Capt. Elford A. Cederberg, (later Member of Congress from Bay City) left, and MSgt. Kirk Timm before the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-45.. Battle of the Bulge That Began 66 Years Ago Recalled by Old Soldier Here
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About 66 years ago this month one of the most decisive battles of World War II was fought, and soldiers from Bay City and the area were there.
On December 16 1944 Adolph Hitler and his Nazi tanks and legions launched a massive attack aimed at breaking up the American, British and French alliance in western Europe.
"Straight away let me say I never expected to survive this battle," writes Kirk Timm, local retired hardware company executive who was a master sergeant with the 330th Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division "Thunderbolts" during that part of the war.
Mr. Timm is writing his "Musings of An Old Soldier, 1939-1946," prompted by his grandchildren who wanted to know what he did in the war. Part of his recollection is of early days in training and later combat that included several local soldiers and those from Saginaw and the area.
"The Bulge was the bloodiest battle for American forces in World War II. The Ardennes is the correct name," wrote MSgt. Timm. British sources said 600,000 American troops were involved in the battle and there were 81,000 American casualties. The Germans lost about 100,000 killed, wounded or captured.
British historical sources state that the Bulge was the last major Nazi offensive in World War II, being "a last ditch attempt by Hitler to split the Allies in two in their drive towards Germany and destroy their ability to supply themselves."
MSgt. Timm recalled: "Dawn, 16 December we were engaged with the enemy in light action in the Hurtgen Forest. That morning out of nowhere we were attacked by 250,000 of the best troops Germany could muster."
The Allies were surprised by a two hour bombardment of their lines followed by a massed armored attack, British historical sources reported, commenting:
"Hitler believed that his forces would be able to surround and cut off Canada's First Army, America's First and Ninth Armies and Britain's Second army. On paper it was a seemingly absurd plan--especially as Germany had been in retreat since D-Day, her military was depleted of supplies and was facing the awesome might of the Allies. However, Hitler, as commander-in-chief of the military, decreed that the attack should take place."
Mr. Timm is working from his battle maps from the action plus notes made sporadically during the battle, but he said he remembers many details.
"Our intelligence was really asleep at the switch, as we had no intel on what was happening," he recalled.
"They struck us in force and very hard. They really hammered us. We were outnumbered and clobbered. They had English-speaking troops dressed as GIs, misdirecting our people. They took prisoners and slaughtered them in a place called Malmedy."
"The Malmédy Massacre occurred on December 17th 1944," the British historical site states. "It was one of the worst atrocities committed against prisoners of war in the West European sector during World War Two." Some 113 Americans were shot by German troops of the 1st SS Panzer Division commanded by Lt. Col. Joachim Peiper.
MSgt. Timm continued: "Hitler must have realized this was his last chance to halt the American efforts. We were bearing down on the 'Fatherland" and they were determined to stop us. They ordered every plant that could fly, every tank that could run, all placed at General von Rundstedt's disposal with orders to the effect that 'everything was at stake,' and he was right.
"It was not only fighting an enemy that was really jubilant with their new found victories, but we had to fight the other enemy as well -- 'Valley Forge edition of 1945.' Clothing froze on our bodies, weapons failed to function, our feet turned black and purple from trench foot. Any wound was very serious; if you fell, you froze. The only covering for the dead was a blanket of snow. Real blankets were for the living."
The former master sergeant went on: "The weather was very cold and the snow just kept coming. I still remember living for many days in a foxhole. Every day I would scoop it out a little deeper and cover the top with more tree trunks. For heat and light we used a Coca Cola bottle with either a piece of rope or Tampax for a wick. Tampax worked best. I have no idea where we got coke bottles nor the Tampax for that matter, but we had a good supply sergeant."
The success of the Germans lasted only two days, British historians commented: "Despite punching a bulge into the Allies front (newsmen named the battle when they saw the effect of the initial Nazi assault on maps), such an armored assault required fuel to maintain it, and Germans simply did no possess such quantities of fuel."
Peiper and his tank crews had to make their way back to Germany on foot.
By December 22nd, the weather started to clear, thus allowing the Allies to bring their air power into force and on the following day the Americans started a counter-attack.
German Maj. Gen. Horst von Mellenthin summarized: "The Ardennes drives home the lesson that a large-scale offensive by massed armor has no hope of success against an enemy who enjoys supreme command of the air."
MSgt. Timm wound up his battle recollections: "When we finally got to the West bank of the Roer River on Christmas Eve, we entered the town of Winden on the Roer. We were firmly implanted on the West bank. Finally the Ardennes Campaign (or the Battle of the Bulge) was finished. No more purple and black feet from trench foot. We complained, we swore, we cried. But we won."
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colonproctorjr Says:
On April 25, 2015
at 01:36 PM
Dec. 16 1944 was my fourteenth birthday. I remember the day very well. Followed the battle daily on the radio and in the Bay City Times.
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