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Minefield map - battle of the bulge

Peter U

Peter U

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Staff member
Hello guys,


This time not a Soldbuch but a US Army minefield map I picked up locally.
The map contains the details about 75 antitank mines and booby traps that have been placed by G Company of the 18th Infantry Regiment (1st US Inf Div) on December 27 1944.
Because of the coordinates and map details it was relatively simple to find the exact place where this sketch was made, it is the hamlet Bütgenbacher Hütte.
Here the German advance was halted a week before, the tanks of the 12th SS Pz Div Hj were halted on December 19 1944 in the nearby hamlet Dom-Bütgenbach, since then the frontline in this sector was stabilized, the heights south of Bütgenbach were occupied by members of the 5th & 8th Fallschirmjäger Regiments.


Cheers,
Peter
 

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This is the map, Elsenborn sheet 5503, that was used to draw this sketch.
 

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Some Google earth images of the area.
The fields of course were covered with snow on December 27 1944, nevertheless it gives a nice impression of where the frontline was at that time.
 

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That's cool to have that map!

Here is a photo of the men belonging to the 26th Inf Regt / 1st Inf Div moving up
to meet the German thrusts threatening Büllingen, December 17, 1944.


26th_bullingen.jpg


From the after action report compiled for the Regimental Commander:
JOHN E, REYNOLDS
1st Lieut., 26th Infantry
Personnel Adjutant.


12/23/44
On this day, the task of mining the areas in front of the regimental positions was begun. It was to continue throughout the remainder of the month.


12/24/44
Towards evening, Delta fired a mission at Büllingen, when enemy vehicular traffic was reported in town by 2nd Battalion outposts. The rest of the night proved without incident. Mines were laid by an engineer detail, with the general plan to work the minefield so that it joined with the one the 18th Infantry laid.



12/25/44
Engineer details working at the same task of laying mines discovered a 20 foot gap in the mine field in front of "C" Company area. It had evidently been lifted by enemy. The gap was closed, and a security guard established so that enemy patrols would be unable to approach the mine fields or attempt clearing them.


12/26/44
Mines again laid in front of regimental positions, and battalion defenses strengthened.


12/27/44
The work of laying mines neared completion.


12/29/44
The rest of the day proved quiet. Mine laying details continued with the work of strengthening the regimental defenses.


http://home.scarlet.be/~sh446368/aar-26th-inf-dec.html
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Very cool Peter :thumbsup: The other maps had notations about cows setting off the mines and them finding dead cows and detonated mines. Poor hamburgers.
 
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