On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The line companies were down to one officer apiece. The tanks of the 14th Tank Battalion and the half-tracks of the 27th AIB paused to pick up the foot elements of the 424th RCT, 106th Infantry Division. Then there is the issue of the entrys ambiguity in regards to the Tiger tank that was knocked out. Company B was stationed east of Galhausen and maintained contact with the nearest elements of the 7th Armored Division on 9th Armoreds left flank. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. 2014. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. Both B and C Companies pulled back to the vicinity of Neidingen, near the battalion command post, while the 14th Tank Battalion established a perimeter defense around its assembly area near Breitfeld about halfway between the Our and St. Vith. Unteroffizier Helmus of the 26th Volksgrenadier Division painted the situation when the advance began. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. The CCB command post was moved to Neubruck, a small group of farmhouses on Braunlauf Creek about two miles southwest of St. Vith. The other, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division, bore the number of an infantry division destroyed on the Eastern Front, which had been reconstituted. 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. Germanys Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to TIGER II. Shortly thereafter, Hasbrouck called and asked, Bruce, do you think you can get out? Clarke answered, A miracle has happened, General! Bergstrm, Christer. js.className = n; 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. 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. Mines were laid. On December 21, 18. 1964. As the offensive steam came to an end in the Ardennes, the division went on the defensive, and there they would stay. December, 1944 By Greg Moore gregpanzerblitz.com December, 2008 Battalion I x 5 x 4 x 1 x 2 x 12 293rd Volks- . Adding to the slowdown of operations against St. Vith, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division was still using two of its three regiments and all but one of its artillery battalions against the two trapped 106th Infantry Division regiments on the Schnee Eifel. If neither a Tiger I nor a Tiger II was killed on 18th December 1944 in or around the town of St. Vith by an M8 Greyhound, what was? Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914) Periode: Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) Toegekend op: 30 oktober 1917. 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. The reason for this comparative respite was due to the fact that the roads to the German rear were completely jammed. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. English Edition, Casemate Publishers, 2014. This article already explains ballistics and mentions that while Panther was vulnerable to lower-caliber AT guns, the Tigers were almost immune to them. The commanders were at the center of the Foret Domaniale du Grand Bois. However, I am not so emotionally attached to my favorite LAV that I cant see the improbabilities. The second task force consisted of B Company of the 811th Tank Destroyers. 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. 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. Cole, Hugh M. The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. German Division Nr. Hoge pointedly asked Ridgway how it could be done. They were repulsed by machine-gun fire. This moment marked the beginning of the famous Battle of the Bulge, Germanys last major offensive on the Western Front in World War II. 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. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. A two-day rest was planned for everyone. The most startling difference however is the range at which this engagement occurred, with Lieutenant Olsons version having the engagement take place at 800 yards (732 meters), compared to the original storys 25 yards (23 meters)! No one knew what was happening. VGD. Your email address will not be published. Early on the 19th, the Germans made reconnaissance probes. Two hits were scored on the enemy tank in the rear, and its crew evacuated. Luftlande-Division 19416 19421944 19453 22 22. 8 Sturmgeschuetz s.Pak to Sturmmoerser. The 62nd, like the 18th, included three regiments of two battalions each. Close. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. Infanterie-Division . Tigers In Combat I. The next move was up to General Lucht and his corps. It would be unable to turn its full strength on St. Vith until the American surrender in that area. On top of attacking the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B), a Panzer IV can be easily misidentified as a Tiger I. His troops remained in place, and the pullout to the west side of the Our River began at dusk. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. Confusion, darkness, and mud slowed the move, but by morning a medium tank company and a platoon of riflemen had reached the village. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=18th_Volksgrenadier_Division&oldid=1127007404, Military units and formations established in 1944, Military units and formations disestablished in 1945, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 December 2022, at 11:24. 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. Situation reports suggested that the Germans were intent on crossing the Our River at Steinebruck. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. At about midday, the field marshal sent a message to General Hasbrouck: You have accomplished your missiona mission well done. Schneider, Wolfgang. The job of capturing St. Vith went to the Fifth Panzer Armys 66th Corps, commanded by General Walther Lucht. He also said that they got a new Greyhound. 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. 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. This leads to a second candidate, the StuG III. The Fifth and Sixth Panzer Armies were to advance abreast, cross the Meuse River, and then drive for the Belgian port city of Antwerp, a major staging and supply center for the Allied armies in western Europe. Infanterie-Division Hamburg 19453 . The provisional company of 424th stragglers disappeared during the night. Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1918) Periode: Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) . That night, infantry patrols found German medics removing their wounded. The troop was to hold until relieved by the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion (AIB) and then reconnoiter farther down the road toward Winterspelt. Gen. Hasbrouck, commander of the 7th Armored Division, sent a message to General Ridgway urging withdrawal, which in part read, P.S. By noon, the 27th AIB, with the help of Company A, 14th Tank Battalion, had retaken that first stretch of high ground. I am weighing toward a stray Panzer IV or maybe a SP gun like the one you described. The German 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of Nazi Germany.HistoryThe was established in 1934 under the cover name. As a result of 7th Armoreds earlier regrouping, Rodt was the junction point between CCA of the 7th Armored under the command of Colonel Rosebaum and General Clarkes CCB. It was to cross the Meuse on both sides of Liege before advancing on to Antwerp. The heroic defense of St. Vith, though costly in men and materil, disrupted the German timetable extensively. Volksgrenadier-Division was formed from the partially formed 571.Volksgrenadier-Division in Denmark in September 1944, it also included excess Kriegsmarine personnel and surviving elements from 18. The division, which was under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, absorbed . VGD captured St. Vith, winning a great victory. War Department, 1944. First-time contributor Charles Gutierrez is the son of a 9th Armored Division veteran. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2005. 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. On his way to St. Vith, General Hoge stopped in Faymonville to alert his command to be prepared to move immediately. Johnston, W. Wesley. 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. With the unexplained disappearance of D Troop from the 89th Reconnaissance Platoon, Company B, 27th AIB became the leading element. Add to cart. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. That is correct, however, that was off the topic of this story. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. General Lucht hurried to Winterspelt to get the 62nd Volksgrenadier moving to the Our. The defense of St. Vith was now achieving some kind of order in contrast to the chaos that had reigned during the previous three days. Rejection & Neglect available to buy on Payhip! Division C E R T I F I C A T E 24 June 1945 I certify that I am S-3 560th Volks Grenadier Division (15-29 Dec. 1944) and 12th VGD (1-28 Jan. 1945). Should 7th Armored lose St. Vith, 9th Armored would be unable to withdraw on its own axis. The route terminated at several vital crossroads in the city of St. Vith. 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 closest primary German armored thrust route to the south ran through Burg Reuland, also about five miles from St. Vith. General Luchts 66th Corps was shifted from General Manteuffels Fifth Panzer Army to the Sixth Panzer. The 7th Armored had taken a beating in defending St. Vith. Model informed Manteuffel that he would be given the Fhrer Escort Brigade, which was nearly equal in strength to an American light armored division, for the upcoming assault on St. Vith. Troop D, 89th Recon had positioned its troop headquarters and first platoon to cover the bridge over the Our. 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.. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. Inform us! Amazing discounts for bundles. The story begins on the 18th of December 1944, two days after the start of the German offensive. Volksgrenadier-Division. On this day, CCB of the 9th Armored Division was still in its assembly area in the vicinity of Faymonville. This information came from the division's senior headquarters, the VIII Corps, First U.S. Army. Osprey Publishing, 2002. 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. Established in 1941, the unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, in the Army Group North Rear Area. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. 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. 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. Having failed to find a soft spot to the north, the Germans then moved against Hoges 9th Armored command in the south; however, even before this attack got going three German tanks were knocked out and the rest of the probing force withdrew. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. 1945. At about 2130, General Clarke phoned General Hoge to tell him that the enemy was entering St. Vith from the north and that his forces were withdrawing to form a new line northwest of the city. Double-talking his identification over the radio with allusions to West Point football days, Ridgway gave Hoge a location at which to meet him. CCBs new position blocked the main Winterspelt-St. Vith highway and the valley of the Braunlauf Creek, a second natural corridor leading to St. Vith. Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. 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. At 0600 Im going to start to move.. Company C, 27th AIB withdrew under heavy artillery and sniper fire but managed to destroy a number of German vehicles. Another attack hit the left flank of 7th Armored. Boyer, Donald P. St. Vith The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge 17-23 December 1944 A Narrative After Action Report. 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. Panzer Tracts No. Troop D, 89th Recon held the sector from Steinebruck to Weppeler while A Company, 27th AIB put up a defensive line anchored on the high ground east of Maspelt. Communications with division headquarters in St. Vith were limited to liaison officers running along a road now being shelled by the Germans. Fire from the 16th Field Artillery broke up other enemy formations trying to assemble on the high ground to the south. I wanted to focus on the M8 vs Tiger story, I already noticed the Ferdinand claim, but decided not to mention it. During the night, the troopers experienced harassing fire from light and medium artillery and could observe enemy infantry and at least four tanks moving along high ground to the south of the river. 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. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. Anderson, Thomas. Roadblocks were set up and manned. Infanterie-Division 193510 [1] 22 22. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Seventh Armored Division Association 2517 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 8, D.C., 1947. Also no Ferdinand/Elefant recorded to have seen combat on Western Front. 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. Volksgrenadier-Division. Thus, the Fifth Panzer Army commander ordered that St. Vith be taken no later than the second day of the offensive. However, it cannot be safely assumed that the tank killed in this engagement was a Tiger I or a Tiger II. When B Company pulled back to refuel and rearm, A Company passed through to take up the fight. 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. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. As each unit joined the rear of the column, it took its turn being the rear guard. 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. In blinding snow and on slippery roads the tanks and infantry of CCB, 9th Armored headed for Bauvenn. Airfix J6017 Volkswagen Camper Van (Quick Build) R 405.00. Lever het aan! 3. The failure to capture St. Vith was preventing the linkup of the Fifth and the Sixth Panzer Armies. 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. Its supporting field artillery battalion was at Kalterherberg, two miles south of Monschau, engaged in firing missions for the 2nd and 99th Infantry Divisions. VGD captured St. Vith, winning a great victory. Two of its tanks were mired in mud that had not frozen and had to be retrieved by a tank dozer. How to use 'poor shape' in a sentence? 1940 194111. Tiger. Troy Middletons VIII Corps. 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. Staff officers were casualties. Stackpole Books, 2015. 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. Still quite a feat for a little Greyhound, though well probably never know conclusively. Instead of the M8 Greyhound firing three shots into the Tigers rear, the M8 Greyhound in Lieutenant Olsons version of events fired two shots. Infanterie-Division 19398 . (1944) 111 111. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. Developed in the 1930s, the Panzer IV was one of the mainstay German armored fighting vehicles of the Second World War as well as Germanys most-produced tank of the war, with over 8,500 produced. War Department Field Manual FM 2-20 Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized. Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. Orders for CCB, 9th Armored to move to a new defensive position were issued at 1600. 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. Heeft u zelf meer informatie over deze persoon? Required fields are marked *. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. 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. Volksgrenadier Division 2. It is a classic David versus Goliath tale straight out of World War II that features American heroism. 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. Design, Production & Modifications. 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 Commands main body was led by the 27th AIB with B Company in front, followed by Headquarters and C Company. 4 Grosstraktor to Panzerbefehlswagen IV. For this mission, CCB consisted of the 14th Tank Battalion, the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, the 16th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and miscellaneous smaller units vital to any major command. 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 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 . 13th Flak Division 651 . Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. In addition, elements of the 116th Panzer Division and the 560th Volksgrenadier Division were moving against the weakly held southern flank of St. Vith defended by remnants of the 424th Infantry Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division and the 112th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division. Infanterie-Division 19398 . 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. By the end of the day, the 27th AIB had withdrawn through Steinebruck without casualties despite enemy shelling of the village. Combat Interviews of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient and Manhay, December 17-23, 1944. 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. Chamberlain, Peter, et al. 2014. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. Jentz, Thomas. The platoon lost four men missing and two wounded in the ensuing engagement. The town was also in Fifth Panzer Armys area of advance. Schneider, Wolfgang. The M5 got within a yard of the Tiger and knocked it out with 5 rounds. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. The distance from Burg Reuland on the southeast to Poteau on the northwest was about 10 miles with only a single secondary road as a line of retreat for thousands of men defending the horseshoe against attack from three directions. 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. 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.
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