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18
Day 3 of the Offensive

Monday, 18 December 1944

Grey and cold with melting snow mixed with rain; near-zero visibility and low cloud ceiling preventing Allied air operations, with a brief mid-afternoon clearing.

The third day of Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein brought the first clear signs that the German offensive had lost its initial momentum on the northern shoulder. Kampfgruppe Peiper achieved its deepest penetration but was decisively contained: American combat engineers demolished every bridge in Peiper’s path at Trois-Ponts, Habiemont, and numerous smaller crossings, while P-47 Thunderbolts attacked the strung-out column for two hours near Cheneux. In the Central Sector, German pressure against St. Vith intensified, though traffic congestion prevented coordinated assaults, and the 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments of the 106th Division remained surrounded on the Schnee Eifel.

The Front Line — Monday, 18 December 1944
Traced from: U.S. 12th Army Group, Situation Maps, 1200 hrs daily, 16 Dec 1944 – 25 Jan 1945. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, G5701.S5 (LoC ict21195–ict21235). Approximate positions; interpolated between key dates.

The 2nd Infantry Division completed its withdrawal from the Twin Villages to the Elsenborn Ridge, establishing the foundation of the northern shoulder defensive line. The 82nd Airborne Division completed an emergency 150-mile motor movement from France, arriving at Werbomont just hours ahead of German reconnaissance probes, while the 30th Infantry Division recaptured most of Stavelot behind Peiper, severing his supply line. At St. Vith, the “horseshoe” defensive perimeter formed around the 7th Armored Division with 22,000 American troops.

Northern Shoulder
Stavelot–Trois-Ponts–La Gleize
Kampfgruppe Peiper achieved its deepest penetration but was decisively contained. After forcing the Stavelot bridge, the column drove toward Trois-Ponts and the Lienne crossings, only to find every bridge demolished by American engineers. P-47 Thunderbolts attacked the column for approximately two hours near Cheneux, destroying vehicles and imposing critical delays. With all routes west blocked, Peiper bivouacked between La Gleize and Stoumont, effectively trapped and cut off from resupply.
Twin Villages and Elsenborn Ridge
The 2nd Infantry Division and remnants of the 99th Infantry Division completed their withdrawal from the Twin Villages to Elsenborn Ridge after dark, successfully disengaging from determined 12. SS-Panzer-Division assaults. The withdrawal, though costly—the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry was reduced from 860 to 217 men—established the foundation of the northern shoulder defensive line.
Malmedy–Stavelot–Stoumont
The 30th Infantry Division deployed rapidly across the Malmedy–Stavelot–Stoumont sector. The 1st Battalion, 117th Infantry Regiment recaptured northern Stavelot by nightfall, severing Peiper’s supply line, though the lower town and bridge remained in German hands. The 3rd Battalion, 119th Infantry established blocking positions at Stoumont directly in Peiper’s path.
Central Sector
St. Vith Horseshoe Defence
The Americans formed the “St. Vith horseshoe,” a curved defensive perimeter approximately fifteen miles long with St. Vith at the northern end. The 7th Armored Division held the northern flank from St. Vith to Poteau, with CCB/9th Armored Division, the 424th Infantry Regiment, and the 112th Infantry Regiment covering the eastern and southern arc. The Germans launched four separate attacks along the perimeter but were repulsed with heavy losses, hampered by traffic congestion.
Schnee Eifel
The trapped 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments of the 106th Infantry Division attempted a breakout but were blocked by strong German forces. Both regiments were effectively lost to the division on 18 December.
Houffalize Civilian Exodus
An estimated 50 per cent of the population of Houffalize fled the town, reprising the mass exodus of May 1940. Former resistance members, young men, and many families departed on foot, by bicycle, by cart, or by truck. Those who reached the Meuse were taken in by communities in Brabant, Hainaut, and Namur.
Southern Shoulder
Third Army Redeployment
The 4th Infantry Division and 10th Armored Division south of the breakthrough were placed under Third Army control. Combat Command B, 10th Armored Division remained with VIII Corps to defend Bastogne.
Allied Command
Corps Reorganisation
First Army ordered extensive boundary changes between V and VII Corps. The 9th Division moved from VII to V Corps, while the 8th and 78th Divisions, CCR 5th Armored Division, and 102nd Cavalry Group shifted from V to VII Corps. VII Corps was tasked with stabilising the front from Monschau northward.
Strategic Reserve Deployment
XVIII Airborne Corps continued moving north. The 82nd Airborne Division arrived at Werbomont. The 101st Airborne Division, attached to VIII Corps, began assembling near Bastogne. The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team moved north toward the Ardennes.
SHAEF and High Command
Eisenhower received Ultra decrypts confirming the German offensive involved multiple divisions and issued orders emphasising the advance must be stopped before the Meuse. Hodges diverted the 82nd Airborne from Bastogne to Werbomont to block Peiper’s northern thrust. At Third Army, Patton drove to Bradley’s headquarters and halted movements of the 4th Armored and 80th Infantry Divisions.