1945 us army wwii german 116th panzer div. ardennes 37p

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I S # A - 8 7 3 - 1 -Siegfried vonWALDENBURG S t . G e r m a i n , 1 6 Dec

B r i g , G e n .Commander o f the 116t h Panzer Division

On 1 May 1 * 7 > Waldenburg submitted corrections t o M S $ A - 8 7 3These c o r r e c t i o n s have n o t been incorporated i n t h e following t r a n s l a t i o n .C a p t . J . F . S c o g g i n . 2 7 O c t 1 * 8 .

COMMTEfiNT OF THE 1 1 6 t h PANZER DIVISION I N THE A R D E M E 3

( F i r s t part from 1 6 - 1 9 D e c 1 9 W * )

T h i s report w a s m a d e :1 . According t o t h e questionnaire,


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M S # A - 8 7 31AM Battalion ( 2 heavy a n d 1 light battaries)1 ^ngineer Battalion ( 2 c o m p a n i e s )1 Signal Battalion ( 2 c o m p a n i e s )Rear S e r v i c e s .

Temporary a s s i g n e d :1 Mortar Battalio n and for t h e start o f t h e attackElements o f a Volks-^rtilleryC o r p s .

I . The First Day ( 1 6 D e c1 . T h e Division had t h e task t o break t h r o u g h t h e American

positions in the s e c t o r o f t h e LVIUP z C o r p s between H E C K I J S C H E I D T andL U T Z H A K P E t J , t o seize t h e OUR c r o s s i n g s i n t h e sector BURG REULAKD -OB'SRHAUSM a s . s o o n a s - o o s s i b l e a n d t o thrust from t h e r e i n a general n o r t h


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13 # A-873 -3-assault c o m p a n i e s and t o penetrate where t h e a s s a u l t c o m p a n i e s had brokent h r o u g h .

Searchlights which were projected against t h e sky illuminatedt h e t e r r a i n .

The objective was t o be reached without regard t o t i m e , a dj o i n i n g u n i t s o r boundaries o f t h e s e c t o r .

Stronger enemy resistance was t o b e outflanked a n d w a s t o beeliminated by t h e rear e l e m e n t s o f t h e Div-or b y t h e A rmy C o r p s .

2 . The development o f t h e situation t h e morning o f thefirst dayo f the attack m a d e a new decision necessary. T h e assault company o f 6 0 P z Cren R e g t had been contained i n t h e forests west of BERGby s o m e enemy pockets o f resistance and t h e company w a s ne arly destroyed.T h e assault company o f the 1^6 R e g t , however, succeeded rapidly i n penetrating t h e first l i n e o f t h e e n e m y , a n d t h e company reached t h e vicin


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M S # A - 8 7 3 - U -G r e n R e g t a c c o r d i n g t o t h e s i t u a t i o n .

b . T h e R e c o n n a i s s a n c e B a t t a l i o n r e i n f o r c e d by o n e p a n z e r o n e e n g i n e e r a n d o n e m o r t a r c o m p a n y . T h e B a t t a l i o n w a s s i t u a t e d i n t h es o u t h p a r t o f t h e H O F S W & L D w a i t i n g f o r t h e o r d e r s o f t h e C o r p s .

At d a y b r e a k t h e P a n z e r R e g i m e n t w a s b r o u g h t u p p a s tK E S F E L D a n d c o m m i t t e d b e t w e e n 6 0 a n d 1 5 6 P z G r e n R e g t i n o r d e r t o r e i n f o r c et h e s h o c k power o f t h e a t t a c k o f t h e t w o P a n z e r G r e n a d i e r R e g i m e n t s .

T h e R e c o n n a i s s a n c e B a t t a l i o n r e m a i n e d a s r e s e r v e .U M i e n t h e a t t a c k j u m p e d o f f t h e e n t i r e a r t i l l e r y o f t h e

D i v i s i o n a n d e l e m e n t o f t h e V o l k s Arty C o r p s h a d o c c u p i e d p o s i t i o n s i nt h e a r e a o f 1 A S T H O R N - H I L L 5 6 8 - U T T F E L D - E U S C H E T D . W e h a d r e s o r t e dt o p r e p a r a t i o n f i r e , b e c a u s e t h e e n e m y h a d t o b e taken b y s u r p r i s e . B u ta g r e a t n u m b e r o f a r t i l l e r y o b s e r v e r s w e r e a t t a c h e d t o i n f a n t r y a n d t a n k si n o r d e r t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e b r e a k t h r o u g h a n d t o d i r e c t f i r e a g a i n s t


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MS #A-873 -5-o f irreplacable exper ienc ed o f f i c e r s and E M . The eng ineerbattalionhadpersonnelfor onlytwo c o m p a n i e s . The Panzer Regi menthadapproximately5 0 - 6 0 t a n k s readyfor c o m m i t m e n t . T h e number o f a l l t y p e s o f infantr y

weapons was s u f f i c i e n t . The artillerywas c o m p l e t e .M o s t o f t h e motorvehicles wer e not in g o o d c o n d i t i o n .

Theyw e r e t o o o l d andwswere s h o r t o f s p a r e p a r t s . TheDi vision hadabout60%o f t h e c o m p l e t e number o f vehicles.( F o r composition and organization o f t h e Division s e e page 2 . )

6 . T h e ma in effort o f t h e attackwas on theleftwingoft h e Div ision in t h e sector o f t h e 1 5 > 6 P z G r e n R e g t , where t h e te rra inwas

m o r e favorable for t h e a t t a c k . Therefore o n e AGa n d o n e A T o f t h e TDBnwere committed i n t h i s s e c t o r .

7 - A djo ining u n i t s : O n t h e right s i d e LXVI ArmyC o r p s ( G e n . L u c h t ) with 1 8 and 6 2 VGD i y j o n the left s i d e g 6 0 VG Div ( o n l y


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I v i S # A-873 -6-s o m e s m a l l assault detachments penetrated deeper i n t o t h e f o r e s t . Thecontactbetween t h e regiment and t h e assault c o m p a n y , whi ch was almostentirely destroyed, was l o s t .

However t h e attack o f t h e 1 5 > 6 ? z G r e n R e g t and i t s assault

companym a d e g o o d progress. T h e a s s a u l t company outflanked L U T Z K A ? . T E Na n d pushed t o t h e vic ini ty o f O B E R H A U S E N . LUTZKAEPENwas capturedbytheregimentwhi ch follo wedquicklybehind t h e a s s a u l t c o m p a n y . After t h e breakthrough o f the assault cjmoany t h e enemyresistance n orth and north- v r e s t o f LUTZKAFPEN i n c r e a s e d . T h e continuation o f t h e attack i n t h eordered dire cti on did n o t se em t o promise much s u c c e s s , bec ause t h e t a n k s c o u l d not be deplo ye d i n t h e unfavorable t e r r a i n . And it w a s possiblethat t h e attack o f t h e 156 Reg imentwou l d a l s o freeze i n t h e congomeratingt e r r a i n .

. T e s t o f LUTZKAKPEN t h e reconnaissance f o r c e s located a n


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MS#A-873 ~ 7 ~T h e 6 0 P z G r e n R e g t c o v e r e d thee ast flank o f t h e attack against OURENin the a r e a o f B E R G , andwas afterwards brought u p t o t h e 156 P z G r e n R e g t with t h e exception o f s o m e weak e l e m e n t s , which were l e f t t h e r e a scovering parties. >

I n general t h e American resistance was weak except in thewoods west o f BE RG where t h e enemy fought ver y brav ely a n d f i e r c e l y . Thecommitment o f German tanks w est o f LUTZKAMPEN soon for ced the e n e m y t ow it hdraw fr om t h i s position. Weak enemy harrassing fire was reported fromKE3FELD, UTTFELD a n d LEIDEWBORN and fr om t h e road UTTFELD - LEIDENBORN -L U T Z K A M P E N . LUTZAMPEN itself was m o r e intensi vely shelledby the enemya r t i l l e r y , where wehad the first s e r i o u s c a s u a l t i e s . A pproxim ately1^0m e n , s o m e m o r t a r s and H G s , a f ewv ehicles and o n e ration supply depotwere capture d o n t h e first d a y .

1 1 . L o s s e s : The t w o assault c o m p a n i e s sustained heavy l o s s e s .


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I B # A - 8 7 3 ^ - 8 -Conseq uently t h e Ig6 P z G r e n Regt was ordered t o c a p t u r e

t h e bridge a t OURiS and t o t h r u s t forward t o . f i l S ' . f A F P A C H .The 6 0 P z G r e n R e g t - w h i c h had arrived in t h e meantime

w a s committed o n t h e left s i d e o f 1 5 6 P z Gren Regt i n order t o c l e a no u t t h e t e r r a i n e a s t o f t h e r i v e r a n d t o eliminate t h e enemy Docketsi n t h e forest west o f 33VENIG a n d t o c o n t i n u e t h e advance past L I E L E R .During t h e night t h e artil lery had c h a n g e d positions t o t h e a r e a o fL U T Z I C ' U ' I P M . During t h e fore noon w e succesded in mopping u p the a r e a o nt h e e ? . s t bank o f t h e OUR river o n both s i d e s o f O U R S N . After t h e t r o o p shad passed t h e very difficult t e r r a i n , t h e bridge a t OUREM was assaulteda t noon and a small bridgehea d w a s built u p . Now i t proved t h a t t h e bridgewas t o o s m a l l and t o o weak for t a n k s and heavy artillery a n d a reinforcement o f t h e bridge by t h e Division e n g i n e e r s would ha ve required 12-15h o u r s .


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M S #A - 8 7 3 - 9 -

c o l u m n s w e r e f o r m e d :1 st Column; Panzer R e g r . i r e n t

1 Ba t t al i o n of the 60 Pz Gren Reg t1 En gin eerCompany1 A rt i l l e ry Bn

2 n d C o l u m n ! 1 5 6 ? z G r e n R e g tT a n k D e s t r o y e r B n1 ArtilleryB n

3 r d C o l u m n ; 6 0 P z G r e n R e g t ( 1 B n ) L e f t A r t i l l e r y L e f t E n g i n e e r s

Di vi si o nHqnn d the s igna lba t ta l i o n w e re d i s tri b ut e dor moved in front of the D ivi sio n t o the new a s se m b l yarea. The AAABn wa s g iven th e order t o pro t e ct (cont inually) t h e march rou te and


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M S i f A - 8 7 3 - 1 0 ~8 . T h e disengagement o f t h e Division near OUKBN was carried

outwithout being harrassed by t h e enemy e x c e p t byw eak mortar a n d a r t i l lery fire and w a s ac compl ished until t h e e v e n i n g . Weak artill ery e l e m e n t s c o v e r e d t h e disengagement and remained i n their positions until t h e e v e n i n g .T h e reconnaissancebattalion\ v h i c h had been committed by t h e C o r p s i no r d e r t o advance before the d i v i s i o n , encou ntered i n t h e area o f HEINERS C H E I D T - HUPPERDINGEM armored enemyf o r c e s w hi c hware surprised and forcedt o withdra w t o t h e north and n o r t h w e s t . Nearly a l l American t a n k s wereknocked o u t . T h e rec onnaissanc ebattal ion succeeded i n passing t h e CLERFs e c t o r , and i t s advanc e elements reached t h e - i r e a o f A . S S E L B O R N .

T h e t a n k s a n d mortar reinforcement o f the reconnaissanceBattal ion proved t o b e s u c c e s s f u l . T h e m o r t a r s especial ly o n theirarmored c a r s , whi ch l i r e r e very mobile a n d quic klypl aced i n firing posit i o n h a d great val ue a n d s u c c e s s .


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M S A - 8 7 3 - 1 1 -p o s s i b l e i n t h e d i r e c t i o n o f H O U F F A . L I Z E .

The s u p - o l y o f fuel and the obstructions on t h e roadp as sing DASBURG (XXXXVII Panzer Corps) delayed t h e movement. Nevertheless in the evening o f 18 Dec the Division was assembl e d in the area o fHEINERSCHEIDr, which was temp o r ar i l y s he l l e d by we ak e n e my ar t il l e r y fr o ma n o r t h e r n , direction. A ft e r continual skirmishes with the - w i t h d r a w i n gand dissipated American forces the reconnaissance bat t al i o n reached t hearea southeast o f HOUFFA:JZE pas t H A C H I v T L L J S - TAVIGEY. A l mo s t wi t ho u tlosses the reconnaissance bat t al i o n di s s i p at e d and destroyed a n umbero f enemy g r o u p s , , knocked out some e ne my tank s, captured a lot of p e r s o nn e l and all types o f vehicl es. Furthermore a great ammu nition dump (chieflyar t i l l e r y a m m u n i t i o n ) was seized.

The for me r adjoining unit o n t h e left side (now o n ther i ght s i d e o f the Division) the 560 D i v , cleaned out the area south o f


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A S S E L B O R N

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16-18 DE C 44

SIi'F RE'II'ENCE


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BY J S T..NK.. z .'E 'COME E , E . t E C

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RCN 8N REACHED 'ASSELBORN EVENING17 DEC

.V-JXJ..:IN EVENING '9 DEC DIV WAiORDERED TO WI^MDttflW ifJO itl

PREPRED BY HISTORICAL DIVISION JSFET


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1945 us army wwii german 116th panzer div. ardennes 37p

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