Pics: In Peiper's footsteps (La Gleize-Cheneux)

Though not taken at Stavelot, this picture of a 3-inch Atk Gun much resembles the position of Sgt Hauser's gun.

Location of the gun-position of Sgt Hauser inside Stavelot

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The gunners view into the town. The enemy tanks appeared at the far end of the road.

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Sgt Hauser's gun engaged the German tanks that debouched from the Rue Haut Rivage in the far background of this photo. They were definitely Panther tanks (Pz V). The armored spearhead of the KG Peiper at the time only had Panthers; the MK IV's had been deviated to Wanne, for an attack on the southern bridge at Trois Ponts; theTigers appeared later in the tail of the column. The story of Capt Kent therefore seems plausible to me. Unfortunately I lent my copy of Hubert Laby's book about the Stavelot battle, which surely has the answer to our question.

 

I have Wessel's story around here someplace. If I recall correctly, he seems to think it was a rifle grenade or bazooka fired from a house to his front. At any rate, he had just seen a GI there before the impact. Of course, his view buttoned up inside a Tiger may be entirely mistaken.

Was Hauser's gun still operational that late in the day? If he had abandoned it, it may well have been set up again by newly arriving GI's.

 

KB - Sgt Hauser engaged the first tanks that debouched from the Rue Haute Rivage. These definitely were Panthers. Unfortunately I have the book of Hubert Laby not around at the moment, otherwise I could have checked for the details.

As far as I recall the Panthers did engage Hauser's gun. After a short exchange, the AAR of 'A' Coy, 825th D Bn, mentions 15 rounds expended, Hauser's crew spiked the gun and withdrew, so no chance that the gun later was used by the infantry. The gun was in a very exposed position in the middle of the road. During the engagement one 1/4 ton truck and one halftrack, parked by the side of the road somewhat further back from the gun position, were hit and knocked out. After the gun had been abandoned, the Panthers didn't bother about the position anymore, nor did they enter the centre of Stavelot, but instead headed westwards in the direction of Trois Ponts.

That afternoon, when the infantry of the 1st Bn, 117th Infantry attacked the town, they hit the tail of the KG, which contained the Tiger II tanks. That's where the episode of the panicking Tiger II driver (King Tiger) occurred, who backed his tank into the house along the Rue Haute Rivage.

Attached a map from Hubert Laby's book giving the positions of both 3-inch Atk guns

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Thanks. This all new to me since I had assumed the only TD guns were in the square.

 

Excellent. Voted. Thanks for the rare pictures, especially the King Tiger.

 

I'm starting to think that we should hire a WWIIF minibus and tag on to the end of pistol's October tour.....

 

Kodiak Bear - thanks a lot for the material you PM-ed me today. First class info, really.

I seriously contemplate to start a seperate thread on this site later this year about the battle for Stavelot, after I have revisited the town. The defence of the town by the gallant men of the 1st Bn, 117th Infantry, deserves more attention. It really sealed the fate of KG Peiper.

 

I think you're right about Stavelot being key in the battle, though I'm probably prejudiced because of my fathers presence. Those men ended up getting squeezed from both sides as Leibstandarte tried to break through to KG Peiper, while Peiper and then Knittel tried to clear them from the direction of Trois Ponts. Stavelot is where the snakes head got cut off.

 

Outstanding thread by both Martin and Pistol ...... I, as do everyone else, really appreciate the effort put into these presentations. The combination of histroical research, field work and present day photography truly brings history to life.

Thanks again for a job Well Done, gentlemen.

 

May all the victims rest in peace - with their brothers and sisters who died in that conflict. Thank you for posting, pistol sir, never forget.

 

Yes, Kodiak Beer, I will have to drink one to you tonight. Always love those AAR's.

 

Member Timo presented some very good data on this subject in this thread: http://www.ww2f.com/topic/39755-battle-of-the-bulge/page-6

 

Am I seeing things or does this look like the compound Easy Company assaulted for a prisoner capture in the "BOB" episode "The Last Patrol". The rubber boats across the river and through the wire.

 

Rkline, I have to disappoint you.

Though the area much resembles the one in the episode of 'The last Patrol', it is not the same. 'The Last Patrol' took place in the Alsace area in France on the Moder River near Haguenau. The US 101st AB Division, after its gallant stand at Bastogne, was transferred to the Alsace to help out cleaning up this area from the last enemy resistance. That was after the BOB.

 

In 2011, I did manage to put myself in Diefenthal's footsteps...




....more or less !

 

I've just been contacted by a very pleasant woman in Stavelot, who has asked me to post these pictures of her mother. These (obviously) were taken some time after the battle. I hope to get more information on these soon.

 

And one more...

 

Thank You ,Keith.

As I told you, there was a car repair depot (deposit material) next to the station Stavelot and mom, Hélène Hendriks" lived just opposite the station.
And she saw every day Americans and they were feeding her and her family. The beautiful big boy on her left ... was her boyfriend.
These pictures are taken shortly after the end of the war. They were happy. She was 18 years old.
13 to 18 years, she has experienced war...

You know the link?
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_de_Baugnez

 

My dad was taken by force to 19 years. He was not a soldier and he was taken to Germany for work.
He was in a farm as a carpenter. There, it was still okay ...
But he was taken to Danzig (Poland) and there it was cold and very hungry.
He came back, he was 24. (1.82 M and 53 kg)
But he recovered well and later it was 100 kg LOL.
When he returned back from Germany, he was always jealous of Americans because girls loved them very much.
The girls were not very careful about these poor prisoners who returned from Germany.
And 50 years later jealousy was still there ... it was still laughing mom.
The sister of my father married an American Vick Boissy and went to live in Boston, after the war.
I speak with my cousins ​​on FB...

Yes, it was very hard here and mom said that in addition it was winter the hardest ever known.
I am not able to tell much about the war in detail.
Just a few stories that have been told me.
There were many massacres in my area by the Germans
But there are sites that are very well done.
Maybe you know?
This museum is a few kilometers from home.
http://www.baugnez44.be/
you ask me why Peiper has not passed through the river. I think it was a very hard winter, the water was deep and difficult to get in and out.
Stavelot is in a valley and the water is really in a hole.
You can see the photo taken today of the bridge over the river Amblève.
But today there is not much water...
(And I hope I do not make too many mistakes)

How can I give you a picture ? Like that ?

http://imagesia.com/dsc08806_e79b

 

tank from Stavelot