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21
Day 37 of the Offensive

Sunday, 21 January 1945

White-out period continuing but beginning to moderate slightly; below freezing; Allied air operations severely restricted.

Day thirty-seven of the Ardennes campaign. Generalfeldmarschall Model ordered all available forces to counter-attack north of St. Vith, deploying the 18. Volksgrenadier-Division, elements of the 246. Volksgrenadier-Division, and a battalion from the 12. SS-Panzer-Division. The SS Panzer Divisions continued their shift to the Eastern Front.

The Front Line — Sunday, 21 January 1945
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 XVIII Airborne Corps advance was uniformly slow. General Ridgway cited a lack of aggressiveness and poor leadership within the 75th Infantry Division. The VIII Corps failed to sever the German 5. Panzerarmee’s lines of communication.

Northern Shoulder
Elsenborn Ridge
V Corps continued its counter-offensive toward St. Vith. General Ridgway cited a lack of aggressiveness and poor leadership within the 75th Infantry Division.
Salm River
The 82nd Airborne Division, less the 508th Parachute Infantry, remained in corps reserve and continued training. The 508th PIR, with supporting elements attached, was attached to the 7th Armored Division and moved to the Diedenburg area, relieving elements of CCA, 7th Armored Division.
Amblève Valley
The 30th Infantry Division continued operations as part of XVIII Airborne Corps toward St. Vith.
Central Sector
North of St. Vith
Generalfeldmarschall Model ordered all available forces to counter-attack north of St. Vith, deploying the 18. Volksgrenadier-Division, an infantry battalion from the 246. Volksgrenadier-Division, and a battalion from the 12. SS-Panzer-Division. The VIII Corps failed to sever the German 5. Panzerarmee’s lines of communication.
Southern Shoulder
Allied Command
XVIII Airborne Corps Assessment
General Hodges noted that the advance of the XVIII Airborne Corps troops was uniformly slow. General Ridgway attributed the slowness partly to difficult weather conditions and cited a general lack of aggressiveness and poor leadership within the 75th Infantry Division.
German Withdrawal to the Eastern Front
SS Panzer Divisions were shifting promptly to the Eastern Front following Hitler’s order of 20 January. The 6. SS-Panzerarmee was in the process of being pulled out of the front. The 5. Panzerarmee was to assume command of its sector after 12:00 on 22 January.