Evening star., 1944-12-31

DIVISION, as yet unreVealeQ, on ltS
left flank, halted the 18th SIS, at
least for the moment
Won Rundstedt knew he had to
race west and then turn north faster
than American divisions could be
sent into the line running due west
from Butenbach TO the Meuse River
1t was like rushing along opposite
sides of fence, trying to get to a
gate at the end and through first.
U. S. Strategy Clear.
The American strategy was clear,
| it was right out Of the rule book.
1t was the job of the Allied high
command to keep the American
armies Liege flank from being
turned and to channelize the Ger
man effort due west.
Exactly the same sort of race was
the south, where the United States
Sd Army was throwing up fence.
Once the German offensive was
channelized to the west efforts could
be made to halt it or let it run, then
try to cut it off with flank attack
Fortunately the Ardennes area did
not contain any key cities nor any
great quantities of supplies and Won
Rundstedt's advances gained little
of military value. Every mile to
the north toward Liege was worth
10 miles to the west
The 1st SIS Division on December
l8 began real race, tearing l8
miles west over mountain roads,
then trying to turn north at NAL
medy, Stavelot and Stoumont in
the Liege direction. Here they met
another American veteran division
which had raced south, and another
fierce struggle ensued.
More Troops Thrown In.
The next day Gen. Eisenhower
threw in more troops, and so did
Won Rundstedt. but the German
marshal was greatly handicapped
by the failure to take St. With,
where the United States 7th Arm
ored Division still held out, though
virtually surrounded. The division
was an island in the heart of the
NaZi drive. splitting it. The same
day, December 19. another island"
of American courage appeared. 1t
was the 101st Air-borne Division
and other units which were rushed
to the front in trucks and met the
Germans at Bastogne for an epic
defense
Another crack American air-borne
division, the 82d, raced into line
just west of st. Oumont to make
the first effort to blunt the 1st SIS
Panzer Divisions drive westward.
In the south. from Luxembourg
1t. Gen. George S. Patton threw UP
a flank defense composed of ele-
ments of the 4th, 9th and 10th Arm
ored Divisions and the 4th, 5th,
26th and 80th Infantry Divisions.
In the center of the Ardennes
break-through there was nothing to
halt the Germans. and in the next
few days armored combat teams
drove so miles into Belgium. almost
reaching the Meuse River between
Namur and Dinant. These were the
only armored prongs, however, and
gained little of military value.
Nazis Turn Northward.
Won Rundstedt had to turn north
to get at the American and British
supply bases and deal an all-out
crippling blow.
Time was precious. Every hour
gave the Allies time to push in men.
December 20 was the most critical
day OF the offensive Won Rundstedt
had poured in new panzer and in
fantry divisions and made a door
die effort to move north.
The struggle ceased to become a
matter of high strategy. It became
a knock-doWn, drag -out brawl. ONLY
American doughboy courage stood
between the German panzers and a
great military victory. And the
doughboys held the gates to Liege
against Hitler's priced war machine
at Butenback, Malmedy Stavelot
and st. Oumont. At nightfall the
German dead were piled in heaps
and German war machine wreckage
burned brightly in the snow.
German Attacks Slacken.
The next day. Won Rundstedt's
attacks slackened and the turning
point came. The Germans had
planned carefully the attack for
spell of bad weather to keep the Al
lied airmen aground. The weather