The German attack began with a massive hour-long artillery barrage that devastated the American lines, creating panic and confusion. All except von Mantuffle’s V.Panzer-Armee, where he had ordered a short 20 minute barrage against selected targets to help preserve the element of surprise. Although the battle raged along the front, the disruption in telephone communications led the American units to believe the attacks were local and prevented them from understanding the true nature of the situation until later in the day. One American journalist wrote that, “with the exception of Pearl Harbor, never had the American troops been thrown into greater confusion by an attack as that mounted in December 1944”.
The most powerful of the three German armies was VI.Panzer-Armee. That morning, 685 guns and howitzers of various caliber and 340 multiple rock launchers were directed at the American 2nd and 99th Infantry Divisions between Höfen and the Losheim Gap.For almost an hour without interruption, shells screamed over the heads of the massed German divisions. As abruptly as the bombardment began, it ended, and thousands of German Panzer and Volksgrenadiers advanced under the glow of searchlights bounced off the low clouds, bathing the battlefield in artificial moonlight.
Protecting the northern shoulder was LXVII.Armeekorps, commanded by Generalleutnant Otto Hitzfeld. Comprised of the understrength 272. and 326. Volks Grenadier-Divisions, and reinforced with 3.Panzergrenadier-Division and 246.Volksgrenadier-Division from 15.Armee, they were assigned to advance from Monschau through Eupen and Verviers to Liège. As 272.Volksgrenadier-Division carried out the attack on Monschau on its own, suffering heavy casualties, and although 3.Panzergrenadier Division and 277.Volksgrenadier Division from 1.SS-Panzer-Korps were thrown behind them, the attack failed. 272.Volksgrenadier Division was transferred to V.Panzer-Armee.
I.SS-Panzer-Korps and Kampfgruppe Peiper
It was expected 1.SS-Panzer-Korps would achieve the decisive breakthrough needed for the success of the operation and for this, given the greatest concentration of forces. Commanded by Gruppenführer Hermann Preiss, they had at their disposal 1.SS-Panzer-Division ‘Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler’, reinforced with SS-Schwere Abteilung 501, 12.SS-Panzer Division ‘Hitlerjugend’, 277.Volksgrenadier and 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division. Following behind would be Otto Skozeny’s Panzer-Brigade 150, whose mission was to infiltrate the American lines dressed in American uniforms and capture two Meuse bridges meanwhile disrupting enemy communications and creating confusion.
Kampfgruppe Müller, from 12.SS-Panzer-Division and 277.Volksgrenadier-Division launched their attack against the twin villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath, held by elements of the 2nd and 99th US ARMY Infantry Divisions. For the assault, they were supported by PzKpfw. Panthers from I./SS Panzer-Regiment 12, part of Kampfgruppe Kühlmann. They had expected to capture the villages on the first day but ran into stiff resistance, and by the evening of 18 December, the villages were still under American hands. What remained of I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 was pulled back and redeployed to support the attack on Bülligen and Dom Bütgenback by 12.Volksgrenadier Division and the rest of Kampfgruppe Khlmann. For three days combined group tried to push through the American lines between the two towns but after one last failed attempt on 22 December, supported by the Brümmbars of Sturmpanzer Abteilung 217, they were beaten back by American artillery and tank destroyers.