Battle of the Bulge trip....
Welcome back readers!!! This is a short post to tell you about my latest foray into Europe in search of history. As I was back in the UK for a visit, I figured that I would pop over to the continent for some more touring and history. Given that it is so easy, it only takes 50 minutes to fly from Gatwick to Amsterdam, and is relatively cheap, less than 100 GBP for the flights and 135 Euros for two nights in an Ibis, it was pretty much a no brainer.
So, an early start, sort of, saw me catching a cab to Gatwick for a 10:50 flight. I arrived in Amsterdam at just about noon and after a short walk to the train station I was on the train heading to Rotterdam by 1pm.
Travelers Note: As with many European cities, Amsterdam Schipol airport is collocated with a major train station. Once you clear passport control and have retrieved your baggage then head into the main concourse. You can by tickets to almost anywhere from the ticket counter or from the self service machines. A return to Rotterdam, where I was based, costs 25 Euro. Just remember to validate the ticket before heading down to the platforms. 😀
Depending on whether you get the local or intercity train you'll have anywhere from 3-5 stops before reaching Rotterdam...takes about 45 minutes and, generally speaking, the trains are much more punctual than in the UK. Heck, most trains in most countries are better at being on time than the UK (Editorial opinion, sorry).
Given that I wasn't due to tour until the next day, I figured that I'd do a little sightseeing and try to relax a bit as it was a beautiful day! Fortunately, the Ibis that I was staying in was within walking distance of Rotterdam Central station, about 45 minutes at an easy pace. That allowed me to see some sights and scope out the local area. Rotterdam, like many other large cities was devastated by the Germans during WW2. Actually, much of the town was levelled in May 1940. Sadly the raid took place after the Dutch surrendered. The end result was significant damage and loss of live that could, and should, have been avoided. Apparently, the Germans said that the recall notice to their bombers was not received in time. As a result of WW2, much of the city is new and that shows in the architecture. Walking from the station to the maritime district, where I stayed, highlighted how modern the city is with gleaming new buildings and canal's.
Travelers Note: Within walking district of the station is the Cool District. The district includes a pedestrianized area called the Lijnbaan which has a huge number of shops and cafes. You can also venture further out to some of the other malls.
So, I stayed in an area called Stadsdriehoek which, I am sure, some of my Dutch friends can tell me what the translation is. I am guessing that it has something to do with the maritime history of the city given that it is near the maritime district. I spent an hour or so walking around the area, along the canals and the waterfront. As with many European cities, Rotterdam knows how to relax with cafes, bars and restaurants all along the waterfront. You can also find more historical buildings as the area escaped the destruction that the city center endured. The following pictures give a taste of how pretty the area is.
So, having wandered around for a little while, I stumbled upon the Markthal. The Markthal is a modern market hall which has apartments around it...it looks like a dome. I was amazed, the market had a huge variety of food and drink stalls, I could easily live there!
Of course, I had to buy some Stroopwafel which is a Dutch specialty.
Travelers Note: There is also an outdoor market adjacent to the Markthal. The outdoor market is very similar to the markets that you find in the UK with stalls selling food and cheap goods. Personally, it's worth a look but I wouldn't waste too much time or money there.
After my short walk around town, I had to sit down and relax before meeting up with my friend and tour guide, Joey, for dinner. What better way then with a beer in the sunshine...
I had a chance to meet up with Joey and Arianne for dinner later in the evening. It's always great to have friends that are local and know the area, they were able to recommend a great place to eat. I think we spent 2+ hours talking, not about history, which was great considering we had an early start the next day.
Up bright and early to start the road trip...0615! Joey picked me up at the airport and the first stop was a gas station on the way for some coffee and a local cake, of course...:-)
Have to have my coffee...
Our first stop, after 3+ hours driving, was Wallendorf which is in Germany. Actually, the village is just across the border from Luxembourg. The border, in this case, is the Our river. The first remnant of the ware that we visited was a C-Werk bunker built in 1938 as part of the enhancement of the Siegfried line which extended some 300+ miles along the German border. The bunker in the photo was disarmed after the 1940's campaign with it's armaments taken for use elsewhere. The bunker was used by the civilian population until 1944 when the German army reoccupied it.
We continued riving East along the Our towards Gentingen. We stopped to look at another bunker, this time a bigger B-Werk type which originally housed a 37mm anti-tank gun. Although the gun was removed and, in all likelihood, sent to the coast to be used as part of the Atlantic wall. The pillbox was overrun by the US Army before they, the 5th Armored Division, were pushed back to the higher ground along the Hoesdorf ridge and plateau.
We also stood in some of the remaining German trenches overlooking the US positions on the Hoesdorf ridge line. The picture below is Joey standing in the trench.
The area isn't all military history. There's some very pretty buildings and churches in quiet little villages. The picture below is the village church in Wallendorf.
The village of Wallendorf offers some fantastic views. The picture of yours truly below was taken from the high ground to the west of where we crossed into the village. I was standing on the top of another B-Werk type bunker. Locally the bunker is know as the 'Hitler Bunker' as he was thought to have stood on the spot after the 1940 campaign.
Leaving Wallendorf, we drove back into Luxembourg. What we were trying to do was to follow the route that the Germans took when they crossed the Sauer river into Luxembourg on the 16th of December 1944, the start of the battle of the bulge. We drove through a number of small villages including Mullerthal and Berdorf on our way to Echternach. It is very important to note that the Germans didn't have it all their own way on the 16th. They attacked across the river and across open fields where they met stiff resistance. Central to this resistance was the Parc hotel in Berdorf. The hotel which sadly no longer exists was nicknamed 'Fortress hotel' in honor of the men of the 4th ID who held of the Germans. The hotel was central to the area with a number of outposts in the area, all of which were overrun in the early hours of the German attack.
It is interesting to note that the Germans only advanced as far as Echternach before the US forces counterattacked just before Christmas. Heavy fighting took place on the Luxembourg side of the Sauer river. We stopped at Hill 313 where there is a memorial to the soldiers who fought and died fighting there in 1944. On the 24th of December 1944, the 10th Regiment advanced from Michelshof on the main road to Echternach. That night, 2nd BN took hill 313 where, previously, the 159th Engineers fighting with two companies. The 2nd BN of the 10th Regiment took the hill that day, with support from 4 tanks, they advanced along the main road with G company providing cover of the ridges. E company advanced on the left over the fields between Sheidgen and Michelshof.
Leaving Hill 313 we traveled East to Weilerbach. Although not part of the battle of the bulge, the village is a part of the history of the 5th ID. This tour covered the area where the 5th ID fought during the bulge and into early 1945. The area from Weilerbach east towards Bollendorf mainly along the Route de Diekirch was where the 5th ID crossed into Germany on the 7th of February 1945. The crossing, by boat, resulted in considerable loss of American life as the Germans had fortified positions on the opposite banks and the river was high. The pictures below show the river and the memorial to the 5th ID which is about 50 meters from the bridge.
As time was getting short, and I wanted to take a look at the remnants of the Siegfried line, we only made a brief stop at Diekirch. The village is East of Wallendorf and saw heavy fighting in the counter attack following the German advance. The village has high ground on a number of sides which meant advancing, and taking, the German positions was always going to be a difficult, and costly task. Perhaps, on a future tour, I can spend some time investigating the area a bit more. They have a small museum in the village which warrants a look as well...if the displays outside are anything to go by.
Leaving Diekirch we headed southeast towards St Vith and Malmedy in order to see what is left of the Siegfried line. Surprisingly some remnants remain but it was much less than I expected. The pictures below show remains of the 'dragons teeth' and German fighting positions.
There was also a memorial to the German and American soldiers who fought in the area. Surprisingly, there are monuments to German soldiers who lost their lives during the war. They tend to be very subdued and usually commemorate the US soldiers as well. In this case, the memorial is to the 277th Volks Grenadier Division.
Leaving the Siegfried line we drove through an area that has significant importance when it comes to the battle and the losses suffered by both sides. The area around where the above photos were taken is where the tanks and men under Joachim Piper would have travelled when moving west towards Antwerp. There were a number of roads (Rollbahns) through the Siegfried lines where the tanks would have passed, the road next to the dragons teeth in the photo above is one of them. It's worth bearing in mind that it was some of those troops who committed the Malmedy massacre. The troops were part of the 6th Panzer army of which the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte was part. Under the 1st SS Division were four Kampfgruppes of which Piper commanded the most substantial. Long story short, due to a number of reasons his progress was delayed which resulted in him taking a more southerly route. Some argue that due to this deviation and the fact that his route then went south of Malmedy then it wasn't likely that it was troops he commanded. There are a number of books written on the subject, I'll let you do the research and make your own mid up.
I'd like to close the blog with something more personal. We came across some graffiti left by American soldiers almost 75 years ago. For me, such things bring home the human side of the battle.
The link below takes you to a map that shows the main spots that we visited. Clicking on the stars should, if I haven't screwed it up, describe what they relate to in the blog.
Battlefield Map-Google
In closing, I'd like to acknowledge and thank Joey Van Meesen for taking the time to guide me through the battlefield. Joey is a budding historian who is passionate about the subject. If you are interested in touring with Joey then look up his tour company 'Relive the past WW2 Battlefield Tours' on Expedia.
