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THE LIGHT snow fell steadily in the Ardennes Forest of southern Belgium during the early morning hours of Dec. 16, 1944. American soldiers slept soundly. The prevailing opinion was that the German army was nearly defeated and couldn't mount an offensive of any significance. But at 5:30 a.m., the stunned U.S. 1st Army division found out how badly they had miscalculated. Eight German armored and 13 infantry divisions launched an all-out attack. It was the beginning of what came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle of World War II in which the U.S. participated. Hitler's plan was to trap the Allied troops in Holland and Belgium, and push to the key Belgian port of Antwerp. He believed the alliance between the U.S. and Britain was fragile, and that this offensive would further split the relationship, buying him more time to develop his secret weapons and rebuild his depleted and exhausted army. The plan depended on speed and bad weather to keep the Allied air forces grounded. Hitler also believed he had history on his side as it was in the Ardennes that he launched his successful surprise attack against France only four years earlier. The early hours of the attack were wildly successful for the Germans. U.S. Army units were surrounded or destroyed by the fast moving Wehrmacht, and large numbers of G.I.s surrendered. Sgt. Ed Stewart of the 84th Infantry recalled the initial chaos and fear among the Americans. "The screaming sound of 288s, a major artillery on the part of the Germans, is absolutely frightening, it's a nightmare," he said. It seemed Hitler's impossible gamble just might succeed. But on Dec. 17, the Germans made a crucial mistake. On a road leading to the Belgian town of Malmedy, SS troops committed one of the worst atrocities of the war. Some 86 American POWs were shot in a snowy field. Those who tried to crawl away were shot as well. However, some did escape and as word of the massacre spread, the tide began to turn as enraged U.S. soldiers, some cut off from their units and surrounded, decided to fight to the last man. 82nd Airborne Staff Sgt. Ted Kerwood of New Jersey was there. His unit was rushed into the battle, and as they approached a bridge in Bielsaim on Christmas Eve, they noticed a column of German tanks and infantry quickly closing to cross the bridge. A volunteer was needed to run down and set explosives to blow the bridge before the enemy crossed it. Ted said he would do it. "We just had to go up there and take care of the situation," he told me in a recent interview. "You're not really scared until after it's over. You just have a job to do, and you do it." Kerwood single-handedly destroyed the bridge and was awarded the Silver Star for his actions. The fierce resistance of the U.S. 7th Armored, 28th, 106th, and 101st Divisions was also a key factor in delaying the German advance. But the most famous example of U.S. resolve occurred in the town of Bastogne, where surrounded U.S. troops refused to yield to superior German forces. The stunned Germans were told to "Go to hell" when they asked the Americans to surrender. The tenacious defense across the battlefield by the American soldiers soon caused the German advance to slow, and ultimately signaled defeat for Hitler. As the German offensive ground to a halt, it was destroyed by superior Allied airpower when the weather cleared in late December. This Christmas Eve, be thankful for the many blessings that we sometimes take for granted. Remember that 60 years ago on this date, in the freezing cold of the Ardennes Forest, a determined group of U.S. soldiers who refused to surrender helped to ensure the freedom we have today. They spent that Christmas Eve wondering whether it would be their last, and for many of them it was. This holiday season, take a short moment to raise a glass in salute. Christopher Gibbons is a local writer. E-mail gibbonscg@aol.com. This is dedicated to the memory of Bulge veteran Lawrence W. Summers of Roxborough. |
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