Wednesday, 27 December 1944 — The Battle of the Bulge

The twelfth day saw the battle firmly in its counter-offensive phase. The 6. Panzerarmee was ordered over to the defensive. The 2. SS-Panzer-Division was pushed out of Grandmenil and Manhay at dawn. German forces were being pushed back in multiple sectors, and the westward drive had been definitively halted.

The Front Line — Wednesday, 27 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.

Trucks and ambulances rolled into Bastogne on the road opened by CCR, 4th Armored Division, formally ending the siege. The 7th Armored Division recaptured Manhay early in the day. The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion secured Noirefontaine in a night raid against the 62. Volksgrenadier-Division at the cost of 18 casualties. At Stavelot, the Germans completed their evacuation from the right bank of the Amblève.

Northern Shoulder

Elsenborn Ridge

The American defensive line along the Elsenborn Ridge remained static. The 6. SS-Panzerarmee had failed its breakthrough mission, and the front was dormant.

Bra and Noirefontaine

The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment continued its drive northeast of Bra. The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion carried out a night raid against the 62. Volksgrenadier-Division, securing Noirefontaine at the cost of 18 casualties.

Stavelot and the Amblève

The 30th Infantry Division maintained defensive positions while regrouping. At Stavelot, the Germans completed their evacuation from the right bank of the Amblève, destroying their material as they could not cross heavy equipment back over the destroyed bridge.

Central Sector

Manhay and Grandmenil

The 7th Armored Division recaptured Manhay early in the morning. At dawn, the 2. SS-Panzer-Division was pushed out of Grandmenil. The 6. Panzerarmee was ordered over to the defensive.

St. Vith Area

German forces pursued the withdrawn American troops to the new defensive line along the Salm River. The 9. SS-Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen” continued pushing southwestward toward Vielsalm.

Southern Shoulder

Bastogne

Trucks and ambulances rolled into Bastogne on the road opened by CCR, 4th Armored Division, formally ending the siege. A second glider supply run was attempted; of fifty gliders, fifteen were shot to pieces and seventeen C-47 tug ships were shot down.

Sauer–Echternach Front

The 35th Infantry Division attacked northward; the 137th Infantry took Surre and the 320th Infantry took Boulaide and Boschleiden. The 26th Infantry Division pushed northward, clearing Mecher-Dunkrodt and Kaundorf. Patrols of the 4th Infantry Division found Echternach undefended.

Allied Command

VII Corps Operations

The 84th Infantry Division cleared the Verdenne pocket. The 2nd Armored Division enveloped Humain, where CCR launched a multi-pronged attack; German resistance was broken only after a flamethrowing tank forced the last holdouts to surrender. The 83rd Infantry Division began relieving the 2nd Armored.

Counter-Offensive Planning

VII Corps was preparing an offensive attack toward Houffalize. XVIII Airborne Corps was assigned to protect its left flank. First Army continued regrouping for the forthcoming counter-offensive.