Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein

Wacht am Rhein, the German offensive in the West december 1944

December 16th 1944, 250.000 German soldiers stood ready to attack the US frontlines in the Ardennes , Belgium.
This last great attack had to be the turning point for the Germans to achieve victory in Europe, by dividing the allied forces, geographicly but also politically.
This battle is thoroughly documented by both sides.
The tactical fundaments and the lessons learned from this campaign are still valid for todays armies.
The German operational plan knew some major problems.

1) Supply: The biggest concern for the offensive though was the shortage of fuel, motor transport, and artillery ammunition.
2) Weather: bad weather.The Germans wanted bad weather to keep Allied fighter bombers on the ground and out of the battle for as long as possible.
3) Terrain: very difficult, and to make it even worse the road network layed opposite to the axis of the attack.
4) bridges/roads: proved in many cases not to be able to hold the weight of the heavy tiger tanks, the small roads lead to traffic jams.
5) Allied defense: small units could delay the advance from well positioned ambushes causing major problems for the campaign.
6) The allied airforces  the allied forces  were supported by overwhelming airpower (therefor a bad weather period was necessary)

Major problems for the Allies:
The area was used by the Americans as a place to send fought out divisions to be brought back to full strength.
The units in the area were all either under strength or had alot of replacements in them that were not combat veterans.
The weather kept the Americans from doing aerial reconnaissance and using their tactical airforces to help stop the initial Geman attack.
The Allies too were experiencing shortages mostly in fuel distribution from the Normandy beaches.

Hitlers objectives and plans

Hitler hoped that, by conducting a large (victorious) offensive in the west, he could break the allies to work together.
He thought that the allied coalition was made up of two major groups , ultra-kapitalist states(lead by the US) and a group of ultra- Communist states (lead by the Soviet Union).
He also presumed that this coalition was weak and fragile.
Hitler ordered Speer, logistics, and OKW, personnel and armour, to prepare for an offensive in November, when the western allied airforce was grounded due to (expected) bad weather.
Hitler ordered an attack with 30 Panzer-, WaffenSS & Volksgrenadierdivisions, supported by 1500 planes, during a bad weather period.
Overall command was given to Feldmarschall Von Rundstedt.(note, von Rundstedt was allready fired two times before)

On september 25th Hitler gave new directions to OKW for the upcoming attack,
a) Start of the attack: between 20 and 30 november 1944
b) Area of operations:the Ardennes region between Monschau and Echternach.
c) Target: Create a bridgehead on the other side of the river Meuse
d) Destruction: all allied forces north of the line Antwerpen-Luik-Bastogne
e) Massive support artillery, rocket formations and the Luftwaffe.
f)  Ground forces: 30 divisions (including 10 panzerdivisons)
g) Operational Armies: 4 armies: 2 tankarmies in the centre and 2 infantryarmies to cover the flanks.
h) Speed and surprise: the main elements to achieve victory.

Hitler hoped that with this attack through the weakly defended Ardennes and the following encirclement and destruction of the British/Canadian divisions, before the US could intervene or react would decrease pressure on his industrial heart, the Ruhr.
One of the objectives was to deliver the British 21st army group a second Dunkirk.
The final decision and responsability for the attack and the choice which units were to be used would all be taken by Hitler as supreme commander.
Okw was surprised when they heard about the final plans in october, before this meeting only a few high-ranking officers knew the details of the operation.
OKW tried to talk Hitler out of the idea to retake Antwerp, which proved to be impossible.

Operational planning

October 9th Generaloberst Jodl presented 5 optional plans to Hitler.
Personally he favored 2 options:
Operation Holland    : Attack from the Venlo area towards Antwerp and the destruction of 21st army group (UK)
Operation Luik-Aken: Pincerattack launched from Luxemburg/Aken aimed to encircle and destroy all allied forces in the Aken area.
General oberst Jodl earmarked 12 Panzer- and 26 Infantry divisions for this operation.
Hitler insisted that the attack would be launched from the Ardennes, however he liked parts of Jodls plan and OKW received orders to work out the details.
On oktober 22nd 1944 chief of staff (OBW) general Westphal and chief of staff Heeresgruppe B (HGB) general Krebs were invited to Hitlers HQ and they were informed about the new operation, from now on known as Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein.
The name was chosen so that, if it leaked, the Allies would think it was a defensive operation.
28 divisions would be formed for the attack, they would be supplied with all nessecary support and material.
All units earmarked for the upcoming attack would receive priority regarding delivery of weapons and vehicles.
This concept would be known as "Grose lösung".
Generalfeldmarschall Von Rundstedt and Generalfeldmarschall Model were not convinced that this operation could succeed with the amount of units at hand.
They  provided another option known as "Kleine lösung" or operation Martin.
HBG and OBW made this plan after a meeting with the commanders of 6th Panzer armee (Dittrich) 5th Panzer armee (Von Manteuffel) and the 7th armee (Brandenberger).
This asked for a counterattack from the Ardennes north of Aken towards Luik.
Hitler, his mind set, rejected all critics and ordered preparations for the "Grose lösung" to be continued.

Allied forces

The mean reasons for the Germans to attack the front of the US 1st army, General Courtney Hodges, between the area of Monschau and Echternach was twofold, the line was thinly defended and it had tired / unexperienced units in the line.
General Bradly, 12th US Army group, choose to take the risk because he was convinced that the terrain wasnt suitable for an attack nor did he believe that the Germans were able to launch an attack at all.
On a frontline as wide as 120 km from north to south only 5 motorized Infantry divisions defended the line together with 1 Tank division as a reserve in the rear.
2 Of those divisions, 28th and 4th, were  understrength because of the losses they took in Hürtgenwald fightings.
To make it even worse, 3 other divisions, 9th,99th and 106th inf division, were new and had little to no combat experience.
Frontline, north to south:

2nd infantrydivision:  Monschau
99th infantrydivision: Monschau
106th infantrydivision: Schnee Eiffel
28th infantrydivision: east of Bastogne
4th infantrydivision: Echternach
9th tankdivision: Vianden ( division reserve)

In number the Germans had over 200.000 men against 83.000 US defenders.

Order of battle 5th Panzerarmee (General Von Manteuffel)

5th panzerarmee,

+66th armeekorps:

+18th volksgrenadierdivision
+ 62nd volksgrenadierdivision

58th panzerkorps:

+ 116th Panzerdivision
+ 560th volksgrenadierdivision

47th Panzerkorps:

+ 2nd panzzerdivision
+ Panzerlehrdivision
+ 26th volksgrenadierdivision

Orders:

5th panzerarmee, located central front.

-First objectiveBreakthrough enemy lines and push north and south of Namur towards the Meuse river untill the Brussel -Antwerpen line is reached.
-Secundary
-a) 66th armeekorps occupy St Vith
-b) 58th korps attacks towards Houffalize and creates a bridgehead east of NAMUR.
-c) 47th korps crosses rivers Our and Clerve, takes over bastogne and advance  towards the Meuse west of namur.
-d) 5th armee also has to act against any enemy reserves which might harras 6th armees advance.

reserveunits:

OKW and Heeresgruppe B had 2 panzer and 6 infantrydivisions at hand, however most of these divisions were not combatready at the start of the operation.

Comparisation of OOBs:

The Germans could field 20 divisions without any reserves, this meant they were 10 divisions short which the original plan called for.
tanks and armored vehicles: allies 420 , germans 700
artillerypieces : aliies 400,  germans 1900
soldiers: allies 83000, germans 240.000.

Combatreadiness:

7 divisions were combat ready and capable for fullfilling their tasks.
11 divisions were not 100% operational due to shortages.
2 divisions were classified unfit for the attack.
Only infantry and artillery had a clear advantage in numbers over their allied counterparts.
The armor nowhere reached more than a 1-2  advantage, this was  dangerous because with clear skies the allied airforce  was a big danger.
Training and skills were sufficient.
Motivation of the German forces was excellent.

But there were some  disadvantages for the Germans which favored the allied forces.
Terrain was bad, it made movement almost impossible sometimes.
Most divisions lacked the mobility to make deep penetrations the infantry(VGD) had to move on foot.....
Except for some of the armored divisions fast mobile warfare was impossible.
Another major factor was lack of reserve units to explore succes or to secure flanks.
In the air it was a bad situation only 1800 German fighters(limited fuel) faced 5000 allied aircraft.

Infrastructure,

Allthough the German high command spend a lot of effort to mimimize problems for transportation, several problems could not be solved.
The state of the roads was very bad, snow and ice caused delays.
Another problem were destroyed installations and destroyed/blocked roads and bridges.(most caused by retreating german troops)
Allied bombers had caused lot of damage to roads and bridges.

3 days before the start of the offensive most units received their marching orders.
Some roads were only to be used by units heading west, others by units eading east.
And there were roads only for 70 ton vehicles ( like the King Tigers)
The military police payed a very important role in this part of the operation.It was their task to direct convoys the right way and to solve problems which may delay the operation.
Halfway the offensive the allied bombing campaigns became a heavy menace for the resupplying efforts, therefor all AA units were  used in a new role.
Defend roads, junctions and other vital places instead of the troops at the front.

Of a big importance were the railroads, most transport of units and supplies was done by train,.
At least when they were not damaged.
3 important  stations were located at Bonn,Koln and Koblenz.
By now the allied high command allready  identified the problems the Germans had with resupplying, they aircampaign was shifted towards the German resupply effort.
Allied bombers repeatedly bombed the railways and caused damage to them.
But in most cases the Germans managed to repair them in a few hours.

However,with the allied aircampaign increasing after the weather cleared up more and more bombers caused havoc on the roads and railways leading to the front. Therefor most supplies  had to be detrained at the Rhine and lorried to the front.
This hampered the German resupply effort , the distance to the frontline could not be overcome, this was due to the problems caused by  the allready existing lack of fuel.

6th armees advances came to a hold at Monschau.
5th armee slowly advances towards St vith.
The dominating hills around Clervaux are occupied.
110th regiment counterattacks, with heavy losses.

At SHAEF, Eisenhower,Smith and Whitely met to discuss the situation.
They decided to release 82nd and 101st airborne and sent them to the Ardennes.

09.00
The first German tanks are on the road to Marnach leading to Clervauxs most important bridges.
10.30
19 US tanks from the 9th tank division arrive at Clervaux.
Fuller sent them to the most threathened places, 1 section to his left flank, 1 section to the north of town.
The rest went to the city centre.
11.30
30 German tanks reached Clervaux, they destroyed 2 US tanks and started fording the Clerve river.
In the mean time General Middleton, commander of VIII corps, took preparations to defend the roads to Bastogne.
3 batallions of the US 128th engineergroup with all available men and equipment were deployed around Foy and Neffe on the road to Clervaux.
12.00
To general Middleton its clear that Clervaux is going to fall.
Most tanks of the US 9th division are at Troisvierges, he ordered them to create blockingpositions on the road leading to Bastogne.
This taskforce was led by Colonel Gilbreth.
It consisted of± 52nd armored infantrybn,2nd tankbatallion and 73rd artillerybn.
2 blocking positions were made.
Task force Rose led by captain Rose in Antoniushaff.
Task force Harper led by lcol harper in Feitsch.
13.20
CC/B 0ne third of the US 10th tankdivision is underway from Thionville and will arrive early the 18th.
15.00
Clervaux is surrounded by German forces.
17.00
In the south side of Clervaux the 26th VGD managed to storm and secure a bridge into the city.
Soon they would swarm out over the city.
The US defenders are now hopelessly lost, the last assault by gernadiers and tanks takes out the last positions defending the city.
18.25
Col Fuller reports the loss of Clervaux.
His unit lost about 3000 men.
20.30
101st airborne commanded by general Taylor is ordered to move to the Ardennes.
21.00
general Mc Auliffe , the divisions artillery commander, takes over command of the 101st because of Taylors absence.

General situation at the end of the day.

General Von Manteuffels fears came through, Panzerlehr should have advanced much faster.
On the borderline between the 5th and 7th armee there was a weak spot in the US lines.
This made 5th armee task easier, but the 7th could not exploit the weakness due to the lack of engineering units.
Therefor the chances for a succesfull breakthrough were lost.

6th panzerarmee advance stuck and was halted.
Peipers kampfgruppe go surrounded by US counterattacks.
This was caused by several reasons:
a) bad condition of the roads
b) Loss if time by deploying units
c) Badly trained and ill-experienced personell
d) not enough room to manouvre and split up units to engage enemy.
5th panzerarmee did make progress, they took 8000 prisoners and occupied Houffalize.

00.30
Team Desobry arrives at noville.
01.00
Panzerlehrs first unit reached Benonchamps.
The first group of Cheeries tanks led by Lt Hydruke took defensive positions.
His tanks stood hull down at high ground overlooking the valley.
Captain Ryerson commanding  the second group is positioned between Longvilly and Mageret, while the third section defends the HQ at Neffe.
General Bayerlein arrives in Mageret around 02.00 with 15 Panthers, artillerysection and a panzergrenadier batallion.
A civilian tells the Germans that strong US forces are heading their way.
the general than decides to hold there and make a defensive position, his men layed a minefield covering the road east to Longvilly.
Team Cherry is now cutt in two parts, this action also made it impossible for survivors of 9th tankdivision to retreat to Bastogne.
However, due to confusion and darkness bayerlein could get no clear overview of his and the US troops situation.
He did not know that Bastogne was almost undefended lays and in his reach.
His unit and the 101st were roughy 2,3 kms away from the city and the road to it was clear.
02.30
Team Desobry settled in Noville.
A platoon survivors from 9th tankdivision arrived and was taken over in the defense.
04.00
US 73rd fieldartillery batallion leaves Longvilly.
By now the Germans took over Mageret.
04.30
On the road Noville-Bourcy German scouts met resistance by 2 US tanks and infantry.
The Germans retreated.
05.00
The scouts exxagarate their report and therefor Von Lauchert decides to make a bypassing move to the north to be able to attack Noville from two sides.
Thick fog covers their advance and soon 2 overlooking hills southwest of Noville (800 meters away)were in German control.
05.30
bayerlein leaves mageret and drives on to Neffe.
In Neffe his first tank hits a mine and is disabled, Neffe was defended by a US infabntrycompany.
However the men did not fire and the Germans thought Neffe was undefended.
While the Germans were busy clearing the mines, the US soldiers escaped to the south towards the castle.
The German tanks didnt left the road because of the muddy terrain.
05.50 bayerlein proceeds his advance.
06.00
US HQ in Bastogne is confused, there is no communication between them, the 101st and 10th tankdivision.
Lcol Ewell is ordered to reinforce Team Cherry with his 501st regiment, he was not aware the Germans were allready in Mageret.
The first group , a batallion infantry with light AAA and a reconsection leaves towards Longvilly.
06.30
The defenders of the roadblock outside Noville retreat to the village with first daylight.
The roadblock at Vaux is left as well.
On the road to Houffalize a german 88 gun knocks out 6 vehicles.
07.00
At Neffe, Bayerleins infantry and tanks pause for an hour, this delay forever took away their chance to reach bastogne without fighting.
In the same hour the 501st raced from Bastogne to Neffe.
07.45
501st reached Neffe, the germans are 200 meters past the station when the fight starts.
The Germans retreated at once, their losses were light but the infantry lacked the spirit to advance further.
08.00
At Noville the US 88th field artillery got hit by German mortarfire.Out of the fog 2 German tanks arrived but they were destroyed.
08.30
Around Noville all outposts were abandoned and the US soldiers returned to the city.
10.00
In Noville the fog clears, the men of Team Desobry now see to their horror that a huge German tankforce becomes vissible.
From several positions German armor is heading to the town.
Desobry is aware that he faces an entire German tankdivision.
10.30
the Germans attack, 30 tanks from Noville-Bourcy area and 14 tanks from Vaux.
These were the tanks of 3rd regiment 2nd division,hoping to clear a way for the division.
Several tanks reached Noville up to 100 meters but stubborn resistance stops  the attack in its tracks.
In Bastogne Ltc Ewells other two batallions are moving.
2nd batallion is driving through the town but was delayed due to enemy fire, demolished streets and rubble everywhere.
12.30
It takes 2nd batallion 2 hours to reach Bizory.
Ewell decides to send this bn straight to Mageret in an effort to surround the German forces in Neffe.
They took up positions north of Mageret in the forests there, here they met German scouts at hill 510(26th VGD).
After a fierce fight the Germans retreat.
Meanwhile general Bayerleins advance is halted, he decides to retreat to Mageret.
He thinks it will take at least a division to occupy bastogne.
Ewells 3rd batallion reached the village of Mont, A company reach Wardin and gets into contact with Team O'Hara.
101st AB decides to send 1st batallion of its 506 regiment to Noville as reinforcement.
2nd and 3rd batallion are send to Foy.
In Wardin team O 'Hara had an easy night.
They picked up stragglers from the 28th US division, around 10.00 the flow of man ceased.
11.40
Team O'Haras men see a kubelwagen coming, not far behind are vehicles from Panzerlehr and 26th VGD.
Because they had no At weapons the US soldiers retreated.
12.00
German artillery start pounding the positions from team O'Hara.
Meanwhile German infantry infiltrates their positions, its becoming clear that the men cannot held this position.
13.00
Its getting tough in Longvilly.
The men are ordered to retreat, the leading tank is knocked out by an 88 gun and blocks the road for the rest of the column.
Lt Hydukes men are now attacked by elements of 3 German divisions.
1) 77th regiment of 26th VGD attacking to the north.
2) 901 panzergrenadierregiment sent 1 batallion and 6 selfpropelled guns from the north/northwest..
3) 2nd panzerdivision sends 15 tankhunters from the south.
This cooperation was coincidental and soon the battle was over.
13.30
1st batallion of 506th arrives in Noville.
Some of the men left their equipment behind after the hasty drive from Holland, these shortages were resupplied fast.
14.30
Le Prade and Desobry decided to mount a counterattack.
3 infantrycompanies(paras) attack through the ridge north and east of Foy.
Tanks and mechanised infantry advanced along the 3 roads leading to noville.
The amercians had 30 tanks, 6 tanksdestroyers and 1000 men facing roughly 7000 Germans with 80 tanks and Stugs.
1 US company managed to reach the top of the ridge, but in the evening their position became undefendable and they had to retreat.
15.00
The Germans reacted.
Noville is shelled heavy , the smoke and the upcoming fog soon troubled LOS over the battlefield.
The US force used this cover to reenter Noville and dig in again.
In Neffe the US defender hold untill darkness, LtCol Cherry  retreated to Mont.
In Wardin the defenders are overrun.
17.15
In Wardin team O'Hara is allowed to retreat.
501st regiment is retreating  back to the line Bozory-Mont-Marvie.
They held this position untill the end of the German offiensive.
18.30
The Germans shell Noville the entire night.
Still te US defenders hold on.
They asked permission to retreat but were ordered to hold out.
3rd bn 506th digs in at night in Noville while the 2nd digs in at Luzery.
23.00
A German patroll found a gap at the US lines along the railroad Bourcy-Bastogne between 501 and 506th regiments positions.
When the rest of the unit tried to follow they were seen by a forward post.
Backed up by artillery the Americans managed to restore the gap and destroy the German unit.235 germans were killed or captured.
Another unique chance for the Germans to get into Bastogne was lost.

Situation end of the day.

General VOn Luttwitz (47 pzcorps) asked permission to use the entire corps against Bastogne.
However Von manteuffel decided different, he gave permission to attack bastogne with the 26th VGD only backed up by elements of Panzerlehr.
The remainder of Panzerlehr had to follow the original plan to breakthrough to the river meuse.
Hitler promised Von Manteuffel 2 extra divisions( 9th panzer and 15th panzergrenadiers) if they could get fuel.
The lack of fuel allready caused the cancellation of 5th armees attack on St Vith.
Resupply for 2nd GE Division was delayed because the bridge at Dasburg had to be used by 116th divisions armor.
The bridge at Ourthen wasnt able to carry the weight of the tanks.
This caused delays and trafficjams at the bridge.
7th armee occupied Wiltz, this was done with cooperation of 5th fallschirmjaegers and the 26th VGD.
7th armee reached the road bastogne-Arlon and managed to keep in contact with 5th armee.
The US High command finally acts and orders Patton to cancel his attack eastwards.
His 3 divisions are ordered to attack the German southernflank.

00.00
Elements of US 327th glider regiment approached Sprimont.
Every 1500 meters they left behind a radiooperator to maintain communications with HQ.
With a surprise attack the paras took over the village, killing 50 Germans without losing troops their own.
In a forest near Herbaimont the paas found a burned fieldhospital and trucks loaded with stolen supplies.
They also found two , earlier wounded paras, murdered.
After cleaning uop the area roadblocks were setup in all directions leading to the town.
07.00
Around this time the US defenders hear sounds of moving vehicles(GE 2nd division)leaving Bertogne towards the Meuse river.
Colonel SInk is worried about the railroad from Bourcy to bastogne.
He ordered A and C company 1st bn from 506th regiment to probe out and make contact with D company, defending La Halte.
While his men advanced, soldiers of the D company 501 east of the tracks did the same.
The Germans were completely surprised, they fled in total panick.
At Clochimont the americans discovered a German force using US vehicles, these are elements of a paratroopercompany from German 5th fallschirmjeager division.
Reinforced with tanks, Stugs from 901 pzregiment, Panzerlehr and elements of the 26th VGD.
General Kokett tries to bypass the americans south.
With the recon bn of the 39th panzergrenadierregiment, the regiment than  advanced along Lutremange,Villers_La_bonne_Au and Hompre towards Sibret.
901st regiment is put under Koketts command.
By now the General learned abouth 5th divisions advance.
09.00
Sibret falls to the Germans, 26th VGD recon batallion now moves on to Vileroux hoping to reach Bastogne through a secundary road from Senonchamps.
There they met real US troops.
The Germans used the surprise element and opened fire on the American soldiers
10.30
At that same moment a US reserveforce reached them(commanded by major Pyle)
With support of artillery they assaulted the German convoy
10.00
The defenders at Salle were reinforced by 2 tankdestroyers.
12.00
The Germans again attacked Salle.
Under pressure the US troops retreat but the German commander was reluctant to attack again, he lost 2 days before he found out Salles roadblock was deserted.
At Bastogne the word arrived that 3 German divisions are now surrounding the town, unknown to the GIs however is the fact that 2 of these divisions had to move on towards the meuse.
At the end of the day and US colonel Brown has to defend the area south of Sennonchamps towards the road Bastogne-Neufchateau.
he has only 300 men, 13 tanks and 2 artillerybatallions under his command.
Meanwhile the Germans completed the encirclement of Bastogne.
German 78th grenadierregiment opposing 506th US para in the northeast.
Ge 77th regiment opposing 502rd pararegiment and 327th gliderregiment.
GE 39th regiment with 26th VGD reconbn and 901st panzergrenadierregiment in front of Marvie to the southeast.
The defenders at Salle found out that all bridges on the roads  to bastogne were blown, they could not expect any help from the city.
They were ordered to form a defensive position round bastogne, north of Mande-St-Etienne and to the east of Marvie.
At Marvie team O'Hara closes the ring.
327th regiment has to cover half of this circle, therefor they received reinforcements.
OKW decided that bastogne was to be taken on 22 decembre.
26th VGD received support from panzerlehr with 15 Panthertanks, elements of 5th fallschirmjeager division and its artillery.
Earlier attempts to attack from south and north failed, thus the Germans tried it from the west this time.
7th armees forward elements reached Libramont.
The other units dug in to resist against counterattacks from the 3rd US army.
Meanwhile the weather got bad, temperatures dropped below zero and snow started falling.