Contents 1 Allied Forces 1.1 12th Army Group 1.1.1 U.S. First Army 1.1.1.1 V Corps 1.1.1.2 VII Corps 1.1.1.3 XVIII Airborne Corps 1.1.2 U.S. Third Army 1.1.2.1 III Corps 1.1.2.2 VIII Corps 1.1.2.3 XII Corps Ridgways plan was premised on the assumption that that the American forces in this goose egg-shaped defense could be supplied by air; however, whoever drew up the plan was thinking in terms of supply requirements for the lighter airborne divisions, not for fuel-hungry and shell-reliant armored forces. The 18. The earliest known mention can be found in the December 18th, 1944 morning report and record of events entry of Troop E, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which briefly states that an M-8 atchd [attached] to A Tr [Troop A] knocked out one Tiger tank. At daybreak on December 21, the Germans launched their first assault of the day on CCB, 9th Armored. Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914) Periode: Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) Toegekend op: 30 oktober 1917. Unable to advance, it pulled back to the nearest high ground and dug in. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. Hoge immediately got on the phone and ordered Engeman to move out. After 1200 hours on 17th December 1944, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division was reinforced by a mobile battalion. 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. 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. Volksgrenadier-Division. The heroic defense of St. Vith, though costly in men and materil, disrupted the German timetable extensively. The Americans knew that their only hope in doing any sort of damage to this beast was to get as close as possible to it and shoot its weaker rear armor. Stackpole Books, 2015. Although the bridge over the Our was blown, the German presence kept growing. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. Hoge and Ridgway had been on the West Point football team together when Ridgway had been the teams manager. Out of this grand battle would come a too-good-to-be-true story symbolic of the stiff American resistance put up against the German offensive, that of how an M8 Greyhound armored car destroyed a Tiger I heavy tank. Similar events have happened more than once, though on the Eastern Front. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. 281st Security Division (281. Given the unreliability of the American accounts of this supposed event and the lack of any supporting documentation from the Germans, it is safe to say that neither a Tiger I nor a Tiger II was knocked out by an M8 Greyhound on 18th December 1944 in or around the town of St. Vith. On the morning of the December 20, three tank destroyers were placed in support of Company C, 27th AIB. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. 1945. Approximately three hours later a German company marched out of Neidingen and along the road leading straight into C Companys position, apparently totally unaware of 9th Armoreds recent change of position. The Germans attacked the center of the 27th AIB. Add to cart. Under the chain of the northern sector command, only General Ridgway was unsure of Field Marshal Montgomerys decision to withdraw from the defense. Its population in 1944 was about 2,000, and its citizens were very much pro-German. The guns from a platoon of Shermans, the antiaircraft company, and a mortar platoon supplied a covering barrage, which broke up the German assault and inflicted heavy casualties. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. . By mid-afternoon, General Hoge ordered his infantry to halt and dig in. On its way to the new position, C Company came under a sudden artillery and rocket barrage in the village of Lommersweiler. Once the bridge at Steinebruck was seized, the 62nd was to support the 18th Volksgrenadier Divisions drive on St. Vith by blocking the western and southern routes in and out of the town. Gen. Herbert T. Perrin, assistant commander of the 106th Infantry Division, drove up carrying a message from General Jones. As each unit joined the rear of the column, it took its turn being the rear guard. No reinforcements were expected. The northern prong of the horseshoe was composed of CCB, 7th Armored Division from Poteau and Vielsalm. Colonel Alexander D. Reid, commander of the 424th Infantry Regiment, had reason to fear encirclement. During the 27th AIBs assault, a call went out for the 14th Tank Battalion to join the action. Clerks were running everywhere and junior staff officers were arguing among themselves; upstairs, however, Hoge found General Jones remarkably composed. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. English PDF (33 MB) Jan B-700 The German tank then stopped dead in its tracks and shuddered; there was a muffled explosion, followed by flames which billowed out of the turret and engine ports. Your email address will not be published. events, and resources, The Battle of the Bulge & The Defense of St. Vith. At 0600 Im going to start to move.. In this version the M8 is replaced by an M5 Stuart from the 17th Tank Battalion of the 7th Armored during the retreat from St. Vith, that somehow miraculously ended up behind a Tiger when they thought they were following a Sherman. Design, Production & Modifications. In the 27th AIBs move to take the high ground, B Company advanced along the center of the road. Both task forces reached St. Vith shortly before noon on the 18th to find not one, but two German attacks moving against the town. The 62nd, like the 18th, included three regiments of two battalions each. These German tanks would later be specified to be Panzer IVs or Mark IVs. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division was to attack along the two roads from Schoenberg, with the Fhrer Escort Brigade assaulting from the north. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, commander of CCB, 7th Armored Division, arrived at General Joness command post in St. Vith at approximately 1030. Such events might have taken place in reality, true. Outnumbered and in danger of encirclement, the cannoneers and their rifle support from C Company made a platoon-by-platoon withdrawal toward Winterspelt. Operation Nordwind 1945 Hitlers last offensive in the West. Third Printing, US Army Armored School, 1966. At CCB, 9th Armored Divisions headquarters in Faymonville, General Hoge was just finishing up his briefing for his commands move to the Losheim Gap and Manderfeld when the call came through from General Jones informing him of 9th Armoreds new Winterspelt mission. The platoon lost four men missing and two wounded in the ensuing engagement. Zaloga, Steven. Clarke pulled back his left flank to protect Hinderhausen, a key position on the emergency exit route to Commanster and Vielsalm. The event simply was not that notable. Resistance by service company personnel in Rodt was fierce with every possible mandrivers, cooks, radio operatorsemployed in the defense; however, after nine hours of battle against the much superior German force, Rodt fell. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. 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. Those factors dictated that at least another 24 hours would be needed before a major assault on St. Vith could begin. One, the Sixth Panzer Army, was commanded by SS Obergruppenfhrer (brigadier general) Josef Sepp Dietrich, and the other, the Fifth Panzer Army, was commanded by General Hasso von Manteuffel. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division(18. Jones wanted Clarke to counterattack immediately with his combat command and break that ring that these people have closed around the Schnee Eifel.. Johnston, W. Wesley. Johnston, W. Wesley. 2014 Within the Kloster, General Hoge found a division headquarters staff in a state of disarray and confusion. 16 Dec 2022 08:28:00 Dragon 1629 1/16th Feldwebel 352nd Volksgrenadier Division R 275.00. It consisted of the 136th 138th and 139th Mountain Replacement Regiments and the 112th Artillery M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. Osprey Publishing, 2003. At St. Vith, Lt. Col. William H. Slayden was with Jones when Jones received the call from Middleton concerning 7th Armored Division support. Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1): St Vith and the Northern Shoulder. The 424th Infantry had its back to the Our River, and if the Germans seized the bridge at Steinebruck and spread along the far bank his regiment would be hard pressed to effectively withdraw. 1945) English PDF (18 MB) Jan B-627 Volkssturm (Oct. 1944-Apr. At approximately 0930 on December 17, B Company was the first 9th Armored Division unit to cross the Our River. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.. The stubborn defenders of St. Vith played a major role in defeating the final German offensive of World War II in Western Europe. The 294th Volksgrenadier Regiment was a unit of the larger 18th Volksgrenadier Division. Thus, the Fifth Panzer Army commander ordered that St. Vith be taken no later than the second day of the offensive. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2004. This version of the story, which is paraphrased in the introduction, will be referred to as the original version of the story. As stated above, a 37mm cant penetrate the armor of an Tiger tank. None of these Tiger IIs were lost at St. Vith and from photographic evidence at least three are recorded to have no burn damage and/or holes in the rear. It would be unable to turn its full strength on St. Vith until the American surrender in that area. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for 18th Volksgrenadier Division. That cold snap that hit us has frozen the roads. The provisional company of 424th stragglers disappeared during the night. During his meeting with Hoge, General Ridgway became convinced that defending this area any further would be futile. Osprey Publishing, 2013. 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. 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. Troy Middletons VIII Corps. How to use 'poor shape' in a sentence? American Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Choose a Unit. The job of capturing St. Vith went to the Fifth Panzer Armys 66th Corps, commanded by General Walther Lucht. At about 1700, the enemy attacked along the Schoenberg road from the east; at 1830, they came down the Malmedy road from the north, and at 2000, an attack started from the southeast along the Prum road. 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. Although the 7th Armored Division was finally arriving, General Jones had been led to believe that the whole division would arrive in St. Vith starting at 0700. 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.. At about midday, the field marshal sent a message to General Hasbrouck: You have accomplished your missiona mission well done. Were any of these Tiger Is and or Tiger IIs knocked out on the 18th of December, 1944? Thus, the job of rescuing the two trapped infantry regiments on the Schnee Eifel passed from the 9th to the 7th Armored Division. Late on the 20th, patrols of the 82nd Airborne Division, on the other side of the Salm River, established contact with patrols of the 7th Armored Division. Zaloga, Steven, and Tony Bryan. German 18th Volksgrenadier Div. Then, four German antitank guns covering the Grufflingen-Maldange road were encountered. Company A of the 27th AIB had been assigned to the 99th Infantry Division and was in the process of being retrieved when the march to St. Vith began. Yes in theory. The Tiger II, also known as the King Tiger, Royal Tiger, Knigstiger, and Tiger Ausf.B, was an enormous, 69.8 tonne German heavy tank. Both American units were able to drive forward, and the Shermans knocked out six German armored vehicles. The other, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division, bore the number of an infantry division destroyed on the Eastern Front, which had been reconstituted. First-time contributor Charles Gutierrez is the son of a 9th Armored Division veteran. What Jones did not tell Hoge was that in one of those regiments his own son was serving at regimental headquarters. Another attack hit the left flank of 7th Armored. 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. Bergstrm, Christer. It was at full strength and supplied with the latest equipment. The Tiger I was a 57 tonne German heavy tank that has become one of the most famous tanks in history. Volksgrenadier-Division. Before departing, however, Hoge gave orders to Lt. Col. Leonard E. Engeman, commander of the 14th Tank Battalion, to get a strong force ready to move out to assist 7th Armored should it become necessary. Having first conferred with General Jones, Hoge ordered a withdrawal from the river to begin after nightfall. It can be safely assumed that the armored car that Lieutenant Olson is talking about in his story is an M8 Greyhound due to the fact that the only armored cars that the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron fielded were M8 Greyhounds. Each attack was preceded by an intense artillery barrage lasting from 15 to 35 minutes. The move had scarcely begun when an enemy attack hit the junction between Company B, 27th AIB and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion. Situated next to B Company were Company A, 27th AIB and Company D, 14th Tank Battalion. A Company moved south under the protection of the high river bank, while C Company deployed along the left side of the road as the enveloping company. Furthermore, the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report (AAR) for the month of December 1944, written by Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Laurence Boylan, the commanding officer of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron at the time, makes no mention of this event either. 1940 194111. On 18 January 1945, the final alignment became (XVIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group) -- the alignment in the hierarchy given here. The Sherman tanks of B Company repulsed the enemy with fire from their 76mm guns. It is possible that it was really a Tiger tank. The Germans were now on the high ground north of Eigelscheid overlooking the road to Winterspelt. 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. Lucht anticipated that the Americans would counterattack the next day, but that their reaction would be too late to avoid complete encirclement. Osprey Publishing, 2013. Therefore, he decided to use the 9th Armored at Winterspelt, since capture of that area by the Germans would open to the enemy a direct route to St. Vith, a route even shorter than that leading from the Schnee Eifel. This leads to a second candidate, the StuG III. Schiffer Publishing, 1997. This information came from the division's senior headquarters, the VIII Corps, First U.S. Army. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. #WW2 . General Hoge moved his command post to Commanster. 1964. After putting down a heavy concentration of artillery fire, the Germans moved their infantry across the river east of the position held by the 2nd platoon of D Troop, 89th Recon. Ridgway knew Hoge to be calm, courageous, and imperturbable. Osprey Publishing, 2010. (function (d, s, n) { Two hits were scored on the enemy tank in the rear, and its crew evacuated. Penguin Books, 2016. School of Tank Technology, April 1944. 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. The Battle at St. Vith, Belgium 17-23 December 1944 An Historical Example of Armor in the Defense. Troop D, 89th Recon had positioned its troop headquarters and first platoon to cover the bridge over the Our. The German plan for the attack through the Ardennes, an offensive that would forever be known as the Battle of the Bulge, was to be accomplished in the conventional manner. The new sector assigned to CCB was on the fringe of territory the Sixth Panzer Army had mapped out for its further maneuvers. Slayden, knowing that the nearest units of the 7th Armored Division were at least 60 miles away in the Netherlands, had serious doubts that a whole combat command could reach St. Vith on the 17th, much less by 0700 hours. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. That evening General Clarke also put his command into Commanster. There are no German records or histories which indicate that, on 18th December 1944, a Tiger I or a Tiger II was knocked out in or around St. Vith. The 27th AIB was ordered to establish a defensive position south, east, west, and southeast of Malempre. Since speed was the key to success of the German plan, two panzer armies would spearhead the offensive. 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. An M8 Greyhound armored car of Troop B, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron was lying in a concealed position just northeast of the vitally important crossroads town of St. Vith, Belgium. Manteuffel answered, We estimated that we were up against a division, and perhaps against an entire corps. The silhouettes of the Panzer IV and the Tiger I are quite similar, especially due to their rectangular shapes and rounded turret (rounded through the later use of a curved armor plate around the otherwise angular turret). . Manteuffel had hoped for considerably more on the 19th. 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 . The next notable version of this tale comes from a 1966 book by the US Army Armor School titled The Battle at St. Vith, Belgium 17-23 December 1944: A Historical Example of Armor in the Defense. Initially, General Jones wanted Hoge to move his command into the Losheim Gap at Maderfeld and arrive there at dawn on December 17 to counterattack and erase the enemy penetrations that were threatening 106th Division positions on the Schnee Eifel. 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. It contained the 293., 294. and 295. grenadier regiments, Panzerjger-Bataillon 1818, Pionier-Bataillon 1818, Fsilier-Bataillon 1818 and Artillerie-Regiment 1818.[1]. He also said that they got a new Greyhound. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2004. The Pontiac, Michigan, resident also served 10 years in the U.S. Army. So its quite possible! While a single troop of the 14th Cavalry Group continued to resist the German spearheads, the 106th's engineers dug in to block the crucial Schoenberg road 2 miles east of St. Vith, a last ditch defense, hoping . Hoge pointedly asked Ridgway how it could be done. 223 223. Soldiers of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division infiltrated the American lines at the villages of Roth, Weckerath, Kobscheid, and Auw before the artillery barrage began. In blinding snow and on slippery roads the tanks and infantry of CCB, 9th Armored headed for Bauvenn. This story has gained a good deal of attention in recent years, especially on the internet thanks to videos such as The Tank Duel at St. Vith, Belgium by Lance Geiger The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. 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. I wanted to focus on the M8 vs Tiger story, I already noticed the Ferdinand claim, but decided not to mention it. To this end, General Hoge was in the town of Monschau to check on the possibility of getting his command across in that area. 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. [1] On March 6, 1945, when Botsch was ordered to take command of the LIIIrd Army Corps, the 18. War Department Field Manual FM 2-20 Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized. This was no place to conduct a mobile defense with armor-heavy forces. 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. During the early hours of December 17, the Germans laid heavy mortar and artillery fire on the front-line positions of his regiment. Late in the day, the Germans launched three major attacks, each directed along a main road leading into the town. Tigers In Combat I. They were repulsed by machine-gun fire. I have come to believe is that this type of fight happened more than once. All in all, the only things that the American claims concerning the famed M8 Greyhound versus Tiger engagement can agree on are that on the 18th of December 1944 an M8 Greyhound from some unit of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron killed some sort of German tank in or around the town of St. Vith. This forest was criss-crossed only by trails. Panzer Tracts No. General Luchts 66th Corps was shifted from General Manteuffels Fifth Panzer Army to the Sixth Panzer. Tigers In Combat II. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division completed its southern swing, encircling the two regiments of the 106th Division on the Schnee Eifel. Beevor, Antony. This battalion hit the 424ths Cannon Company at the Weissenhof crossroads. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. For example, when G.I. 1945. The area being defended was beginning to take the form of a large horseshoe, its axis running approximately northeast to southeast. It is possible (if unlikely) that this event was completely unrelated to the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story. Aside from the cold and mud, there was also the enemy to contend with. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. Although the American forces in the St. Vith area came under command of General Ridgways XVIII Airborne Corps, the Airborne Corps itself was under the command of Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, overall commander of the northern sector of the Bulge. Jentz, Thomas, and Hilary Doyle. Six paved or macadam roads converged at St. Vith, but none of these was considered by the Germans to be a major military trunk line. 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. After learning of the attack by the Fhrer Escort Brigade, Brig. However, it cannot be definitively stated that this is another version of the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story due to its ambiguity. Encyclopedia of German tanks of World War Two. Overall operational command for the offensive fell to Field Marshal Walther Model. Ridgway answered, Bill, we can and we will. The withdrawal plan called for a general pullback west of the Salm River to an assembly area in the zone controlled by the 82nd Airborne Division in the vicinity of Lierneux. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571.Volksgrenadier-Division.Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field . VGD captured St. Vith, winning a great victory. Panzer Tracts No. The 14th Tank Battalion was on its way to the Steinebruck bridge when Brig. Roadblocks were set up and manned. That is correct, however, that was off the topic of this story. August 18th, 1989 Kalb, Herbert Kalbhenn, Heinrich * February 3rd, 1915 more Kaldeway, x Kalesse, Gerhard (Grenadier-Regiment 689) * July 15th, 1918 October 23rd, 2011 Kaletsch, Georg * October 16th, 1914 March 6th, 1944 Kaletsch, Wilhelm Kalinowski, Josef (Panzergrenadier-Regiment "GD") * January 23rd, 1916 April 5th, 1944 Grave: UNK General Lucht hurried to Winterspelt to get the 62nd Volksgrenadier moving to the Our. The situation on Reids left flank was unclear, and the Germans were attacking in considerable force against his right flank. On his way to St. Vith, General Hoge stopped in Faymonville to alert his command to be prepared to move immediately. Volksgrenadier-Division. Since 7th Armoreds withdrawal meant that 9th Armoreds left flank would be in danger, the two generals agreed that Hoge would have to readjust part of his line to maintain contact with Clarkes new rearward position. On December 21, 18. 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. According to the British, 37 mm M6 guns APC M51 can only penetrate around a maximum of 65mm of rolled homogeneous armor plate (RHA) at 30 degrees under V50 ballistic standards. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. The men of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps had expected to be on the Meuse by December 19, but on the night of December 20 the Americans still denied them access to St. Vith. Although the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division drove the American defenders from Winterspelt, all was not going well for the Germans. EN RU CN DE ES. Not to mention that the M8s 37 mm M6 gun is more than capable of penetrating the rear hull armor of the Panzer IV, which was only 20 mm thick angled at 10 degrees. 47. The failure to capture St. Vith was preventing the linkup of the Fifth and the Sixth Panzer Armies. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18.Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Captain Ansteys version lacks supporting documentation. At about 0930, the enemy attacked St. Vith from Hunningen to the north, apparently in an effort to envelop Clarkes left flank. The second task force consisted of B Company of the 811th Tank Destroyers. Not only does this change Captain Ansteys version of the story, but this also confirms the possibility that Troop Es entry could have been talking about a Tiger II. In minutes, a platoon of medium tanks from A Company of the 14th rolled across the bridge at Steinebruck and placed high explosive and heavy machine-gun fire on the enemys position in the woods and along the draw. However, just as the Americans began their pursuit, the Germans noticed them and began traversing their turret to face them. One task force encountered reconnaissance probes on N27 conducted by units of the 1st SS Panzer Division approximately 1,000 yards north of St. Vith. VGD captured St. Vith, winning a great victory. Before the day ended, renewed fighting broke out along the entire front. Field Marshal Montgomery, believing that Ridgways Corps could not attack successfully toward Vielsalm and that the American forces within the goose egg could better be used in support of other forces committed to the northern shoulder defense, decided upon a general withdrawal. Osprey Publishing, 2010. Schiffer Publishing, 1997. At approximately 0100 on December 18, a German force of about 30 men tried to cross the Our at Steinebruck after a brief artillery barrage. Add to cart. It was a race between the Germans who were desperately trying to bring their 88 mm gun to bear and the Americans who were trying to get as close as possible to the Tiger Is rear. There is no comparison to Tiger. The village of St. Vith lay approximately 12 miles behind the front lines on December 16, 1944, the day the offensive code-named Operation Watch on the Rhine began. The same story is retold in A Colonel in the Armored Divisions A Memoir, 19411945 by William S. Triplet, and like a game of telephone it gets even more distorted. English PDF (15 MB) Jan B-603 352d Volks Grenadier Division (19 Freb.-21 Mar. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. 45 mm. It saw action in France before taking part in the fighting in the Ardennes where it suffered heavy losses, it continued fighting on the western front until the end .