Chapter Eighteen - Cocytus

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Chapter Eighteen
Cocytus
Operation Autumn Mist, Ardennes
December 1944
 
In this chapter, the new replacement troops of the 12th Panzers arrive at their staging area for the Ardennes offinsive. Sepp is against the whole enterprise and has had a battle of wills with Wolf and the generals of OKW. Wolf has insisted on micromanaging everything, and set them an impossible task. Rudi's Company arrives without incident but many do not. The main offensive commences on 15 December and an early success gives Rudi and his men a great boost, but the next day is a long and brutal battle, which ends in Rudi staving off a group of American POWs being murdered due to miscommunications, and discovering Oskar's burning tank. They make a stealth reconnaisance of the Elsenborn Camp, after meeting up with Major Siegfried Müller, commander of the panzergrenadiers attached to the Division, and a harrowing journey through mined woods under sniper fire. The next day there is a large engagement at the  Bütgenbach Estate. The Elsenborn camp is attacked, and another attack on the  Bütgenbach Estate. Word reaches Command about a massacre of POWs at Malmédy, and Rudi and his crew give testimony. From then on, it is all disaster and struggle, with the weather, for fuel, from aerial bombardment, and no real progress is made. Jochen Peiper's westward advance is stalled at Stoumount. Engagements continue but only at the cost of men and equipment. Sepp is in despair and decides the boys need a morale boost, so hands out engagement medals and Iron Crosses on New Year's Day. Rudi receives a Second Class IC. 
 
The Iron Cross: 

 

Siegfried Müller:

Panzers and YAGs:







Baugnez Crossroads:







 

Elsenborn:

 








St. Vith:



 



 SS Commandos - Ardennes 1944- From Dr. Mark Felton. Excellent.
Ardennes 1944 - The Forgotten First Battle-From Dr. Mark Felton. Excellent.
How 18 American Soldiers Tricked the Entire 1st SS Panzer Division - A good short documentary on this little known battle.
Battle of Bastogne - 1944 - British Movietone 20 Dec 1944
Surrender At Stoumont- From WW2 Wayfinder. Excellent onsite analysis.
Ardennes 1944 - was there a plan B? - a very important short discussion. Answer- Not from OKW!

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