Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and my great-grandfather was there, with the 137th Infantry Regiment. We don’t know which company, or even which battalion he was in, because he kept all of those experiences to himself, so this is only a regimental overview with some movements down to the company level. I pulled a few things together for his son, my grandfather, and the anniversary is a great time to revisit it.
So, then, for Dec. 16:
The 3rd Battalion again attacked the well-defended enemy positions in the forest and regained a portion of the lost ground. U.S. air support bombed and strafed Bliesmengen and the woods to the east of it. The 1st Battalion was protecting the Division’s left flank in Sarreguemines and along the Blies River pocket. The 2nd Battalion had Company G across the Blies protecting the rear flank of the 3rd Battalion, while E Company was aiding the 1st Battalion.
The 3rd Battalion launched its attack into the woods in the morning, meeting fierce resistance.
The 1st Battalion was relieved in the evening and the 2nd Battalion were at night.
View Tonice in the Bulge in a larger map
View Tonice in the Bulge in a larger map
This information is derived from the unit history, found here and here and from this unit overview. These markers are rough estimates and are meant only to be illustrative. Any errors are mine alone.
