This German unit you are eventually to
contend with was part of Joachim Peiper's 1st
SS Division of Sepp Dietrich's 6th Panzer
Army. Dietrich turned to Peiper to carry on the
counteroffensive in northern shoulder of the bulge. His
title was SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Peiper. He was a natural
choice to lead the spearhead assault. His record was one
of ruthless action on the Eastern Front where his tank
unit was known as the "Blowtorch Battalion".
Kamfgruppe Peiper was composed of 100 Mark IV and V
tanks, a Bn. Of 42 King Tigers and a fullymotorized
Panzer Grenadier unit. The latter composed about half the
strengh of the First SS Panzer Division. Peiper was ordered to penetrate down the Ambleve River valley through Trois-Ponts and on to Werbomont. He
fully intended to cross the Meuse River at Huy. He was
given strict orders to keep moving regardless of events
on his flanks. He was also to create complete chaos in
the Allied rear areas if at all possible.
At any rate, turning the Southern flank
of the 99th, he pushed West. Alone now, it
became apparent that a shortage of fuel would be
disastrous. He moved North to an american fuel dump at
Bullingen. Here he helped himself to 50,000 gallons and
moved on down to the Ligneuville Highway. He then sent
Major Diefenthal (Panzer Grenadiers) along that road to
Baugnez while he approached Ligneuville from the South.
It was at Baugnez that 84 American
soldiers from the 285th Field Artillery
Observation Bn. and other small units, alledgedly were
massacred … in the open field at the Baugnez's
crossroads. Allthough the role of Peiper in the killings
is still at this day subject to controversy, one cannot
deny that other atrocities were committed by elements of
the Sicherheits-Dienst following in the trail of Peiper's
fighting troops. Prisoners and civilians were shot later
at Ligneuville and Stavelot.
At 1700 hours on December 17, Peiper
left Ligneuville for the important bridge at Stavelot.
The road was a poor one and Peiper said later it was a
"road for bicycles". But on December 18 he took
Stavelot.
It was at this point that General
Hodges, commanding the American First Army, was able to
deploy the 30th Infantry Division into the
fracas … at the "North Shoulder" of the
"Bulge" as it was to be called.
If Peiper were to take Werbomont, to
get to the Meuse River, he would need to cross the Salm
River where it joined with the Ambleve at Trois-Ponts.
However, the 51st and 291st
Engineer Battalions stopped him at Trois-Ponts by
destroying the bridges over the Salm and the Ambleve.
Peiper swerved North to La Gleize.
