PolarBear
Major
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2007
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With the release of the terrifc new K&C BBG figures I became curious about the presence of German ski and mountain troops and the BoB. My research would suggest that these new figures are meant to represent the Second Battle of the Bulge, a new German offensive called Operation Nord(North) Wind that took place from January 5-25th, 1945 in the Alsace region of France rather then the Adrennes where the first BoB occured in December 44. The only mountain troops taking part in any of the Bulge campaigns was the 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord" that participated in Operation Nordwind in the Alsace region in early 1945. So if anyone is doing a diorama with these new figures, they belong in that setting rather than the Ardennes. This caveat would likely apply as well to the recent Honour Bound ski troops. Here is a brief summary of the book by Charles Whiting called THE OTHER BATTLE OF THE BULGE:
"In December 1944, while the Americans were trying to stem the German offensive in the Belgian Ardennes, Hitler launched another major offensive in France aimed at recapturing Alsace-Lorraine. This "second Battle of the Bulge," in the winter of 1944-45, lasted a month longer than the first, cost the lives of 16,000 Americans and twice that number of French soldiers serving under U.S. command. Whiting convincingly argues that it was a more significant battle than the Ardennes "Bulge" because it threatened to break up the Western alliance and plunge France into political anarchy. The Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, had severe problems maintaining the "Bulge" and Alsace fronts at the same time, compounded by his lack of confidence in General Jacob Devers, whose combined U.S.-French army was responsible for the latter sector. The book shows how Devers won Ike's gratitude for his annihilating counterattack against the German 19th Army. Whiting ( Bloody Aachen ) expertly describes the overall strategy of the battle and its political overtones and provides as well colorful vignettes of small-unit combat and the exploits of individual GIs, such as Audie Murphy, who saved the day in local clashes.
Book Description
Operation Northwind, planned by the Fuhrer himself, hurled eight German divisions, three of them S.S., against the thinly held American line in the Alsace-Lorraine region.
Few except those who fought it know anything about this second Battle of the Bulge, which cost the Americans and their French comrades-in-arms nearly as many casualties and almost destroyed the alliance. ?Because Eisenhower determined to evacuate Strasbourg, for a few days, while American troops fought for their lives in the snow-bound hills of Alsace-Lorraine, it looked as if the Franco-American alliance might be broken apart and France thrown into something akin to revolution.?"
Information about the German Mountian troops themselves and their campaigns may be found in the Osprey Men At Arms book pictured below.
I have also included a photo of the real "Nord" division in action:
Anyone else with more info?
Randy
"In December 1944, while the Americans were trying to stem the German offensive in the Belgian Ardennes, Hitler launched another major offensive in France aimed at recapturing Alsace-Lorraine. This "second Battle of the Bulge," in the winter of 1944-45, lasted a month longer than the first, cost the lives of 16,000 Americans and twice that number of French soldiers serving under U.S. command. Whiting convincingly argues that it was a more significant battle than the Ardennes "Bulge" because it threatened to break up the Western alliance and plunge France into political anarchy. The Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, had severe problems maintaining the "Bulge" and Alsace fronts at the same time, compounded by his lack of confidence in General Jacob Devers, whose combined U.S.-French army was responsible for the latter sector. The book shows how Devers won Ike's gratitude for his annihilating counterattack against the German 19th Army. Whiting ( Bloody Aachen ) expertly describes the overall strategy of the battle and its political overtones and provides as well colorful vignettes of small-unit combat and the exploits of individual GIs, such as Audie Murphy, who saved the day in local clashes.
Book Description
Operation Northwind, planned by the Fuhrer himself, hurled eight German divisions, three of them S.S., against the thinly held American line in the Alsace-Lorraine region.
Few except those who fought it know anything about this second Battle of the Bulge, which cost the Americans and their French comrades-in-arms nearly as many casualties and almost destroyed the alliance. ?Because Eisenhower determined to evacuate Strasbourg, for a few days, while American troops fought for their lives in the snow-bound hills of Alsace-Lorraine, it looked as if the Franco-American alliance might be broken apart and France thrown into something akin to revolution.?"
Information about the German Mountian troops themselves and their campaigns may be found in the Osprey Men At Arms book pictured below.
I have also included a photo of the real "Nord" division in action:
Anyone else with more info?
Randy
Yes! "gerbirgsjager"--german Mountain Troops! Norway/italy!
