Battle of Heartbreak Crossroads: Difference between revisions

Two roads north of Höfen were important to movement through the area. In the north a main paved road led from Höfen through the Monschau Forest, then divided as it emerged on the eastern edge. The fork beyond the forest later gained some tactical importance.<ref name=Colesixcolesix/>

A two-lane secondary road ran laterally behind the division center and right wing, leaving the Höfen road at the Wahlerscheid crossroads, which was guarded by a constellation of 25 concrete pillboxes. The Germans had cleared the ground near the crossroads of trees to give their troops a clear [[field of fire (weaponry)|field of fire]], and laced the area with antipersonnel mines and masses of barbed wire six to ten deep.<ref name=macdonald2/><ref name=story2nd>{{cite web|title=Story of the 2nd Infantry Division|url=https://archive.org/details/FromD1To105|publisher=Stars and Strips|access-date=4 July 2015}}</ref> It continued south through the Monschau Forest and the twin hamlets of Rocherath and Krinkelt, then intersected a main eastwest road at Büllingen.<ref name=Colesixcolesix/><ref name=colefive>{{citation | last = Cole | first = Hugh M. | author-link = Hugh M. Cole | title = The Ardennes:Battle of the Bulge | chapter = The Sixth Panzer Army Attack | publisher = Office of the Chief of Military History Department of the Army | chapter-url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/7-8/7-8_6.HTM | year = 1964 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150729050559/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/7-8/7-8_6.HTM | archive-date = 2015-07-29 }}</ref>

The 277th Volksgrenadier Division's 991st Grenadier Regiment and the [[294th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|294th Volksgrenadier Division]] were in the Monschau Forest about {{convert|1.5|mi}} southeast of Wahlerscheid.{{sfn|Parker|2004|page=71}}<ref name=Colefivecolefive/> The 2nd ID intended to surprise the Germans and advanced without artillery preparation. Their movement forward through the forest went well at first with little resistance,<ref name="Hersko">{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-bulge-us-troops-fight-at-elsenburn-ridge.htm/1 |title=Battle of the Bulge: U.S. Troops Fight at Elsenburn Ridge |publisher=HistoryNet.com |author=Ralph E. Hersko, Jr. |date=November 1998 |access-date=2010-07-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612000346/http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-bulge-us-troops-fight-at-elsenburn-ridge.htm/1 |archive-date=2011-06-12 }}</ref> but once they gained the edge of the cleared forest around the pillboxes on December 14, they found themselves facing four pillboxes, six concrete bunkers, a forester's lodge, and a customs house, grouped compactly about the road junction and sited to provide interlocking fire for their machine gun and rifle positions.<ref name=macdonald2/>