Creating the Battle of the Bulge.....Wacht Am Rhine (1 Viewer)

[panda1gen]

3 Battalion SS Panz Gren Rgt 25 attacked the Butgenbach blocking position again on the left flank supported by panzers of "" Panz Rgt 12 minus a company of Pz Jg Abt 560 (jagdpanthers) held in reserve.



Jagdpanzers of SS Pz Jg Abt 12 were to support 2 Battalian Pz Gren Rgt 26 on the right with the attack starting via concentrated artillery and 'moaning minnie' - nebelwerfer - fire some 3 hours before dawn on on 21 December 1944.

The German concentration of artillery (guns, mortars and werfers) - 4 battalions of SS Pz Art Regt 12 - was rare at this stage of the war, and very effective, tearing gaps in the infantry foxhole line.

They were inferior however to the concentrated US artillery counter fire, which stopped exploitation of the attack by scattering the grenadiers, only a few tanks penetrating the position.

Having a quick coffee before the attack......

 

[panda1gen]

red sky at night, jagdpanthers delight......

 

[panda1gen]

big cats were also prowling......

 

[panda1gen]

the infantry marched on.....

 

[panda1gen]

The infantry is stopped in front of Dom Butgenbach......

 

[debrito]

The infantry is stopped in front of Dom Butgenbach......

your background fits perfect with K&C buildings.

Cheers

 

[panda1gen]

your background fits perfect with K&C buildings.

Cheers

Thanks, meanwhile the US infantry stayed dug in deep.....





Or fought on in the wrecked village as the Axis forces tried to roll over them....

 

[panda1gen]

and more attacks were planned.....

 

[panda1gen]

On 21 December, after the initial artillery barrage had punched holes in the US line, the german infantry had stopped its advance due to the incessant US shelling. Without the grenadiers, the panzers pushed on into the US line itself, machine gunning as they went, destroying all the AT guns and raking the foxholes.

At a critical juncture near Dom Butgenbach, some were disabled by TDs of 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion.







Two more were dealt with by Shermans but they in turn were knocked out by pz4s.



3 pz4s of 5 Kompanie managed to get amongst the buildings around the command post, firing point blank into houses and barns.......every weapon the infantry had was brought to bear for no avail.........Although it was desparate for the defenders, it was pointless for the panzers without infantry support - still pinned by the remorseless US artillery fire. They withdrew but lost two tanks to 90mm TDs that had just arrived.

The sitrep of 2 SS Panzer Korps simply stated: 'Angriff 12. SS Panzer Division und 12 VolksGrenadier Division auf Butgenbach drang nicht durch'

The attack against Butgenbach has not broken through.

 

[panda1gen]

The Panthers of SS Panzer Regt 12 - after the heavey Krinkelt battles, were at the forefront again.

Kompanie 1 and 3 were brought together to make up the losses.

 

[Warbuff26]

Wow....way cool dios!

 

[panda1gen]

Thanks, hope you enjoy.

 

[panda1gen]

the panthers reorganised for the attack.............

 

[panda1gen]

Hauptman Hils lead the next attack, with the combined Kompanie 1 and 3 - he had to borrow a tank as he lost his own panther at Krinkelt, pz4s of Kompanie 5 and 6 behind. Then came the jagdpanzers and riflemen in half tracks.

 

[debrito]

We do repeated the same comments every time you bring new photos..... But I will say again, great pics with a perfecting set up and light arrangements.

Cheers

 

[Harrytheheid]

We do repeated the same comments every time you bring new photos..... But I will say again, great pics with a perfecting set up and light arrangements.

Cheers

My feelings entirely Rod.
PS, look out for some more DVD's I'll be arranging to be sent to you once my company's Dubai office is past Christmas and New Year.

Best Regards
H

 

[debrito]

hello my friend. I will be waiting for that. have a great new year.

Rod.

 

[panda1gen]

Where the Germans took the ground, they could recover many of the tanks -







this was often not the case on this critical sector however....................

 

[panda1gen]

Hils took over Panther 325 and prepared to set off, Schittenheim in the lead tank Hils second.



The remaining panther followed before the Pz4s of 5 and 6 Kompanie. Then came the jagdpanzers and riflemen in half tracks.





As they moved on they were suspicious about a tree line to their right and fired a few rrounds of MG into it without response, althought they felt there was an enemy watching them. Suddendly the lead tank brewed up - only two got out - and then Hils own tank was hit and he was killed. They fired high explosive into the trees to create an airburst, which eventually silenced the ?two AT guns, but by now the familiar US artillery had grounded the grenadiers.



Then the third tank - Engel's - was hit but the crew got out.

Had the grendiers been able to accompany the tanks that pressed on into Dom Butgenbach that day, 21 December 1944, the position may have fallen.

 

[panda1gen]

http://www.afterthebattle.com/