The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Operation Nordwind

Hi Sam
Came accross this info while researching today..you may have come accross it to in the past.
alot of great detail in the narrative...have saved this account text file.

70th Infantry..."The Trailblazers"
Formed up at camp Adair in Oregon in 1943...70th saw some critical blocking action during Nordwind.

Portions form 70ths account during Nordwind

New Year's Day was not a happy one for the 70th. The Germans were ready and able to exploit their early gains. Philippsbourg is a tiny village in a deep valley in the Hardt mountains near the German border. It was a critical town for it sits on an intersection of the important N62 French highway and is also on the railroad line between Bitche and Haguenau. This was the sole route on which the Nazis could move tanks and supplies to sustain the breakthrough they sought. The Germans were willing to pay a high price to gain control of the village.

By early morning, the G-3 finally read that the 2/275th was not in the village and started artillery fire into Baerenthal. At 0830 hours, the enemy launchcd an attack on the road from Baerenthal, spearheaded by tanks. As reported by the 275th to the 45th some ninety minutes later, "Our 2nd battalion was hit by tanks, supported by a battalion of foot soldiers. We killed one tank, possibly two, but lost an anti-tank gun. One company was badly disorganized and the battalion commander was trying to straighten it out, Their reserve company is in position just north of the original battalion command Post position at Muehlthal. The right company apparently held during the night, but we've lost contact recently." That daybreak, the German attack had moved down the Zinswiller road where it ran into Company F. At least two German tanks were damaged and were forced to pull back, along with their escorting infantry, leaving many killed and wounded in action. The intense enemy pressure had driven many GIs from their foxholes. As they drifted toward the rear they were collected by battalion officers and put to work on secondary defensive positions.

The 70th during WW-2

I remember watching a B&W movie on TV in the 60's about Operation Nordwind. A female German spy tried to get all of the Americans drunk the night before. When the attack came on New Years Day I remember German tanks knocking down a wall in the village. Any idea what the name of the movie was?? Too bad Hollywood's version of the Battle Of The Bulge is so silly and inaccurate (The Colonel HESSLER version). Battleground and Attack are pretty good though. Semper Fi Mac!!

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