by Leo Barron
Kokott shrugged to himself as he glanced over the map. He knew the terrain of the Ardennes would be as much an enemy to his forces as to the Americans. Thick, impenetrable forest covered much of the region, while closer to the Our River, narrow draws and steep valleys cleaved through much of the landscape, making it terrible country for tanks and motor vehicles. This was the reason General Omar Bradley, who was the commander of the American Twelfth Army Group, felt he could leave only four divisions there to defend it. No one in their right mind would send large forces through the Ardennes in the dead of winter. Everything had to travel along the roads—especially tanks. The country opened up and flattened out beyond the Meuse River, but the terrain leading up to it was severely restricted. For von Manteuffel’s Fifth Panzer Army, the Meuse would be critical. If von Manteuffel’s forces could not reach this major river in time, the Americans would be able to easily deny a crossing, stopping Wacht am Rhein in its tracks. With such limited routes of travel toward the Meuse, road hubs like the Belgian towns of Bastogne and St. Vith became decisive terrain. Kokott sighed. He realized what many of the other officers in the room must be thinking, but were afraid to yet voice: If the Wehrmacht failed to seize those two towns early on, it would be almost impossible to reach the Meuse River in four days.17
The staff officers continued. To counter the overwhelming Allied airpower, Wacht am Rhein would commence during a period of bad flying weather. German meteorologists predicted that mid-December would provide a rare warm front, which would produce a perfect storm of low-level clouds and fog that would keep the Allied air forces on the ground and balance the odds for the German army. The once-powerful German air force was now heavily emasculated, and American airpower dominated the skies. OKW realized it could not count on Hermann Göring’s flyboys for support in this massive offensive. Winter weather would have to be the Luftwaffe this time. Luckily, the weather forecasters were some of the finest experts in the field. They had played a pivotal role in May 1940, when they had predicted the prerequisite five days of clear weather that allowed the Luftwaffe to wreak havoc on Allied airfields and supply lines in the crucial opening hours of Operation Fall Gelb that led to the downfall of France. The meteorologists predicted nasty weather for much of December, but were uncertain after that. The weather window was tight. If the operation was to be a maximum success, the time for the attack was now.18
The staff officers next predicted that the Americans would be unable to stop such an overwhelming force. They assessed that the Americans had only a handful divisions in the area of the Ardennes. Therefore the German forces would outnumber the Americans almost six to one. Where the Fifth Panzer Army planned to strike, the only division facing them was the 28th Infantry Division and elements of the 106th Infantry Division. In fact, in Kokott’s sector, the XXXXVII Panzer Corps would face only one infantry regiment—the 110th Infantry. The Americans had long believed that the Germans were on the ropes, and therefore had concluded that the Wehrmacht could field only five hundred tanks and assault guns while supporting shrinking infantry divisions. Kokott smiled. The Americans were in for a shock.
The briefing droned on. While the staff officers talked, soldiers moved flags and cards across the map, as if it were a game of shuffleboard. Finally, the individual orders and plans were broken down by corps and division. This part would contain the pertinent information that Kokott was expecting—the details in what the 26th VGD was expected to do, what objectives lay ahead. As the briefers started to discuss the tasks of the XXXXVII Panzer Corps, Kokott stood up from his chair to listen, while various assistants scribbled some notes on pads of paper. Now he would find out exactly what they expected him to do.
Von Manteuffel had called his portion of the Wacht am Rhein Operation Rheingold. The H-hour would be early in the morning, well before sunrise, so that Allied airpower could not disrupt the German assault forces. Instead of a long, drawn-out barrage like the one planned for the Sixth SS Panzer Army to the north of them, von Manteuffel was going to use a short but violent assault. The staff officers explained that a prolonged one would serve only to alert the Allied troops to a major offensive and provide time for forward troops to prepare and defend themselves for the expected attack. To prevent this, von Manteuffel planned to infiltrate his infantry as close as possible to the American lines before the artillery strikes, and once the barrage ended, soldiers would quickly overrun the American forward trenches before they could respond. Kokott nodded. This meant the 26th Volksgrenadier Division would be first in the fight, since his men would likely be the infiltrators that von Manteuffel needed. He continued to listen intently as the staff officer presented the plans for the XXXXVII Panzer Corps. Whereas von Manteuffel called his portion of the Wacht am Rhein Operation Rheingold, von Lüttwitz decided to name his piece Operation Christrose.19
One of the staff officers then tapped the pointer down on the map. Everyone leaned forward to see where he was indicating. He stated that the key task for Operation Christrose was for the XXXXVII Panzer Corps to reach the Meuse River at Namur and Dinant and seize the bridges there for follow-on forces. If they were successful, these forces could then protect the southern flank of the Sixth SS Panzer Army, whose task was to capture the port of Antwerp. For the Americans, this would be an unmitigated disaster. By capturing those bridges, the Germans would trap several American divisions east of the Meuse River. It might even alter the course of the war in the West.
In fact, one of the staff officers mentioned, it was Der Führer’s belief that this offensive could successfully stifle the western Allies if they could drive far enough through Belgium and deep into Holland. Intelligence had led Hitler to believe the British and American command staffs were at extreme odds on the course of the war. If successful, Wacht am Rhein would not only physically create a wedge between the Allied armies, but politically separate them as well. An overwhelming attack might force the Allies to seek separate negotiations with Germany and give up talk of Germany’s unconditional surrender.
To accomplish this mission, the operations officer continued, the corps must secure crossings along the Our River, between the towns of Dasburg and Gemünd. To add emphasis, he then traced the area with his pointer on the map. Kokott focused on the town of Gemünd. It was in his sector.
Von Lüttwitz peered through his monocle at the map, nodding, and then looked over at General Schönfeld, the commander of the 2nd Panzer Division. Schönfeld’s face was a mask of intense concentration while the briefer confirmed that the 2nd Panzer Division had the task to secure the crossings at Dasburg. Schönfeld nodded to acknowledge that he understood his mission. Von Lüttwitz turned and told Kokott that it would be up to his division to secure the crossings at Gemünd. Kokott nodded in reply.
Gemünd would be a tough place to cross, Kokott thought, but it was the only place in his sector where he could do it. Thousands of years ago, glaciers had burrowed through the Ardennes, and the results were scores of rivers with steep banks. Thus the terrain favored the defenders, who held the higher ground, and because of this, as the Germans emerged from the forested border with Germany, they would be fighting while moving uphill. The briefing officer slid his pointer west across the map and stopped on a town that looked like the hub on a bicycle wheel.
To add emphasis, he tapped on it several times. Seven roads emanated from it like spokes. Kokott peered intently at the map, trying to make out the name of this town, but since the map was upside down to him, it took him a few seconds. Bastogne. Kokott muttered the name to himself, as if repeating it would etch it into his memory.
For a moment, silence filled the room. The briefer’s eyes stopped on General Bayerlein and then he glanced over to Kokott. Once across, the 26th Volksgrenadier Division would allow the Panzer Lehr Division to pass through their lines. Next, the Panzer Lehr would dispatch a kampfgruppe (or combat team) to seize Bastogne through coup de main. A coup de main was a quick and powerful dash to seize a key objective before an enemy could establish a defense
around it. If Bayerlein’s panzers failed to reach Bastogne before the Americans reinforced it, then the 26th Volksgrenadier Division would surround the town and isolate it.
The speaker paused. Kokott now adjusted his glasses and moved forward to examine the map, as Bayerlein hovered close by him. He could see that the terrain between Bastogne and the Our River was awful. Forests had grown up everywhere like weeds, while creeks crisscrossed the landscape like spiderwebs. However, west of Bastogne, the ground opened up, allowing for unrestricted movement for tanks and vehicles. It was obvious to all: The capture of Bastogne would seriously hamper the Allies’ ability to retaliate against the German offensive. On the other hand, if the Americans continued to hold Bastogne, the entire German offensive would be in jeopardy. If the Americans were tactically clever, they would use the town as a rallying point to disrupt Wacht am Rhein’s supply lines.
Von Lüttwitz lazily waved for his operations section to continue the briefing. Now the staff read from the order so that each commander would understand his task and purpose clearly. The staff first read off the tasks for the 2nd Panzer Division. After several minutes, the briefer next moved on to Kokott’s division. In response, Kokott stiffened his back to show he was listening and paying attention.
The operations officer paused briefly to allow the staff stenographers to catch up and then he began: “Sir, the 26th Volksgrenadier Division.” He stared at Kokott to ensure that the division commander was ready, and then began tracing the route on the map with his pointer. “Following your entry into your preparatory positions east of Fischbach, the 26th Volksgrenadier Division shall cross the Our River on D-day at 0500 hours. You will attack on a broad front with four battalions forward, and then the 26th Volksgrenadier Division will break through the enemy lines in the vicinity of Hosingen. You shall penetrate the enemy line quickly and proceed west to Drauffelt, and establish and hold a bridgehead there on the Clerf River. Concurrently, with follow-on forces, the 26th Volksgrenadier Division shall flush out any remaining enemy troops in the terrain between Lellingen and Holzthum. After securing the bridges along the Our River, the Panzer Lehr Division shall conduct forward passage of lines through the 26th Volksgrenadier Division. The 26th then shall fall in behind the Panzer Lehr Division and proceed to the area of Bastogne, and wait for further orders from the corps commander.”
Then the operations officer glanced at General Bayerlein. “Sir, the Panzer Lehr Division will make available a forward battalion and deploy it in the area of Karlshausen. General Bayerlein, you will be located at the combat post of the 26th VGD. You will begin marching toward crossings at the bridges at Dasburg and Eisenbach after you have reconnoitered them. Then the bulk of the division shall penetrate the enemy lines across the Clerf in the direction of Bastogne. In addition, you will organize your division in such a manner that would allow the Panzer Lehr to prepare for movement within thirty minutes of receiving orders from the corps headquarters. The Panzer Lehr will then move through the designated exit point at Waxweiler, while passing through the sector of the 2nd Panzer Division. In the same manner, it shall move through the 26th VGD for the attack on Bastogne.”
The briefer then mapped out the line of march for the Panzer Lehr, using the pointer. It went from Bastogne to the Meuse, a distance of eighty-five kilometers from east to west. He added in a louder voice, “The mission of the Panzer Lehr Division shall be the following: the forward battalion shall capture Bastogne and from there, in echeloned formation, travel through Rochefort-Leignon, and then across the Meuse River between Annevoie and Yvoir. From there, it will attack across the Sambre River between Basse and Floreffe and seize to hold open and defend the Meuse and Sambre river bridges.”
Now the staff officer addressed Kokott. “Gentlemen, each unit will create one kampfgruppe to act as a blocking force. It will consist of a rifle company, an antitank company, an armored reconnaissance company, a pioneer platoon, and a battery of artillery. This team must be prepared to secure key terrain quickly and defend it, and it’s essential that each division create one of these task forces, but especially the 26th Volksgrenadier Division.”
At this point, General von Lüttwitz stood up and said to the audience in a booming voice, “The primary goal of all the divisions is this: We must have bridges across the Meuse at Namur.” For emphasis, he pointed at the city of Namur on the map with his finger. His knuckles whitened as he pressed down on the table with intensity. Von Manteuffel nodded to show that he concurred with his subordinate’s assessment.20
Von Lüttwitz continued. “Bastogne must be captured, if necessary from the rear.” As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Kokott and Bayerlein. Both nodded in unison to show they understood the tasks. Then he issued a prophetic warning to all in the room. “Otherwise it will be an ‘abscess’ along the route of the advance, and it will tie up too many of our forces. Bastogne is to be mopped up first, and then the bulk of the corps will continue its advance. If the Panzer Lehr can’t take Bastogne, then the 26th Volksgrenadier Division must take it.”21
While von Lüttwitz spoke, Kokott watched General von Manteuffel. When von Lüttwitz mentioned how Bastogne had to be “mopped up” before the corps could continue to move forward, Kokott noticed von Manteuffel was shaking his head. It appeared to Kokott that they were not in total agreement on this matter. He was right.
After the briefing ended, all the generals tried to hash out a solution for Bastogne. Von Lüttwitz felt that Bastogne needed his corps’ full attention, while von Manteuffel argued that the panzers could leave Bastogne to wither on the vine. The conference ended without a satisfactory solution. Everyone hoped the Panzer Lehr could take it on the second or third day. No one wanted to contemplate what would happen if Bayerlein’s kampfgruppe failed.
Kokott, though, did not have a choice. He had to mull over the question of Bastogne, since the issue had essentially been dropped in his lap. Bastogne must be taken—Bastogne and then Namur, thought Kokott. Even though the original mission of the Panzer Lehr was to capture the vital Belgian crossroads, he sensed that Bastogne would become his problem and his responsibility alone, thereby allowing Bayerlein and the Panzer Lehr to dash to the Meuse with the 2nd Panzer Division. Kokott then realized Christmas was just over two weeks away. Not very festive to conduct a major offensive during the holidays, he thought. None of which mattered, for as usual in Hitler’s Reich, befehlen sind befehlen….
It was clear to Kokott that his role was part of a final desperate effort to end the war on Germany’s terms. His mission of taking Bastogne, this whole great plan in which he played a part, would have to come together perfectly. If it did not, he shuddered to think of the personal price paid for failure in Hitler’s Reich.
As for Bastogne, it would soon become more than just Kokott’s problem.
Evening, Tuesday, 12 December 1944
The führer’s bunker
Wiesental, Germany
Kokott peered out into the evening darkness. The temperature had dropped since he had left OKW headquarters, and in this area an icy chill hung in the night air. He could see his breath and the breath of others nearby. The effect made everyone look like engine smokestacks, puffing away in rhythm as each officer stepped off the bus. Winter was definitely approaching central Germany.
Kokott was surrounded by scores of other corps and division commanders. Some of them he knew, and some he did not know, but they were all clueless as to their whereabouts. Hitler had kept it that way for security purposes. The führer’s bodyguard detachment was still nervous and reactionary after the failed Valkyrie coup attempt on Hitler’s life on July 20. Hitler’s bodyguard units from the Waffen SS (Schutzstaffel) were taking no chances. Extreme precautions were in place to prevent another potential assassination attempt.
In this case, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, the overall commander in the west, gathered all the generals—including Kokott—who were participating in Wacht am Rhein at Ziegenberg, Germany, headquarters for OKW. From there, they
had boarded several buses. Next, the bus drivers had seemingly driven around in circles to disorient them. For several hours, Kokott noticed, they drove around aimlessly. Finally the buses dropped them off in front of a nondescript barracks building. The designers had tucked it away on the side of a knoll and underneath an awning of trees in order to prevent its detection by Allied reconnaissance aircraft. It did not look very comfortable and inviting, Kokott thought, but Hitler was known for his austerity and Spartan lifestyle. Hence, it did not surprise any of the officers that this was where Hitler planned to live for the duration of the offensive.
After thoroughly checking the identification papers of each commander, the Waffen SS bodyguards herded the men together and led them into the bunker. Once inside, the officers entered a conference room, where they waited for the führer to arrive. Several minutes passed. When Hitler entered, Kokott gasped softly to himself in surprise, for the leader of Germany appeared sickly and drained. He walked around the room, looking like an aged and decrepit man. Inching his way toward a table that was in front of all the generals in the room, Hitler approached them. His steps were hesitant and unsteady, as if he were carrying a great weight on his shoulders. Once there, he sat down, pulled out a piece of paper, and took out his reading glasses.22 Kokott and many of the others were shocked by Hitler’s appearance, but kept their thoughts to themselves. This shell of a man was no longer the strong, energetic, and charismatic leader who mesmerized millions with his gift of oratory. Gone was the man who instilled a national will in the German people.