Is there a complete scenario list?

[Bloodybucket28th]

My father was present at the battle as part of "Easy" company, 2nd Battalion, 110th Regiment. I'm interested if there are any scenarios covering the initial phases of the attack along "Skyline Drive".

Thanks.

[nikdav]

Yes, "Skyline Drive " is on the list !

[Toby42]

ORIGINAL: Bloodybucket28th

My father was present at the battle as part of "Easy" company, 2nd Battalion, 110th Regiment. I'm interested if there are any scenarios covering the initial phases of the attack along "Skyline Drive".

Thanks.

My Dad was with the anti-tank company 109th Regiment!

[Bloodybucket28th]

Tony, that's great. My old man became a "Kriegie" when he was trying to make his way back to the line when his squad got bypassed and they decided to rest by some haystacks that the morning light revealed to be German tents, and an Engineer outfit took them prisoner.

He also told me a few days before the 16th the got a divisional intel guy to check out the "Kraut buildup" the line infantry were reporting. They crossed a river at night, and the very clean and well polished intel officer said he heard and saw nothing, and when he was told the Germans were just over the next rise, he said no dice turn back, and reported that it was likely battle happy Hurtgen survivors hearing things.

If you ever wondered why the Army pushed the "Heroes of Bastogne who saved the day when green or tired units broke" rather than the "Those poor bastards who we stretched so thin and we got caught flat footed and they held and died but few survivors to tell that story and no reporters.....", it's because of stuff like that I'm sure, among other reasons.

Read "Alamo in the Ardennes" and "Guard Wars" if you want some pretty good 28th in WWII info. "Death of a Division" is ok too for the Hurtgen thing.

Thanks for the info Nikdav, that's great to hear.

[sol_invictus]

No doubt the 28th and its Commanding General were made the scapegoats for the careless deployment of the Division by the Corp and Army commanders.

[ranknfile]

Two of my uncles were involved in this battle.

"Uncle Brousse" (Cajun Lawrence Broussard) was a wounded infantryman, temporarily paralyzed who was discovered by three German soldiers after lying in the woods for several hours. They took his valuables (money, watch, cigarettes and lighter) but left him otherwise unhurt. He was found after laying there a couple of days by U.S. soldiers and taken to an aid station. Although Uncle Brousse never did stand up perfectly straight and walked with an odd gate, he was the happiest man I ever knew. Easy going, easy to please.

My 1st generation German-American Uncle Wally (Wallace Zeller), was an MP who was alone at a crossroads ("unusual for this to happen" my uncle said). He was nearly shot when three American soldiers in a jeep mistook him for a German soldier. Uncle Wally did have a distinctive German accent. Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time! Two of the U.S. soldiers (uncle Wally said they were not front line troops, because they had carbines, not Garands. They were sent out to find Germans masquerading as Military Police!) wanted to shoot "the Kraut" and get out of the cold. Fortunately some men from his outfit finally showed up and attested that he was an American soldier.

Uncle Brousse is 3rd from the left; Uncle Wally 2nd from right. This photo from 1946,

[sanch]

A good friend's father was in one of the combat engineer regiments defending Elsenborn ridge, and he's still going strong at 96. His only comment was "It was f* cold".