When I signed up for this forum I promised myself I would not start any thread with an American subject, but I have not found any other forum that has a membership that shows an interest in uncovering and preserving lost details of the Second World War. Awhile back, I came across a ‘combat’ sketch of the American defense positions in the village of Krewinkel (Losheim Gap). These were published in the book ‘A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield’ by William C. Cavanagh. Following my interests, I found a satellite image of Krewinkel to see if I could plot the actual locations of the American positions (the sketch is rough, not spatially accurate). Cavanagh only made one statement about the sketch and the American positions but I think he may be wrong. This is a minor point but for someone like me, interested in squad level combat, it changes the interpretation of the battle. Please read the excerpt from ‘A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield’, the first and last paragraph provide directions for a driving tour around Krewinkel. On the image krewinkelMarkup.jpg, I indicate the driving route with yellow arrows along the road and I indicate the new and old churches mentioned. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=37214&stc=1&d=1285605075 The image krewinkelSketch.jpg is the ‘combat’ sketch and I believe the old church is the building marked with the cross in the center right. The ‘ARTY OP’ is marked on the building in the lower right. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=37215&stc=1&d=1285605075 Given the details before arriving in, and after leaving Krewinkel, I am certain about the driving tour route that I indicated on the Markup. According to the last paragraph of the excerpt, heading out of town, the author cites the ‘ARTY OP’ as a building on your left after passing the new church on your right. However I believe the ‘ARTY OP’ is the building I indicate on the Markup in white lettering. My interpretation accounts for all the roads into town and has the old church and ‘ARTY OP’ in the same relationship in the Markup and the ‘combat’ sketch. Using my interpretation, the American defense of Krewinkel makes better tactical sense where they have a tight perimeter around the town center and good fields of fire all around. The perimeter does not include the southern portion of town but makes good use of the open fields that separate the two. I suspect the southern portion of town was guarded by outposts to be withdrawn if under attack. Excerpt ‘A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield’ by William C. Cavanagh: Continue driving south on 265 and in the village of Kehr, about 100 meters past the church, take the minor road to the right marked ‘Ausser Anlieger’. Continue downhill until you reach the village of Krewinkel and upon passing the new church on your left, turn left and drive around the steeple of the old church to your front right. Keep driving until you can turn right again and stop with the old church to your right rear. Krewinkel typifies the small rural villages of the Losheim Gap. The village was occupied by the 2nd platoon of Troop C, 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and a Reconnaissance Platoon of Company A, 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Positioned here in the center of the village, the defenders occupied the various buildings from which excellent observation and good fields of fire covered all approaches to Krewinkel from the east. In the early morning dark under the beams of searchlights reflected off low-hanging clouds to create ‘artificial moonlight’, an assault company of the German’s 3rd Fallschirmjager Division boldly approached the village in column of fours. The troopers held their fire until the enemy infantry were within twenty yards of the outer strands of defensive wire — then cut loose. The column quickly disintegrated, but the Germans quickly resumed the attack in more open order and were shortly in the village streets. At one point, half the village was in German hands, but eventually the defenders got the upper hand and the enemy withdrew. One of the last to leave shouted in English ‘Take a ten minute break, we’ll be back!’ An exasperated trooper yelled out in reply ‘— you! We’ll still be here’. At 06.45, an attack from the bald hill (at the time of writing forested) to your left, was met and stopped by heavy fire from the light machine-guns positioned on the northern edge of town. A most welcome re-supply of much needed ammunition arrived on the scene when Troop C’s executive officer arrived in a halftrack, only to be killed on his way back to the nearby village of Afst. By the time the Germans made their next assault on the village the defenders were well prepared. A few enemy paratroopers made it into the eastern edge of Krewinkel but made no further progress. By late morning, group headquarters informed the cavalrvmen in front of Manderfeld that they should withdraw to the ridge line marked by that village and if necessary, to a second ridge two miles behind Manderfeld. The defenders of Afst and Krewinkel made a perilous escape under fire from Germans to either side of the road while other cavalrymen elsewhere were unable to withdraw. Continue straight-ahead then take the first right returning in the direction of Kehr, (At the time of writing after you pass the new church, a barn and farmhouse on the left still bear evidence of gunfire on one gable end. This is the building marked ‘Arty OP’ at the bottom right hand corner of the sketch). In Kehr, turn right onto 265 and continue in the direction of Prum…..
Absolutely no help with this thread at all, but we drove past this village back in Feb 08. I see Mooshaus is just down the road. I asked in post #43 of this thread if anything happened there. Reading about this action is really interesting. Looking the map I agree with you location of the Arty OP
Thanks Owen, I'll post something on the fighting west of Mooshaus in that thread. To further illustrate what I meant by "a tight perimeter" around the town center I made the attached. The thin yellow line (appropriate for the US Cavalry) represents the portion of town occupied by the Mechanized Cavalry. The red arrows correspond to the German attacks marked on the 'combat' sketch (using my interpretation). I have to suspect the woods (hatched out in cyan) were not there in 1944. This would be the hill the "bodies slid down" after being hit by LMG's. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=37254&stc=1&d=1285629690
My books mention Krewinkel, but do not provide much detail as to the positions of the men, just the general outline of the battle there. The 14 Cav was tasked to perform a mission they were not design to accomplished. A cavalry group was not intended to defend against a heavy infantry or armor attack. Their job was to scout mostly and the lacked sufficient heavy weapons and men to absorb strong attacks. That 14th lasted as long as it did in such a critical area is a miracle. Owen, did you perhaps pass through Lanzerath in your travels? When I signed up for this forum I promised myself I would not start any thread with an American subject Why?
Owen, did you perhaps pass through Lanzerath in your travels? No but I just seen where it is. We were on the 265 down to Prum for lunch. Would have passed by very close. Now if this was a thread about a British unit the war diary would have been posted by now. Are unit war diaries for US units as easily obtainable as they are here? Thanks Owen, I'll post something on the fighting west of Mooshaus in that thread. Cheers looking forward to that.
No but I just seen where it is. We were on the 265 down to Prum for lunch. Would have passed by very close. Now if this was a thread about a British unit the war diary would have been posted by now. Are unit war diaries for US units as easily obtainable as they are here? I don't know. I've never really looked into it.
Fantastic post Earthican, good description of the battle. any idea what German forces the Cav were facing, I know it does make reference to paratroopers in the text
Fantastic post Earthican, good description of the battle. any idea what German forces the Cav were facing, I know it does make reference to paratroopers in the text 5. Fallschirmjager Regiment from 3. Fallschirmjager Division.
5. Fallschirmjager Regiment from 3. Fallschirmjager Division. Just reread the article Sol, thanks for that!
Earthican, Nice interesting post. I have also compared your Map and sketch and also, like Owen , agree with your location of the Arty OP. Regards Tom
Thank you gentlemen, glad you enjoyed it. Much of the description comes from the US Army official history (Battle of the Bulge - Hugh Cole). I'm always amazed how much more detail can be derived from the text when there are available large scale maps, or better yet, satellite images where you can be assured the ground has not changed much. In addition to the unit After Action Reports, the Army had historians go out and interview the soldiers as soon as practical after a battle. No doubt that is where much of that detail comes from. However some statements, IMO, must be taken with a grain of salt. There is the remark that the first German attack "boldly approached the village in column of fours", implying that the Germans were in some sort of parade ground formation. I tend to interpret that statement as, initially a large group approached and the troopers were able to surprise them with their opening volley. To speculate a bit, I would not be surprised if the lead German unit was deploying to attack the village and a follow-on unit, that did not expect to make contact, marched down the main road in a close, but tactical, formation. There were only 15 minutes that separated the "attack" down the main road and the attack which came from the hill. Recall these German units were paratroops in name only and they were not allowed to make any reconnaissance for fear of losing the surprise on which the plan depended. They may also have been late getting to their start position because they were only days before defending the west bank of the Roer River, several miles to the north. This picture was sent to me from Hans Wijer, a Dutchmen that has self-published some "books" on the Ardennes battles. It is taken from the Roemerberg, the hill to the east of town. No doubt the Germans had their own observers here (VB's ?) The new chuch with the bell tower is obvious. The three attached buildings on the left are what I believe to be the "Arty OP" identified on the 'combat" sketch. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=37286&stc=1&d=1285702671
P.S. Send Hans Wijers my best regards and tell him I will pay him a visit soon Sorry, I have not communicated with Hans in years. I'm waiting for him to complete some more books for me to order!!! Actually, while Hans agrees with the interpretation of the 'combat sketch' (a tight perimeter in the north of Krewinkel) he does not agree about the location of the Arty OP. He has spoken to some villagers that were children at the time and they contend the Arty OP was the building "kitty corner" from the new church. My thoughts are: could civilians really tell the difference between an artillery forward observer team and a mechanized cavalry troop? They both have jeeps with high-powered radios and use strong observing telescopes. So we agree to dis-agree. Give Hans my best, and get him to finish some more books!! Regards, Gary p.s. Thanks for the detail on the FJ Division. If someone could write a detailed operational history of 'Wacht am Rhein' from the German point of view it would have a ready audience in the US. Something to compliment Cole's 'Battle of the Bulge' or MacDonald's 'A Time for Trumpets'.
