The cold weather of the battle was mentioned by almost everyone in their accounts. Cold, tired, miserable, under equipped, were comments included in almost every story. I knew the 106th Infantry Division had lost two regiments, but had not realized they had over 6,500 taken POWs during the battle. We are reminded again and again that the individual heroism of the soldier made the difference over the course of the battle.
One of my favorite stories was found from pages 40 – 72 “Charles Haug, B Company, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division”. It was from the files of the U.S. Army Military Historical Institute. The story is a breath taking account of being pushed back by the Germans. James A. Steinhaufel of C Company, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division tells the tale of his units chilling encounter with the much feared German Tiger Tank. His story leaves you feeling you were there.
I highly recommend the book. It is one you will want to read from cover to cover. The stories are generally only a few pages long. This would be a excellent resource for any public library to add to its collection. It is also a great way to get a feel for what you father or grand father went through if he was one of the men that confronted the 250,000 German soldiers as they made their last major attack against the Allied Forces. Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler May 2010.
A book like this, with smaller sections, would be not be so overwhelming as some others.Nice review.