945 I certify that I am S-3 To this end, General Hoge was in the town of Monschau to check on the possibility of getting his command across in that area. These German tanks would later be specified to be Panzer IVs or Mark IVs. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. Before the day ended, renewed fighting broke out along the entire front. It contained the 293., 294. and 295. grenadier regiments, Panzerjger-Bataillon 1818, Pionier-Bataillon 1818, Fsilier-Bataillon 1818 and Artillerie-Regiment 1818.[1]. 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. Gen. Hasbrouck, commander of the 7th Armored Division, sent a message to General Ridgway urging withdrawal, which in part read, P.S. Not to mention that the M8s 37 mm M6 gun is more than capable of penetrating the rear hull armor of the Panzer IV, which was only 20 mm thick angled at 10 degrees. 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. Established in 1941, the unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, in the Army Group North Rear Area. The Ardennes 1944-1945: Hitlers Winter Offensive. Confusion, darkness, and mud slowed the move, but by morning a medium tank company and a platoon of riflemen had reached the village. However, once a closer look is taken at this story, cracks begin to appear, and soon enough one begins to wonder whether or not this story really is too good to be true. There was little they could do other than vow to get the attack moving early on the 20th. CCB, 9th Armored was linked on its left with CCB, 7th Armored and what was left of the 424th Infantry Regiment on its right. This is an issue because there were two distinct types of German Tiger tanks, both of which took part in the Battle of the Bulge: The Tiger I and the Tiger II. At about 0930, the enemy attacked St. Vith from Hunningen to the north, apparently in an effort to envelop Clarkes left flank. Seventh Armored Division Association 2517 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 8, D.C., 1947. Combat Interviews of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient and Manhay, December 17-23, 1944. The southernmost battle group of the 18th Volksgrenadier would also undertake a mobile thrust and, finally, the 62nd Volksgrenadier would break loose at Heckhuscheid and drive for the Our River Valley. Armored Champion, The Top Tanks of World War II. It would be unable to turn its full strength on St. Vith until the American surrender in that area. Osprey Publishing, 2002. Troy Middletons VIII Corps. Zaloga, Steven, and Tony Bryan. Infanterie-Division 19398 . He also hoped the 3rd Armored Division soon might attack to remove all threat of encirclement. Osprey Publishing, 2003. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Three of these Tiger IIs belonged to Schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 501 (Heavy SS Tank Battalion 501); Tiger 105 was abandoned in the town of Stavelot, Belgium after getting itself stuck in a building, Tiger 332 was abandoned near Coo, Belgium as a result of mechanical damage, and Tiger 008 was abandoned at a farmhouse near Trois Ponts, Belgium. South of St. Vith, even as Lt. Col. Engemans task forces were responding to the 7th Armoreds cry for help, Germans of the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division were trying to get across the Our River at Steinebruck and hit St. Vith from that direction. Moreover, at least a regiment from the 1st SS Panzer Division was in sporadic conflict with the American defenders in the Recht-Poteau area and, in the south, elements of the 560th Volksgrenadier Division, part of General Walter Kruegers 58th Panzer Corps, were also identified as pushing against American forces in the St. Vith salient. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. The time was approximately 1800 on Saturday, December 16, when Combat Command B of the 9th Armored Division began its move to St. Vith. It was at full strength and supplied with the latest equipment. Soon after its crossing, B Company ran into German infantry dug in along the high ground overlooking the village of Elcherath. This information came from the division's senior headquarters, the VIII Corps, First U.S. Army. This one, however, most likely did not. It saw action in France before taking part in the fighting in the Ardennes where it suffered heavy losses, it continued fighting on the western front until the end . The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. 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. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. Its population in 1944 was about 2,000, and its citizens were very much pro-German. Osprey Publishing, 2013. What he claimed was that the fight wasnt as easy as it is presented here. Due to the lack of detail in Troop Es entry, it is impossible to tell which Tiger tank is the one being referred to in the account. On this day, CCB of the 9th Armored Division was still in its assembly area in the vicinity of Faymonville. The troops were exhausted and spread out. War Department Field Manual FM 2-20 Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized. Such events might have taken place in reality, true. Hoge could not see much sense in making an attack, taking ground, and then turning right around and coming back, especially if the attack was successful. . 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. While making his reconnaissance at Monschau he received an urgent message to call V Corps headquarters. On top of attacking the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B), a Panzer IV can be easily misidentified as a Tiger I. 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. It was a new and inexperienced division made up of Luftwaffe personnel, former Kriegsmariners out of a Infanterie-Division Hamburg 19453 . Although it was beaten off, the attacking Germans were identified as new to the area, soldiers of the 9th SS Panzer Division, a cause for considerable concern at this point in the battle. When Model released the Fhrer Escort Brigade to General Manteuffel, he thought that he would be able to gain quick access to the St. Vith road network. However, just as the Americans began their pursuit, the Germans noticed them and began traversing their turret to face them. German Division Nr. There are a few notable issues raised by this morning report and record of events entry, the most obvious one being that the M8 Greyhound is reported as being from Troop A of the 87th, not Troop B of the 87th, as it is in the contemporary story. The Sherman tanks of B Company repulsed the enemy with fire from their 76mm guns. Shortly thereafter, Hasbrouck called and asked, Bruce, do you think you can get out? Clarke answered, A miracle has happened, General! Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. On the road to Winterspelt, General Hoge soon learned that the situation there was worse than General Jones had described. They were followed in order by the half-tracks and other vehicles of the 27th AIB, the tank companies, the antiaircraft company, and the engineers. Add to cart. Troop D, 89th Recon had positioned its troop headquarters and first platoon to cover the bridge over the Our. The job of capturing St. Vith went to the Fifth Panzer Armys 66th Corps, commanded by General Walther Lucht. Seventh Armored Division Association 2517 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 8, D.C., 1947. Accordingly, that evening Sixth Panzer Army commander Dietrich issued orders to the 2nd SS Panzer Corps to move to the south so that parts of that corps could assist Manteuffel in taking St. Vith. Those men were a scrappy bunch. On February 5, 1945 General Walter Botsch took over command of the division. 47. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. 3. Hoge departed Faymonville at approximately 1800, arriving at General Joness headquarters in the St. Josephs Kloster about a half hour later. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army ( Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Volksgrenadier-Division. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Manteuffel met near Wallerode with Model and Lucht that day. Ten tanks, numerous supply vehicles, armored cars, and jeeps were lost to enemy action. Volksgrenadier-Division. Next came B Company, 9th Armored Engineers; the 16th Armored Field Artillery; B Company, 482nd Antiaircraft Artillery; and the 14th Tank Battalion. General Luchts 66th Corps was shifted from General Manteuffels Fifth Panzer Army to the Sixth Panzer. The same story is retold in A Colonel in the Armored Divisions A Memoir, 19411945 by William S. Triplet, and like a game of telephone it gets even more distorted. The supply trains led the way north on N27 to St. Vith. Inside the command post, General Hoge learned that the Germans had launched a heavy assault on Winterspelt against the men of the 424th Infantry. I mention it for the sake of completeness as I suspect that the whole thing is a myth. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. War Department, 1944. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. General Lucht hurried to Winterspelt to get the 62nd Volksgrenadier moving to the Our. The 424th Infantry still blocked the road to the Our River and Steinebruck. The Americans knew that their only hope in doing any sort of damage to this beast was to get as close as possible to it and shoot its weaker rear armor. 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. However, by noon on December 18 it was quite apparent to Hoge that the Germans infiltrating across the river were converging on the bridge in such numbers that it had to be blown. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. The southernmost battle group of the 18th Volksgrenadier would also undertake a mobile thrust and, finally, the 62nd Volksgrenadier would break loose at Heckhuscheid and drive for the Our River Valley. Anderson, Thomas. General Clarke again called on the 9th Armored for assistance to help stiffen his line, and Hoge responded by sending the 3rd Battalion, 424th Regimental Combat Team. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. Two hits were scored on the enemy tank in the rear, and its crew evacuated. The next move was up to General Lucht and his corps. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army ( Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Infanterie-Division . 18th Panzer Division (later 18th Artillery Division) 19th Panzer Division (previously 19th Infantry Division) 20th Panzer Division 21st Panzer Division (previously 5th Light Division) 22nd Panzer Division 23rd Panzer Division 24th Panzer Division (previously 1st Cavalry Division) 25th Panzer Division Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. One task force was made up of A and B Companies of the 14th Tank Battalion, B Company of the 482nd Antiaircraft Artillery, and another platoon of the 14th. On his way to St. Vith, General Hoge stopped in Faymonville to alert his command to be prepared to move immediately. Initially, General Jones wanted Hoge to move his command into the Losheim Gap at Maderfeld and arrive there at dawn on December 17 to counterattack and erase the enemy penetrations that were threatening 106th Division positions on the Schnee Eifel.