Battle of the Bulge – Advance and destruction of Kampfgruppe Peiper

Just before daybreak on December 16, 1944, the German army opened its last offensive in the west. Operation Wacht am Rhein started with a huge artillery barrage. Shortly afterwards, the German divisions stormed forward and attacked the thinly occupied American lines. The aim was the reconquest of Antwerp, thus splitting the Allied armies into two halves and thus achieving a decisive victory in the west.The main attack by the Germans was carried out by the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. From these ranks Kampfgruppe Peiper (named after their commander Standartenführer Joachim Peiper) would lead the attack. Limited to narrow roads that were slippery and often poorly maintained and faced with many blown bridges, the Kampfgruppe slowly crept west. But just west of La Gleize, the attack eventually stalled and Peiper was surrounded and forced to take up an all-round defensive position. A few days later, the remnants of the Kanmpsgruppe escaped on foot to the German lines at night.