Tuesday, 19 December 1944 — The Battle of the Bulge

The fourth day of Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein marked a decisive turning point. Kampfgruppe Peiper achieved its furthest penetration—35 miles from the Meuse—but was decisively contained and isolated after capturing Stoumont in a morning assault. On the Schnee Eifel, between 7,000 and 8,000 soldiers of the 106th Infantry Division surrendered, one of the largest mass surrenders in American military history. German High Command, recognising the failure of the 6. SS-Panzerarmee at Elsenborn, shifted the offensive’s focus southward to the 5. Panzerarmee.

The Front Line — Tuesday, 19 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 and 99th Infantry Divisions completed their withdrawal to Elsenborn Ridge, creating an impregnable defensive position with over 300 guns. The 1st Battalion, 117th Infantry recaptured Stavelot by noon, and engineers demolished the Amblève bridge with 1,000 pounds of TNT, isolating Kampfgruppe Peiper. At Verdun, Eisenhower convened an emergency meeting of senior commanders, where Patton pledged to attack with three divisions by 22 December.

Northern Shoulder

Stoumont

Kampfgruppe Peiper captured Stoumont in a two-hour morning assault, taking approximately 250 American casualties and 100 prisoners. The advance was halted at Stoumont Station when the 740th Tank Battalion knocked out three Panthers in rapid succession. Anti-aircraft units firing in anti-tank roles destroyed five German tanks, breaking the thrust northward. That night, Peiper withdrew to the edge of Stoumont, completely cut off from supplies and reinforcements.

Stavelot

The 1st Battalion, 117th Infantry recaptured Stavelot by noon. Engineers from the 105th Engineer Combat Battalion demolished the Amblève bridge with 1,000 pounds of TNT, permanently isolating Kampfgruppe Peiper. Frustrated German forces committed massacres against Belgian civilians in the hamlets of Parfondruy and Ster—130 civilians murdered, including 23 children and 47 women.

Elsenborn Ridge

The 2nd and 99th Infantry Divisions completed their withdrawal to the Elsenborn Ridge, creating an impregnable defensive position with over 300 guns concentrated on the ridge. The 99th Infantry Division was formally attached to 2nd Infantry Division command at midnight. The 12. SS-Panzer-Division, having lost approximately forty per cent of its armoured strength, was ordered to pull out and reposition southward.

Werbomont and Trois-Ponts

The 504th and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments pushed east from Werbomont, relieving 30th Infantry Division elements. Major General Ridgway arrived to take command of XVIII Airborne Corps. CCB of the 3rd Armored Division advanced toward Trois-Ponts, destroying a German ammunition convoy at Pont-Lorrain en route.

Central Sector

Schnee Eifel Surrender

Between 7,000 and 8,000 American troops surrendered on the Schnee Eifel—the 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments of the 106th Infantry Division had been encircled near Schönberg. Nearly 50 per cent of the division’s strength was lost in one of the largest mass surrenders in American military history.

St. Vith

The 7th and 9th Armored Divisions aggressively defended east of St. Vith. XVIII Airborne Corps assumed command of forces in the salient. German attacks were under strength and repeatedly repulsed. The most dangerous threat came from the south: by evening the 116. Panzer-Division had reached Houffalize, about seventeen miles south-west of St. Vith.

Bastogne

Engineers held the approaches before the 101st Airborne Division arrived in strength. The 101st came under control of the Bastogne perimeter, with CCB, 10th Armored Division and remnants of CCR, 9th Armored Division also under 101st control. VIII Corps headquarters moved from Bastogne to Neufchâteau. US defences at Wiltz were overwhelmed at twilight, opening another road to Bastogne.

Baraque de Fraiture

Major Arthur C. Parker’s 589th Field Artillery Battalion group established positions at the Baraque de Fraiture crossroads with three 105mm howitzers and about one hundred men. Parker gathered additional support including four half-tracks with quad .50 calibre machine guns, odd tanks, and anti-tank guns, holding a key junction of the Bastogne–Liège road.

Southern Shoulder

7. Armee Advance Contained

The 7. Armee continued its advance on the southern flank but remained contained by the 4th Infantry Division. Third Army preparations for the counteroffensive accelerated following the Verdun Conference decisions.

Allied Command

Verdun Conference

Eisenhower convened an emergency meeting of senior commanders at Verdun. When asked when he could attack, Patton replied “The morning of December 22, with three divisions.” Allied commanders decided to halt offensives toward the Rhine and concentrate on reducing the German salient. III Corps was ordered north for an attack against the southern flank.

Command Reorganisation Proposed

On Tuesday evening, SHAEF intelligence chief Major General Strong and Deputy Chief of Staff Whiteley proposed placing the First and Ninth US Armies under Montgomery’s command to unify control of the northern shoulder. Bradley conceded Montgomery would be more likely to commit British reserves under such an arrangement. Eisenhower approved the transfer the following morning.

German Strategic Shift

The German High Command decided overnight to shift the focus of the offensive southward to the 5. Panzerarmee, acknowledging the failure of the 6. SS-Panzerarmee to break the American line at Elsenborn Ridge.