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individual Fighting American Soldier Stopped Hitler Juggernaut▲By JID TROOPTHEY called it Hitler’s last gamble — Germany’s final effort to win the war. It was snowing, the temperature sub-freezing and the inky blackness of the Ardennes night had yet to lift when, on the morning of Dee. 16. 11*44, the quiet world of a few battle-wearv American divisions was shat-tered as a thunderous artillery barrage by enemy heavy guns opened up on their positions.The Battle of the Bulge had begun.Not since the bloody days at Kasse-rine Pass in North Africa where theAmerican Army had faced the legendary Rommel and his Afrika Korps had the Americans been as tested as they would be in the weeks ahead.Nazi surprise had been complete. The war was supposed to be over by Christmas, almost everyone thought. Even the Supreme Allied Command was caught off guard by Hitler’s last brilliant, but desperate plan. But now, after months of just overrunning the once mighty Wermacht, it was the .Allies who were reeling under the terrific onslaught of a determined, brutal foe.The Germans were on the march and the .Allies needed time to regroup and prepare a counteroffensive. This precious time would have to be bought by the men already on the front. Everyone there would have to fight, cooks, maintenance men, clerks.“Anyone who could walk and shoot was fighting.” Col. (Ret.) Floyd W. McLean, of 805 N. 41st, said Some 200,000 German soldiers, all that Hitler could throw together, were thrust into the 80-mile front in hope of breaking through and reaching the Belgian supply port, Antwerp. If itworked, Hitler would have Britain’s Bernard Montgomery cut off and force another Dunkirk.The Fuehrer’s reason for the attackin the middle of one of Europe’s most horrible winters — Allied aircraftwould be grounded.The 15-division German attack pushed the 1st U.S. Army out of Germany in three days and Lt. Gen. (Jeorge Patton’s 3rd Army rescued besieged Americans at Bastogne Dec. 21.The Nazi drive was stopped by Dec. 25 and by Jan. 31 the Allies had wiped out the Bulge. U.S. losses were estimated at 40.000 and the Germans lost 220,000. either dead or prisoners.Col. McLean was with the artillery of 99th Infantry Division, located near the strategic Elsenborn Ridge, a prime objective of the infamous 12 SS PanzerDivision.They attacked early in the morning with no warning,” McLean said. “Our infantry woke up with Germans in their foxholes. We were being hard hit by their artillery.**McLean’s division was badly shaken hut it held the strategic heights on the first day and from then on throughout the battle. The 99th helped form an anchor on the left flank of the Bulgei remember there was so muchsnow and it was very cold. They bentHITLER, Pot« IIA
Newspaper Details
Lawton Sunday Constitution
Lawton, Oklahoma, US
Sun, Jan 02, 1977
Page 1
Full Page
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USA 17 Apr 2019
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