Includes 11 excellently detailed maps This is the narrative of one phase of the greatest pitched battles on the Western Front in World War II. The battle of St. Vith is an excellent example of how American Troops held their ground in the midst of confusion, defeat, and uncertainty; and thereby threw the German timetable sufficiently off schedule to allow American forces to regroup, hold, and then counterattack. The stand at St. Vith has been recognized by both German and Allied commanders as a turning point in the Battle of the Bulge.
Merriam Press Military Monograph 5. Fifth Edition (January 2012). At the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge two of the most important localities were Bastogne and St. Vith, with their the road nets which, if held, would disrupt the plan of any aggressor. Bastogne was an important communications center and has received much of the attention, causing many to lose sight of the importance of St. Vith and the gallant stand made for its defense by elements of the 106th Division and CCB, 7th Armored Division. It was CCB which influenced the subsequent action and caused the enemy so much delay and so many casualties. Though armor was not designed primarily for the role of the defensive, the operation was nevertheless a good example of how it can assume such role in an emergency. This is a detailed, well-written history of a highly significant battle. This is a brand new edition (not a facsimile reprint) of a booklet originally published by the Armor School at Ft. Knox in 1966. Contents: Foreword of 1966; Foreword; Editor's Note; Introduction; Chapter 1: The Front on 16 December 1944; Chapter 2: The German Strike; Chapter 3: The March to St. Vith; Chapter 4: The Defense is Organized; Chapter 5: The Line Holds on 18 December 1944; Chapter 6: Events of 19 December 1944; Chapter 7: Events of 20 December 1944; Chapter 8: Events of 21 December 1944; Chapter 9: Events of 22 December 1944; Chapter 10: The Seventh Day: 23 December 1944; Chapter 11: Supply Difficulties; Chapter 12: An Inventory; Chapter 13: Lessons; Chapter 14: Back to St. Vith; Appendix 1: Allied Order of Battle, 0530, 16 December 1944; Appendix2: German Order of Battle, 0530, 16 December 1944; Appendix 3: Troop List, 7th Armored Division; Appendix 4: Honors; Bibliography. 9 photos; 11 maps; 2 order of battle charts; 4 appendices.
Includes 13 Maps “Dark December occupies a distinguished place among war books. Every paragraph is based upon evidence, not flimsy wartime rumors. Technical enough for the professional, accurate enough for the historian (in fact, it is history of the best), it is lucid and understandable for the general reader.”-NY Herald Tribune “If other veterans of the Army’s historical division can maintain Mr. Merriam’s high standard of stimulating, critical and painstaking work, we will be fortunate. Dark December can be heartily recommended to anyone faintly interested in the war.”-NY Times “The massive German counteroffensive through Belgium’s Ardennes forest in Dec. 1944 took the American and British armies by surprise and changed the outcome of the war. With whole divisions destroyed and decimated, the American army scrambled to contain the German threat, while also trying to determine how such an attack had gone undetected. The Americans succeeded in winning the month-long battle, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, through the tenacity of several pockets of troops, notably those in the Belgian town of Bastogne, and the remarkable rapid movement of Patton’s Third Army to seal the breech in the American lines. The battle stalled the British and American advances and lengthened the war with the result that the Soviet Union was able to make greater gains in Europe than previously anticipated. Dark December is a thorough and engrossing examination of the Battle of the Bulge by a historian who had the opportunity to prepare notes as the battle was occurring and consult classified American as well as German records. Notably, the book contains unique and critical information, including details gleaned from interviews conducted by the author with commanding officers on both sides, some of which are the only reports gathered from these sources.”-Print Ed.
The first days of the Battle of the Bulge saw tactical defeats for several formations of the US army. The Saint-Vith sector was particularly hard hit by the surprise attack that prevailed on the morning of 16 December 1944. Two American units, the 106th Infantry Division and the 14th Cavalry Group, were crushed in front of this small town, which was of vital importance to the German offensive in the Ardennes. To the north-west of Saint-Vith is a small hamlet consisting of a few houses: Poteau. The area is well known to military history enthusiasts thanks to a series of photographs taken by a German Propaganda Kompagnie, which were later captured by the US Army and have since become famous the world over. Although this series of photographs was a staging point for a propaganda battle, their frequent appearance in history books on the Ardennes offensive prompted the author to investigate what really happened in this small village on the border between the Ardennes and the German-speaking cantons of Belgium, and how its history is closely linked to the drama of the Battle of Saint-Vith.
