Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was pivotal to the Allies and the Germans. The Allies were pushing the Germans back out of France and Belgium and the Germans barely were holding on to Holland after the ill-fated Allied Operation Market Garden. The third platoon of Co. C of the 300th was sent to Nijmegen, Holland to guard a large bridge over the Waal River during Operation Market Garden from October 1-19.

The Germans had used up essential resources of troops and equipment in Russia over the past year of fierce battles. Now returning to Europe, the Germans turned their depleted resources to the western German Front with the Allies nearing the German border. The Germans picked the so-called Bulge in Belgium to hold back the advancing Allied troops. The area of the Bulge was from near the Belgium/France border on the west, the Germany/France border on the south and nearly up to Aachen, Germany on the north and included the Huertgen Forest.

The battle took place in severe winter weather from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945. U.S. forces included the First Army, under General Hodges, on the north and the Third Army, under General Patton, on the south. The winter of 1944-45 was one of the worst in the region in recent memory. The temperatures were bitterly cold with heavy snows and deep drifts.

The weather was especially difficult for the work of the 300th as most of the men came from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana where they had never endured such a severe winter. They slept, ate and worked in the cold and snow. With the snow, fog and mist it was difficult to discern blurred figures even up close - were they German or Allied troops?

This letter from Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower dated December 22, 1944 was read to the men of the 300th shortly before Christmas, 1944. (Click image to enlarge)

Members of the 300th Combat Engineer Battalion, like other combat engineer battalions, were highly trained for combat when they arrived in Europe. Although some of the 300th engaged in direct combat with Germans, in most cases they were ordered to be invisible and to not engage the enemy. It was to their advantage in getting their jobs done that the enemy not know where they were or what they were doing. Often they were near U.S. troops under fire so they also sometimes found themselves under enemy fire with that danger.

The following portions from After Actions Reports and Unit Journals for the 300th from December, 1944 describe the role of the 300th in the first days of the Battle of the Bulge and how the men of the 300th "celebrated" Christmas 1944.

Report of 19 December: This battalion [300th] was ordered to install bridge blocks at several locations along the La Lesse River from Rochefort to the Meuse River in Germany and work began on 21 December 1944. All possible crossings between the points mentioned were prepared for demolitions.

Report of 21 December: It has been reported that the enemy has some of our Sherman tanks and is using them. Halt and check all occupants of single vehicles and small groups of vehicles. Do not stop convoys. Army reports sentry shot trying to stop vehicle unassisted. If vehicles are to be stopped barricades should be used and challenging done from cover. Enemy in American uniform may have dog tags. Check using password.

Report of 22 December: In planning demolitions in your sector make certain that all secondary roads are covered to complete your defence lines. Insure that all demolition charges have two methods of firing preferably electrical & by primacord. It is most important that the lines be separated so that one bullet of shell fragement will not disrupt both means of firing.

Report of 23 December: Reconnaissance reported enemy tanks had cut the road between Marche and Rochefort but had made no attempt to cross the La Lesse River. At about 0900 hours, a German reconnaissance force in strength was encountered in the vicinity of Harrene consisting of a German armored car and two tanks, one an American M-4 complete with white stars. One 300th enlisted man, [Pvt. Willie D. McGowan], was "lightly wounded in action" and another enlisted man, [Tech 4 Roy L. Sweet], was missing in action. [Sweet was later confirmed dead]. Ten American tanks manned by German personnel and accompanied by German Infantry were reported in the vicinity of Humain. B Company withdrew to Herock. No further action took place but reports indicated that the enemy was building up strength north of the river.

Report of 23 December: Co "B" hit by enemy tanks near Rochefort on North side of river. Enemy had one Armored Scout car and two tanks. One tank was American M-4. Co "B" hit at 0900 A hours. Apparently Enemy is headed NW passing between Marche and Rochefort. Bridge in Rochefort destroyed last night by 51 Engr. Bn. Rochefort still held by Americans. "B" Co was going east on secondary road near Harvenue and upon rounding a bend in the road ran into enemy tanks, jeep driver wounded. Radio operator [Sweet] believed killed and jeep wrecked. Advising you that enemy has infiltrated into area between Cincy and Rochefort. This deplorable situation will be taken care of tonight. The 4th Calvary Group has been assigned the mission of screening the line of your blocks.

Report of 24 December: On 24 December, the enemy was contacted in Celles and A Company withdrew to Herock. All American troops had withdrawn from Rocheport. At 1200 hours, enemy tanks attempted to cross the La Lesse River at several locations. A and B Companies withrew to Givet, France.

Report of 24 December: 1st Plat. Blow all bridges in your area now. Except the N-47 Hway bridge. Co A maintain close contact with British in Dinant to assure that all their recon. units are North of the LaLesse River & then blow the bridge on N-47 whenever the enemy begins to threaten our escape route through Dinant. When you complete your demolitions of bridges return to here by crossing the Meuse at Dinant then along N-17 on the west side of the Meuse to Nance, thence to Huy & Modave. If you should get cut off from Dinant you might be able to get there through Givet.

Enemy action forced bridges to be blown by the 300th at 16 locations at 1600 hours.

At one point in late December of 1944, Company B of the 300th was ordered on a mission to secure a bridge in Marche where it was reported German Tiger Royal Tanks were approaching the town. They boarded their trucks with instructions, "These Tigers have armor that 77mm cannon shells bounce off like peas. Be ready with bazookas, rifle grenades, machine guns, rifles, mines and explosives to do what you can." They moved only five miles when the convoy was halted and turned around as the mission was cancelled for unknown reasons.

Don Richter of the 300th, Company B, recalled an encounter with the enemy in Belgium as follows:

Captain Falvey, B Company Commander was travelling with his driver, McGowan and his radio operator, Sweet, when they encountered what appeared to be an American Sherman Tank. They soon learned that the tank had been captured by Germans when it began firing at them. Falvey was wounded and Sweet was killed. Falvey fled the jeep and killed a German foot soldier with his 45. McGowan, although wounded, retrieved the map case from the jeep while under fire for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. Somehow they both returned to their companies.

Don Richter also recalls his own near encounter with the enemy in Belgium:

A & B Companies were to lay a mine field and set up road blocks with orders to blow bridges with German tanks approaching. German tanks had crossed the stream elsewhere and had moved behind us. While I was on watch in a buggy shed, I heard tanks moving and Germans talking. I was ready with my M1 rifle and rifle grenade launcher, but thankfully never had to fire then. They were not much of a match for that tank. By the next morning, Germans were all around us. We were saved when a route free of Germans was found all the way into France and we were able to have a Christmas dinner of bread and orange marmalade in friendly territory. Battalion Commander Colonel Reil Crandall later told us that seeing Companies A & B come out safely was the best Christmas present he ever had.

British war correspondent R. W. Thompson following the advance of the First Army into Germany noted the beauty of the snow covered Ardennes hills. He then described what the engineers faced. "With every mile forward this loveliness becomes a menace and horror... Up every hill the troops are manhandling the heavy trucks trying to gain a wheel grip even with chains. Here and there the tracked vehicles slither hopelessly to subside deep into the ditches."

Thompson added, "But all the time bulldozers are working, clearing and breaking up the snow and ice to powder, and civilians are smashing away with picks and shovels while every man with a spade digs down to the earthy roadside banks beneath the snow to shovel soil for the wheels that must grip... their ears blasted by the constant shock as the heavy guns roar and splash this white world with burst of flame."

During the Battle of the Bulge, the 300th supported the First Army as the Allies were holding their positions against a last ditch surge of German forces trying to push the Allies back from the German border and the defense of the Siegfried Line. Working with its Headquarters out of Chateau Modave, the 300th traveled along the northwestern borders of the Bulge pocket. In December, 1944, they would have been a few miles from one of the boldest and almost successful maneuvers of German troops.

The town of Manhay, Belgium, was held by Allied forces in December 1944. Toward the end of December, German forces launched an aggressive offensive with armored and panzer divisions as a last ditch effort to stop the advance of the U.S. forces. It would become the long, difficult winter of the Battle of the Bulge. Manhay would be a strategic objective of the Germans since it was a road junction for the region.

The German offensive, held off until Christmas Eve, succeeded in disrupting the American objectives around Manhay but fell short of gaining control of the roads in and out of the town. On Christmas Day 1944, German forces were redeployed and Allied forces retained control of the main transportation junction in the area but the battle continued. In the process, Manhay was virtually destroyed by U.S. air strikes and German armored divisions. The battles would be considered a stalemate.

At least some of the 300th Combat Engineers were nearby during the intensive combat around Manhay.

300th Combat Engineer, Chuck Bice described the scene:

"We built a bridge during the Battle of the Bulge. I told one of the men working with me to get a picture of this. Here was the most beautiful scene you ever saw of snow and beautiful pine trees. Three hundred yards down the road people were being killed right and left. I found a picture of that bridge, turned it over and on the back I had written, this is no practice, this is real in Manhay, Belgium. That was one of the worst battles of the Battle of the Bulge."

The harsh weather of the Battle of the Bulge made it nearly impossible for the "chow trucks" to negotiate the ice and snow covered roads so much of the time there was often no prepared hot food. The men had C-rations (beef stew, beans and hot dogs and corned beef hash). These foods were in cans and were heated over fires or on the engine block of the vehicles. They also had K-rations (cheeses, crackers and Spam) so even without the chow trucks the men had a supply of food.

300th Engineer Norman Webb describes the cold winter:

I remember well how very cold it was at the time of the Battle of the Bulge. I was one of others that had the duty of standing guard at night - we had a bridge wired for destruction in case the Germans came that way. We stood guard for two hours and then were off duty for two hours. We were bunking inside a barn or lean-to building, as I recall, and did not have heat - no fires were allowed of course. When I went on duty, my feet would get to the freezing point in about fifteen minutes and I would have freezing feet for an hour and forty-five minutes! I would wake up my relief and get inside covering up with blankets. It seemed like it took an hour to unthaw my feet, start to get some sleep and then the one on duty would wake me up to freeze my feet all over again!

Obersturmbannfuhrer Jochen Peiper commanded a powerful battle group comprised of 100 Mark IV and Panther tanks along with a fully motorized panzergrenadier unit. Peiper was leading a spearhead with the objective to gain control of the rear guard of the Allied forces north and west of the Bulge pocket creating chaos behind American lines.

At the Losheim Gap, an American scouting car followed American vehicles with blackout lights streaming to the northwest. The scout saw the biggest tank he had ever seen. It was Peiper's command tank moving on the heels of American troops. Peiper's troops followed American troops as they retreated north and west toward the Meuse River. Peiper was low on fuel and headed north where he captured a fuel dump. Restocked with fuel, he headed west to sow terror.

Peiper had established a ruthless reputation leading his tank unit on the Eastern Front in Russia after the capture of two villages with no surviving inhabitants and one time claiming 2,000 enemy killed in a battle with only three captured. Near Malmedy, his men shot 85 prisoners and killed many more civilians as he moved through Belgium. With the discovery of the bodies of the prisoners in a field, word spread of the atrocities and hardened the American resolve.

With Peiper's troops now operating in the American rear word of the aggressive move by Peiper came to First Army Headquarters. Commanders there understood that his continued movement threatened Malmedy and Liege where the largest Allies supply dump in Europe was located. Not having time to move significant armored and infantry units to stop Peiper, First Army commander Hodges turned to combat engineers to establish roadblocks to delay Peiper.

Peiper's troops and armor were strung out over 25 miles and using poor, muddy roads. Engineers harassed Peiper by using roadblocks, hit and run firing, blowing bridges and forcing Peiper to alter his routes of advance. Between December 16 and 22, combat engineers formed the backbone of the American rear defense. Their activities delayed the spearheading panzers time and time again. American troops were able to completely surround Peiper's panzers and with overwhelming force, squeezed the vise. By December 23, Peiper abandoned his mission and escaped on foot back to German lines. The combat engineers played a direct role in the failure of Hitler's offensive against American forces.

A military historian wrote, "a squad (of engineers) equipped with sufficient TNT could, in the right spot, do more to slow the enemy advance than a company armed with rifles and machine guns." Peiper put it in simpler terms. Looking at the engineers' work at a blown bridge he shouted, "Those damned engineers!" (see also Jochen Peiper After the War)

300th Engineer Don Richter describes the winter of 1944-45:

The weather in Belgium and Germany was not too bad with the exception of the winter months of 1944/1945. The weather turned very cold just as the Battle of the Bulge began in mid-December and it was quite cold through the month of March. The snow was very heavy with large flakes that would cover your face and the snow drifts were quite deep especially along roadsides. I recall stepping into a ditch on the side of a road where we were standing one night and standing in a snow bank up to my waist. I began to think that I would freeze after having survived battle.

As we moved from the Rhineland south to join Patton's Third Army, we traveled through towns and cities that were almost totally destroyed. What was left standing after air raids was pretty much leveled by artillery and tank fire as our army moved quickly through the German countryside. The people in Germany were unusually friendly to us their conquerors. I was impressed with the way that they started immediately to start to rebuild when the fighting ceased.

Although the Battle of the Bulge was a decisive victory for the Allies, the American cost was great. 600,000 American and 55,000 British troops fought against 500,000 German troops. U.S. casualties totaled 75,482 with 8,407 killed, 46,170 wounded and 20,905 missing through the end of January, 1945. The U.S. lost 730 tanks and tank destroyers. The British lost 1,408, with 200 killed, 239 wounded and 969 missing. Conservative estimates of German losses were 67,000 killed, 34,000 wounded and 23,000 missing.

The Battle of the Bulge is considered by many military historians to be the most important single battle in modern military history. The American response to the massive German offensive was timely and effective. The courageous defense by U.S. infantry, armor and engineer units, backed by artillery support, stopped the German offensive and effectively ended the war in Europe.

The 51st Engineers, during the Battle of the Bulge, had blown a bridge at Rochefort, Belgium. The following account was later recalled by Colonel Floyd Wright, at the time a 2nd Lt. with the 51st:

When Wright rejoined his platoon at the near shore abutment, a lieutenant [Lt. Gene Falvey] from the 300th ECB claimed that he had orders to relieve Wright's platoon in that area. Wright said he would have to receive the orders from the battalion. He was going there to order bridge materials so he invited the lieutenant to follow him. Marche was about a 15-minute drive in daylight. [Falvey was in a jeep with his driver, Cpl. McGowan and TEC 4 Radio Operator Roy L. Sweet was in the back seat.]

With Johnston driving and PFC Jordan in the rear of the jeep, Wright set off for Marche. [Falvey] from the 300th led the way in his jeep, sometimes reaching speeds of 50 to 60 mph. Wright wanted his driver to pass the other jeep because he doubted the lieutenant knew the location of the 51st Headquarters. After two attempts, it was plain that it was too risky. Wright fell in behind him.

The two jeeps were soon out of town and into farm country when a German armored vehicle approached from around a curve in the road. It immediately opened fire with machine guns at a range of about 200 feet. It may have been part of the 2nd Panzer Division which was nine miles northwest of Rochefort that night. Enemy fire hit the [300th] jeep and it stopped in the middle of the road. Johnston turned his jeep into a ditch beside the road. As it hit the ditch the horn started blowing. Wright dove into the ditch, while Johnston and Jordan raced to a nearby farm building for cover. The horn on the jeep continued to blow. The Germans stopped firing and backed out to sight around a curve. Evidently they thought there were other elements following and the horn was a signal.

With the Germans out of sight, Wright got back into his jeep. As he turned the steering wheel the horn stopped blowing. A bullet had struck the steering wheel shaft and shorted the horn wires. Wright's crew went to the [300th] jeep and carried out the wound lieutenant [Falvey] and his driver [McGowan]. The radio operator [Roy Sweet] in the back of the jeep was dead.

Members of the 300th report a somewhat different version of the event. McGowan and Falvey, both wounded, took cover in a ditch until the German fire ended. McGowan, even while wounded, returned to the 300th jeep to recover his map case while under German fire. He was later awarded the Bronze Star for this action in combat. They say that the "German armored vehicle" was, in fact, an American Sherman tank which had been captured by the Germans. They also report that Falvey and McGowan escaped on foot and were later picked up by a jeep from another company.

Falvey and McGowan eventually recovered from their injuries. Radio operator Roy Sweet died instantly in the German attack. His canteen, with his name on it, was found later by a Belgium civilian. It would later be displayed in a small museum in Luxembourg. He was buried at Henri-Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium.

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