1 Jan 1945 - Luftwaffe launch Op Bodenplatte to try and reignite the Ardennes Offensive. Tactically a success in terms of planes destroyed, the operation is ultimately a disaster for the Luftwaffe who lose irreplaceable pilots #otd #battleofthebulge80
26 December 1944 - The US 4th Armoured Div reaches the beleaguered 101st Airborne in Bastogne. The German offensive is over and they now fight a defensive action against the Allies.
By 7 February 1945 the front line returns to that of the 16 December 1944.
#battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #OTD
#history file
2.25.1944 #BattleoftheBulge
#Christmas Day. No break in the fighting. 3rd Army closing in on Bastogne. Meanwhile, Nazis launching regimental sized attacks against the beleaguered town. They are repulsed with the attackers taking heavy losses. #BattleoftheBulge80 #IkeSHAEF #WWII
During Christmas 1944, the 101st Airborne Division held Bastogne against German forces, showcasing resilience despite harsh conditions and dwindling supplies. #History #WW2 #BattleOfTheBulge80
25 December 1944 - tanks of 3RTR, 29 Armoured Brigade photographed after the destruction of the German spearhead at Foy Notre Dame #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein
25 Dec 1944 Kampfgruppe Bohm & Cochenhausen, having advanced 60 miles, are stopped by the British 29 Armoured Brigade and US 2nd Armoured Divat Foy-Notre-Dame some 6 miles from the River Meuse losing 3,500 men, 81 tanks and 320 other vehicles.
#battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #OTD
25 Dec 1944 - 2.SS Pz Div advances Briscol. The lead tank is knocked out by a bazooka shot by Cpl R F. Wiegand of the 75th Inf Div who is killed immediately afterwards. Unable to clear Panther, 2. SS Pz Div are forced to withdraw and from this point would only retreat #battleofthebulge80
On Christmas Eve, defenders of Bastogne faced renewed German assaults but found hope through air resupply drops and camaraderie. #History #WW2 #BattleOfTheBulge80
24 Dec 1944 - Waiting for 2nd SS Pz Div in Grandmenil is the US 75th Inf Div supported tanks. As the lead Panther pauses at a road junction, the fourth tank in the column is hit. After a prolonged fight, the American’s are forced out of the village #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #OTD
24 December 1944 - Following the breakthrough at Baraque de Fraiture crossroads, Panthers of 2nd SS Pz Div capture Manhay and then turn west towards Grandmenil
#battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #OTD
Tiger 332 of s.SS-Pz.Abt.501 of Kampfgruppe Pieper during Operation Wacht an Rhein, commanded by Unterscharfuhrer Otto Blase. Abandoned and captured on the N33 at Coo-Bicester, it is preserved in the USA #battleofthebulge80 #histscalemodels
On December 23rd, 1944, the 101st Airborne received vital supplies and support, bolstering morale against German siege in Bastogne. #History #WW2 #BattleOfTheBulge80
On the night of 23 Dec 1944, a jeep full of Germans soldiers dressed as Americans appears in Dinant. The jeep and its occupants are stopped and captured by British soldiers defending the bridge #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #otd
23 Dec 1944 - Kampfgruppe Cochenhausen advances toward Celles but the lead tank hits a mine and is disabled. It now sits outside the village café #battleofthebulge80 #Wacht_am_rhein #otd
23 Dec 1944 - Trapped in La Gleize, Peiper abandons his vehicles and withdraws on foot to the German lines with 800 of his men #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #OTD
On December 22, 1944, Bastogne's defenders rejected a German surrender ultimatum, preparing for renewed assaults amidst dire conditions. #History #WW2 #BattleOfTheBulge80
#OTD my grandfather is deployed to defend the R. Meuse with 235 Btty, 59 AT Regt #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein
British Sherman Firefly IC Hybrid commanded by Sergeant Robert Bastone of the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, Guards Armoured Division, XXX Corps on Quai de Meuse defending the bridge over the Meuse at Namur #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein
22 Dec 1944 - 2nd Battalion, 504 Parachute Regiment move through the village of Rahier to relieve 1st Battalion in Cheneux #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #otd
22 Dec 1944 Elements of Pz Lehr Div, 2nd Pz Div & 116th Pz Div advance on Dinant on the Meuse. They reach St Hubert on 22 Dec and Rochefort on 23 Dec. Kampfgruppe Bohm followed by Kampfgruppe Cochenhausen will reach Celles in the early hours of 24 Dec #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #OTD
I came across this drawing of the destroyed American convoy at Poteau - useful for the diorama modellers out there #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein
The 101st Airborne Division endured brutal conditions and relentless German attacks while defending the besieged town of Bastogne on December 21st, 1944. #History #WW2 #BattleOfTheBulge80
21 Dec 44 - 116th Pz Div tries to cross to R.Ourthe in Hotton. The Americans set up a roadblock across the Rue Haute supported by an M5 of the 3rd Armoured Div…..a thread #battleofthebulge80
21 Dec 1944 - Panzer Brigade 150, using Panthers disguised as US M10 tank destroyers, launch an attack on Malmedy but are driven back by US artillery. Despite many attempts to capture the town, Malmedy would remain in American hands throughout the offensive #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #otd
21 Dec 1944 – Units of the 30th Inf Div attack the dispersed units of Kampfgruppe Peiper but are driven back. Elements of the 2nd Panzer Division bypasses Bastogne and drive west crossing the R. Ourthe at Ourtheuville #battleofthebulge80 #wacht_am_rhein #otd
The encircled 101st Airborne Division bravely defended Bastogne against overwhelming German forces during December 1944's harsh winter siege. #History #WW2 #BattleOfTheBulge80
