Hello all...
It's Christmas day, in a wood paralleling the road between Champs and Hemroulle, Belgium, Northwest of encircled Bastogne...
This M18 'Hellcat' gunner is trying to keep warm and contemplating the Germans next move after the morning's action. He has no way of knowing the significance of what his crew, the crew of another Hellcat, and a couple of companies of 502nd PIR paratroopers have done this chilly morning....
Earlier, at 7:30 am,Kampfgruppe Maucke-a mixed armored and infantry force, attempted to break through the 101st airborne defences around Bastogne.
Without benefit of reconnaissance, and,believing this Northwest sector of the American perimeter was weak, nineteen MkIV tanks and Stug III assault guns, accompanied by Panzergrenadiers, started their advance in the early morning darkness...
The vehicles were painted white, and the grenadiers wore reversible white suits to take advantage of the freshly fallen snow that blanketed the countryside.
On nearing the American lines, seven vehicles and a company of grenadiers turned north toward the village of Champs, while the rest veered toward the village of Hemroulle.
B and C companies of the 502nd PIR were sent to reinforce A company in Champs, once the attack was spotted.
Taking cover in a wood, across an open field from the German column, they opened fire with small arms, machine guns, and Bazookas...the vehicles rushed the paratroopers' positions, but intense fire cut the grenadiers, riding on top of the vehicles, to pieces...
When the vehicles turned to re-group, they exposed their flanks to his Regiment's two Hellcats, which were concealed, unbeknownst to the paratroopers, in the same woods where they had taken cover.
At a range of 400 yards, a StuG and two MKIV tanks were quickly destroyed by the TDs; a Bazooka claimed another, and still another was destroyed further down the road by a small force protecting the 502nd's headquarters at Rolle Chateau...one tank reached Champs, but was disabled..the last tank turned for Hemroulle, where it was captured.
Of a company of Panzergrenadiers, 67 were killed and 35 were taken prisoner...and all the armor in the force heading for Hemroulle were also destroyed...tomorrow the skies will clear, the US 'Jabos' will be let loose, and the encircled troops of Bastogne will recieve much needed supply drops...as the spearhead of the 4th AD breaks though from the south to relieve the town...
This is a simple study of a 705 TD gunner on that day, the very cramped fighting compartment of the Hellcat prevents him from wearing too much extra equipment...
DML body(slimmed chest)
DiD HS 'Steiner'
DML wool shirt
DML tanker overalls
DML Tanker jacket
DML gloved hands
NLM 1943 double-buckle boots
DML tanker helmet
DiD M1 helmet (stripped and repainted)
DML 'wool' scarf
Once again, Thanks for looking,
Bruce
