194311 324 324. Jones explained to Hoge that his division was being attacked along its entire front and that two of his three regiments, the 422nd and the 423rd, had been partly surrounded in the Schnee Eifel area just east of Schoenberg. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. 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. The sector now defended by CCB, 9th Armored extended across five miles of rugged terrain that was primarily held by the three infantry companies making up the 27th AIB. 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. When you get surprised like this, you become cautious.Undoubtedly much, if not most, of the armor encountered by Manteuffels probing actions during the early days of the German offensive belonged to CCB, 9th Armored Division. Similar events have happened more than once, though on the Eastern Front. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. The failure to capture St. Vith was preventing the linkup of the Fifth and the Sixth Panzer Armies. This was no place to conduct a mobile defense with armor-heavy forces. The northern prong of the horseshoe was composed of CCB, 7th Armored Division from Poteau and Vielsalm. Volksgrenadier-Division. Task Force Jones and the 112th Infantry eventually found their way into 82nd Airborne Division lines during the night of the 24th, but not before the units suffered heavy losses. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. It is stated as being reported to Major Boyer by one Captain Walter Henry Anstey of Company A of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, who is said to have been a witness to the event. 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. Combat Interviews of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient, December 17-23, 1944. He could not believe it. Outnumbered and in danger of encirclement, the cannoneers and their rifle support from C Company made a platoon-by-platoon withdrawal toward Winterspelt. WWII Pictures on Twitter: "Soldiers of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division 6 Schwere Panzerkampfwagen DW to E-100. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. 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. Once St. Vith was taken, Model intended to drive the brigade swiftly for the Meuse River or cut behind the opposition on the Elsenborn Ridge that was bottling up the Sixth Panzer Army. Gen. Robert Hasbroucks 7th Armored Division would be arriving at St. Vith at 0700 on the 17th. 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. 8 Sturmgeschuetz s.Pak to Sturmmoerser. At least 900 soldiers who had stood in front of the town were either dead or captured. The Ardennes 1944-1945: Hitlers Winter Offensive. 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 Sixth Panzer Army, with the 15th Army on its right, was to launch the main attack between Monschau in the north and Prum in the south. Ten tanks, numerous supply vehicles, armored cars, and jeeps were lost to enemy action. On December 21, 18. Panzer Tracts No. Overall operational command for the offensive fell to Field Marshal Walther Model. . In blinding snow and on slippery roads the tanks and infantry of CCB, 9th Armored headed for Bauvenn. It is interesting to note that the U.S 7th Armored Division suffered a moderate 425 Battle Casualties, on page 465 of Hitlers Last Gamble by Trevor N. Dupuy, for December 17-23, 1944 in the Battle of Saint Vith including the 1st day of the Battle of Manhay, out of the 3,397 Battle and Non-Battle Casualties suffered during the Battle by the U.S 112th Infantry Regiment of the U.S 28th Infantry Division, the U.S 424th Infantry Regiment of the U.S 106th Infantry Division, Combat Command B of the U.S 9th Armored Division and ofcourse the U.S 14th Cavalry Group. 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 3. . Infanterie-Division 193510 [1] 22 22. The Pontiac, Michigan, resident also served 10 years in the U.S. Army. The move had scarcely begun when an enemy attack hit the junction between Company B, 27th AIB and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion. 22nd Air Landing Division (wehrmacht) - Encyclopedia Information An M8 Greyhound armored car of Troop B, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron was lying in a concealed position just northeast of the vitally important crossroads town of St. Vith, Belgium. This one, however, most likely did not. 281st Security Division (281. It was at full strength and supplied with the latest equipment. js = d.createElement(s); Encyclopedia of German tanks of World War Two. Germanys Tiger Tanks D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production & Modifications. Thus, the Fifth Panzer Army commander ordered that St. Vith be taken no later than the second day of the offensive. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division(18th VGD) was a volksgrenadierdivision of the German Army(Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. . 18th Volksgrenadier Division - Wikipedia The U.S. 9th Armored Division arrived in the European Theater of Operations in late October 1944 as a reserve for Maj. Gen. 13th Flak Division 651 . The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating the 571st Volksgrenadier Division. Both American units were able to drive forward, and the Shermans knocked out six German armored vehicles. 18th Volksgrenadier Division - Wikiwand Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. He is being outflanked and is retiring west another 2,000 yards refusing both flanks. And why would it not? English Edition, Casemate Publishers, 2014. 1946. Protected by armor between 25 mm to 145 mm thick and armed with a fearsome 88mm KwK 36 L/56 main gun, the Tiger I was arguably the most feared tank of World War II by Allied soldiers. The armored infantrymen kept themselves well hidden until the column was directly in front of them and then opened fire. Add to cart. 2014. Looking at German records The Fhrerbegleit Brigade with one Panzerabteilung of four companies of Pzkw IV and a Sturmgeschutzabteilung with four batteries of StuG III were in reserve assembled in the area around Daun on the 17th and not yet in action only beginning to move up at 1600H on the 18th. General Hoge received his order to pull CCB, 9th Armored out at 0605 on December 23. First Edition, Presidio Press, 2002. Osprey Publishing, 2002. 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. 13th Company, 28th Jager Regiment, 8th Jager Division 286. 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. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. Could an M8 Greyhounds 37 mm M6 gun even penetrate the rear hull armor of a Tiger I? 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. Hoge managed to stop the stragglers, and soon a provisional company of men from the 424th was formed to reinforce the 27th AIB on its march toward the Our. Dragon 1625 1/16th Obersturmfuhrer Totenkopf Division Budapest 1945 R 275.00. 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. Cole, Hugh M. The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Back in the 1970s I worked with a man who told this story, he claimed he was the driver. By the end of the day, the 27th AIB had withdrawn through Steinebruck without casualties despite enemy shelling of the village. 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. Orders for CCB, 9th Armored to move to a new defensive position were issued at 1600. Infanterie-Division . Good Tank, Poor Deployment | T-34-76 and T-34-85 in Yugoslav Partisan Service. 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. Unteroffizier Helmus of the 26th Volksgrenadier Division painted the situation when the advance began. 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 . 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. However, the monumental traffic jams in the Losheim Gap and at Schoenberg continued to delay both the 18th Volksgrenadier Division and the Fhrer Escort Brigade, and not until after daylight on the 20th would a bridge be ready at Steinebruck for the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division. Clarke pulled back his left flank to protect Hinderhausen, a key position on the emergency exit route to Commanster and Vielsalm. 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. However, it cannot be safely assumed that the tank killed in this engagement was a Tiger I or a Tiger II. Tigers In Combat I. One German tank was seen going up in flames. 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. 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. Shortly thereafter, Hasbrouck called and asked, Bruce, do you think you can get out? Clarke answered, A miracle has happened, General! VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Mastering all the usages of 'poor shape' from sentence examples published by news publications. Yes in theory. VGD division was absorbed into the 26. On its way to the new position, C Company came under a sudden artillery and rocket barrage in the village of Lommersweiler. 4 Grosstraktor to Panzerbefehlswagen IV. Late on the 20th, patrols of the 82nd Airborne Division, on the other side of the Salm River, established contact with patrols of the 7th Armored Division. 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. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aefa00eeca3d30bd3e762fcc54816f6d" );document.getElementById("f87928873f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As far as Im aware no Ferdinands (all upgraded to Elefants at the stage of Ardennes Offensive) were used in the Ardennes and better yet all Elefants were in Eastern Front with the 614.sPzJgK (formerly 2./653.sPzJgAbt) after August 1944. The resulting blast damaged the bridge to such an extent that the Germans would not be able to bring vehicles across for at least 24 hours. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2005. In minutes, a platoon of medium tanks from A Company of the 14th rolled across the bridge at Steinebruck and placed high explosive and heavy machine-gun fire on the enemys position in the woods and along the draw. 20th Panzergrenadier Division (Wehrmacht) - Atozwiki.com VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. The circuitous march up one road and down another led to a new line just a few hundred yards to the west of the old one and was miraculously carried out while under attack without the loss of any men or equipment. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. 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. 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 However, this version of Captain Ansteys account has one key difference: it was not a Tiger I that was knocked out, but rather a Tiger II, almost analogous to the fisherman whose fish gets bigger each time he tells the tale of his catch. Josef Theissen, the fifteen-year-old who had seen the Germans arrive on Sunday, December 17, watched the soldiers every move with the fascination for things military . Volksgrenadier-Division. Although the Germans were facing stiff resistance all along the American defensive line, they were determined to take St. Vith. Perrin told General Hoge, You can continue this attack on towards this back country, but you must be back on this side of the river by nightfall.. Airfix J6017 Volkswagen Camper Van (Quick Build) R 405.00. Rebuilding the blown bridge to get their assault guns across was their first priority. So its quite possible! 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. Bork, Max Hermann (Generalleutnant) - TracesOfWar.com Gen. Herbert T. Perrin, assistant commander of the 106th Infantry Division, drove up carrying a message from General Jones. Chamberlain, Peter, et al. December 20 was a day of disappointment for the Germans around St. Vith. Situation reports suggested that the Germans were intent on crossing the Our River at Steinebruck. Although both men agreed that a withdrawal at this stage was the wiser decision, Hoge was skeptical that, given the weather and ground conditions, the defenders would be able to get out. September 18th, 1944: Kdr. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. Zaloga, Steven, and Tony Bryan. Olson states that, on the 18th of December 1944, one of the armored cars opened fire with its 37 mm gun on a German tank at range of 800 yards [732 meters]. There are no German records or histories which indicate that, on 18th December 1944, a Tiger I or a Tiger II was knocked out in or around St. Vith. 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. It was around 1200 hours and all was quiet when suddenly a German heavy tank was spotted slowly approaching the American line, a Tiger I. Germanys Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to TIGER II. Although the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division drove the American defenders from Winterspelt, all was not going well for the Germans. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. German reports are also far from subtlety. These German tanks would later be specified to be Panzer IVs or Mark IVs. In light of these circumstances, General Hasbrouck felt compelled to write to Clarke that unless the withdrawal began soon the opportunity will be gone., During the night of December 22, a cold wind had begun to blow out of the east bringing what weathermen call a Russian high. Although both Clarke and Hoge noted it, they saw little hope that the ground might freeze in time to aid their withdrawal, but after receiving Hasbroucks message Clarke stepped out and tested the ground. Unable to advance, it pulled back to the nearest high ground and dug in. There was a bitter struggle to the south of Grufflingen, and the Germans were again active in the Neubruck area. It is possible that it was really a Tiger tank. Two of its tanks were mired in mud that had not frozen and had to be retrieved by a tank dozer. At CCB, 9th Armored Divisions headquarters in Faymonville, General Hoge was just finishing up his briefing for his commands move to the Losheim Gap and Manderfeld when the call came through from General Jones informing him of 9th Armoreds new Winterspelt mission. Rejection & Neglect available to buy on Payhip! By noon, the 27th AIB, with the help of Company A, 14th Tank Battalion, had retaken that first stretch of high ground. Under cover of automatic weapons fire from a platoon of light tanks, Sergeant Eugene Dorland and two other men from the engineers went into the cold, bullet-splattered water carrying three cases of TNT and placed their charges on the south abutment of the bridge. The last Tiger II belonged to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 (Heavy Tank Battalion 506) and was lost to enemy fire on the Lentzweiler road in Luxemburg. The time was approximately 1800 on Saturday, December 16, when Combat Command B of the 9th Armored Division began its move to St. Vith. Hoge immediately got on the phone and ordered Engeman to move out. Amazing discounts for bundles. The commanders were at the center of the Foret Domaniale du Grand Bois. That evening General Clarke also put his command into Commanster. 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.. The Seventh Armored Division in the Battle of St. Vith. 1945) English PDF (18 MB) Jan B-627 Volkssturm (Oct. 1944-Apr. 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. Although the 62nd Volksgrenadier captured Winterspelt, its losses were high and its left regiment had made little headway in the Heckhuschied sector. 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. 1947. 22 22. General Lucht hurried to Winterspelt to get the 62nd Volksgrenadier moving to the Our. Boylan, Vincent L. Letter to Robert W. Hasbrouck. Stackpole Books, 2015. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; 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. Clarke asked, Why in the world when I had only 2,500 men available to my command on December 17, did you not just execute a powerful frontal assault and overrun me?. Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1918) Period: First World War (1914-1918) Awarded on: . One task force encountered reconnaissance probes on N27 conducted by units of the 1st SS Panzer Division approximately 1,000 yards north of St. Vith. The 18. On this day, CCB of the 9th Armored Division was still in its assembly area in the vicinity of Faymonville. Anderson, Thomas. Panzer Tracts No. One Day at Stavelot, a Tale of Two Archives The Tiger II vs US Tank Destroyers in the Ardennes. Although the Germans were quick to build up beyond the Our River after the American withdrawal, they made no immediate moves against the new American line. Were any of these Tiger Is and or Tiger IIs knocked out on the 18th of December, 1944? 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. The M8 was used mostly as a reconnaissance vehicle for scouting. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Bergstrm, Christer. of the Army, 1965. By midnight on the 19th, the horseshoe- shaped defense of St. Vith had taken form. Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field Division. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. 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. It is possible (if unlikely) that this event was completely unrelated to the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story. How about a Tiger II? 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. Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. Boylan, Vincent L. After Action Report, Month of December, 1944. Add to cart. The other, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division, bore the number of an infantry division destroyed on the Eastern Front, which had been reconstituted. I should also note that reconnaissance doctrine was to disengage if at all possible and in no way engage enemy armour beyond scout elements. The event that Lieutenant Olson recounts does bare a resemblance to the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story, with both events taking place at or near St. Vith on the 18th of December 1944 and involving an American armored car from the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron knocking out a German tank by shooting it in the rear. 18th Volksgrenadier Division (Germany) (Paperback) The earliest known mention can be found in the December 18th, 1944 morning report and record of events entry of Troop E, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which briefly states that an M-8 atchd [attached] to A Tr [Troop A] knocked out one Tiger tank. Those men were a scrappy bunch. The mobile battalion consisted of three platoons of assault guns, a company of engineers, and another of fusiliers. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2004. Manteuffels operation in the St. Vith area was already three days behind schedule. Rather than reaching the Meuse and driving on to Antwerp, the offensive stalled and eventually was turned back. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Under the chain of the northern sector command, only General Ridgway was unsure of Field Marshal Montgomerys decision to withdraw from the defense. This battalion hit the 424ths Cannon Company at the Weissenhof crossroads. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating the 571st Volksgrenadier Division. Perhaps the most unlikely performer of the entire battle was the 18th Volksgrenadier Division. Counter to the plan laid out earlier by General Jones, Hoge had decided to launch his attack on Winterspelt with the entire 14th Tank Battalion as the lead element rather than with the more vulnerable infantry of the 27th AIB. General Luchts plan for December 17 was simple. Troy Middletons VIII Corps. He also said that they got a new Greyhound. Our preliminary briefings had told us that there would be no armor in our path. Tigers In Combat II. Now with a new armored combat command due to arrive at 0700 hours the next day, and with the rest of the division to follow, Jones believed he would soon have the potential to deal with both the Schnee Eifel and Winterspelt emergencies. Before the day ended, renewed fighting broke out along the entire front. Hoge departed Faymonville at approximately 1800, arriving at General Joness headquarters in the St. Josephs Kloster about a half hour later. Schneider, Wolfgang. 10 Apr. The move would also have to be done under the cover of darkness in severe wintry conditions. 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. While making his reconnaissance at Monschau he received an urgent message to call V Corps headquarters. The losses in men and equipment for CCB, 9th Armored, as with the rest of the American units defending St. Vith, had been severe. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division under the command of Generalmajor Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn patrolled the Schnee Eifel area. Zaloga, Steven. They were sometimes misidentified as Tiger HIs. Zaloga, Steven, and Tony Bryan. 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. 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. 188th Division (Nazi Germany) - Atozwiki.com The 14th Tank Battalion was on its way to the Steinebruck bridge when Brig. 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. Seventh Armored Division Association 2517 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 8, D.C., 1947. Penguin Books, 2016. Armored Champion, The Top Tanks of World War II. The U.S. 9th Armored Division contested the German advance around St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge, and won precious time in the process. It contained the 293., 294. and 295. grenadier regiments, Panzerjger-Bataillon 1818, Pionier-Bataillon 1818, Fsilier-Bataillon 1818 and Artillerie-Regiment 1818.[1]. While walking to avoid the traffic congestion, Manteuffel encountered his superior, Field Harshal Model. The 7th Armored had taken a beating in defending St. Vith. The southern prong was defended by General Hoges CCB, 9th Armored with the weakened 424th Infantry Regiment tied in and bent back protecting Burg Reuland. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. 16 Dec 2022 08:28:00 At 0100 the 23rd, D Troop, 89th Recon lost an armored car and a jeep to antitank guns. 1940 194111. Johnston, W. Wesley. 12th Volksgrenadier Division 89; 197; 487; 557; 650; 727. Tough Stand of the Golden Lions - Warfare History Network