Tuesday, 26 December 1944 — The Battle of the Bulge

The eleventh day of the offensive saw the westward drive halted short of the Meuse. Kampfgruppe Peiper was officially disbanded, and the 6. SS-Panzerarmee, stripped of its armour, was ordered to assume a defensive role, having definitively failed to break the Northern Shoulder. German supply lines were overextended and vulnerable to air attack whenever the weather cleared.

The Front Line — Tuesday, 26 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 day’s defining event was the relief of Bastogne: forward tanks of CCR, 4th Armored Division, pushed through Assenois to link up with the besieged 101st Airborne Division in the late afternoon. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment retook Manhay after intense night fighting. First Army began formal regrouping in preparation for a counter-offensive.

Northern Shoulder

Elsenborn Ridge

The front lines anchored by V Corps along the Elsenborn Ridge remained static. No significant offensive actions were launched by German forces.

Amblève Valley

Kampfgruppe Peiper was officially disbanded by divisional order. The individual units were returned to their respective regiments. SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 was transferred to the St. Vith area for rehabilitation.

Bra

The Germans renewed patrol activity along the 3rd Battalion, 504th PIR front of the 82nd Airborne Division. Sergeant Robert A. Tague and Private First Class Clarence C. Smith were killed when their outpost came under attack. Lieutenant Rivers led a rescue mission to save the six survivors, earning praise as “a job for a leader, not a commander.”

Stoumont and La Gleize

The 30th Infantry Division maintained control over the Stoumont sector and the La Gleize area following the destruction of Kampfgruppe Peiper.

Central Sector

Manhay and Grandmenil

The 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich” failed in its renewed attempt to break out westward at Manhay. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment retook Manhay after intense fighting, supported by a twenty-five-minute barrage from fifteen artillery battalions. Task Force McGeorge and the 75th Infantry Division secured Grandménil by 18:00.

St. Vith Area

German forces consolidated control of the area around St. Vith. The Führer Begleit Brigade continued advancing westward. The 9. SS-Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen” pressed toward Vielsalm. XVIII Airborne Corps anchored its new defensive line along the Salm River.

Southern Shoulder

Assenois – Relief of Bastogne

Forward tanks of CCR, 4th Armored Division, pushed through Assenois to link up with the 101st Airborne Division in the late afternoon, accomplishing the relief of Bastogne. Patton moved at once to widen the base of contact and to prepare for an attack toward Houffalize and St. Vith.

Bastogne Perimeter

Eleven gliders ran the gauntlet of flak to deliver 32,900 pounds of desperately needed medical supplies and five teams of combat surgeons to the besieged garrison. Three surgeons were killed by flak while their gliders were landing.

Sauer–Echternach Front

The 26th Infantry Division won Eschdorf and began crossing the Sauer. The 80th Infantry Division cleared Scheidel. The 5th Infantry Division took Berdorf, and the 6th Armored Division relieved the 10th Armored Division in the Echternach sector.

Allied Command

Allied Crisis Ended

The overall Allied crisis in the Ardennes was judged to be ended. First Army began formal regrouping for a counter-offensive, and VII Corps prepared an offensive attack toward Houffalize.

6. SS-Panzerarmee Goes Defensive

The 6. SS-Panzerarmee was stripped of its armour and ordered to assume a defensive role, having definitively failed to break the Northern Shoulder.