Battle of the Bulge

On September 9, 1944, the first American troops of the 5th US Armored Division entered the southern parts of our country. On September 10, 1944, as they retreated, the German “Wehrmacht” blew up all the bridges from Luxembourg City towards Ettelbruck.

On September 11, 1944, the first American soldiers entered the town of Ettelbruck and liberated it from a 4-year Nazi occupation.

From September to December 1944, a number of American Army units were stationed in Ettelbruck for R&R (rest and recreation); they made use of this time to maintain their motor pool as well as their tracked vehicles. However, this pause did not last for long!

On December 16, 1944, the German surprise attack began along the line from Monschau to Echternach towards the Luxembourgish and Belgian Ardennes under the name of “Wacht am Rhein” (watch on the Rhine), which entered history as the “Battle of the Bulge”.

In the Luxembourg sector, four German divisions of General Erich Brandenberger’s 7th Army, the 212th VGD (Volksgrenadier-Division), the 276th VGD, the 352nd VGD, and the 5th Parachute Division clashed with two American infantry divisions, one combat command of the 9th Armored Division, as well as with some resting smaller cavalry units. These units  were the 28th Infantry Division (the “Keystone Division”) under the command of Major General Norman “Dutch” Cota, whose headquarters were located in Wiltz (with one of the division’s own key fighting units – the 109^th Infantry Regiment headquartered at the Ste. Anne Girls’ School in Ettelbruck commanded by Lt.Col James Earl Rudder), as well as the 4th US Infantry Division (Ivy Division) under the command of Major General Raymond O. Barton.

Tying in further up north on the American defense line along the Sauer and Our rivers on the northernmost tip of the Grand-Duchy, was the 106^th US Infantry Division (Golden Lion division) commanded by Major General Alan Jones which was deployed in direction of St. Vith, Belgium.

From December 17-18, 1944, the Wehrmacht’s attack on Ettelbruck began: a German shell exploded in the Saint Louis Hospital, destroying the operations’ room.

As the Americans energetically tried to contain the enemy’s attack towards the south, it had also become necessary to evacuate the civilian population. During the first days of combat, the 109th Infantry Regiment of the 28^th US Infantry Division prevented the concentration of the 352rd VGD south of the Sauer River. On December 20, 1944, all bridges (meanwhile temporarily rebuilt) around Ettelbruck were destroyed again by US pioneers. On the same day, elements of the 914th, 915th, and 916th regiments of the 352nd VGD penetrated into Ettelbruck. On December 21, 1944, they established an advance position south of Ettelbruck and progressed towards Birtrange.

The severely weakened sub-units of the 28th Infantry Division that had delayed the Wehrmacht’s seizure of the town of Ettelbruck since December 16, 1944, (and had lost nearly 1,200 men in a few days), continued to try to gain time in the hope to receive reinforcements and be relieved by combat units from General Patton’s Third Army.

The expected arrival of units of General Patton’s Third Army took place on December 22. The 318th Regiment of the 80^th (“Blue Ridge”) US Infantry Division, under the command of Colonel Lansing McVickar, attempted to enter Schieren from Cruchten-Colmar-Berg to liberate Ettelbruck from the units of the 352rd VGD.

On December 23, 1944, the three battalions of the 318th Infantry Regiment advanced and proceeded to liberate the town from three sides. On December 24, the fighting reached its climax, with the 3rd battalion engaging in fierce combat with the Wehrmacht, supported by fighter aircraft. On Christmas Day 1944, American units from the same battalion, supported by the 702nd Tank Battalion and the 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion, entered Ettelbruck.

The town was finally liberated but was largely destroyed. Due to subsequent fighting in the greater vicinity, the threat from German troops persisted for nearly four weeks. On January 14, 1945, during a reconnaissance mission, Colonel Lansing McVickar got trapped in a German ambush and was killed on a hill above Ettelbruck towards Bürden.

In Ettelbruck near the Alzette river there is a memorial plaque dedicated to Colonel Lansing McVickar.