612th Tank Destroyer Battalion - Defense in The Battle of The Bulge

Defense in The Battle of The Bulge

On the morning of 27 September, the battalion began a 692 miles (1,114 km) motor march across France and Belgium to Germany. On 13 December 1944, Company A was attached to Regimental Combat Team 9 and moved to Höfen, Germany to support the planned attack of the 9th Infantry Regiment with direct fire on Rohren, Germany.

On 15 December the Battalion observation post was moved to Wirtzfeld, Belgium to prepare for the attack on the Rohr River Dams.

At 5:30 am on 16 December, after a 30 minute cannon and rocket barrage, the 3rd platoon of Company A was attacked by a strong German force which had penetrated the infantry lines. This became one of the decisive actions of the Battle of the Bulge. The battalion's actions during this action resulted in it being recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation. The enemy was driven off by vigorous counterattacks by Company A, fighting as infantry, and the U.S. lines were restored. Many enemy dead were piled up in front of the lines and 21 POWs were taken.

On 17 December, Company B with the 1st Reconnaissance platoon attached, was detached from the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, and attached to the 99th Infantry Division. It was moved to the vicinity of Honsfeld, Belgium. The Germans attacked from the southwest with tanks and armored infantry and the platoons were surrounded. Three officers and 110 men being reported as missing in action, along with one officer and 18 men of 1st Reconnaissance platoon.

The morning of 17 December, Company C was attached to the 99th Infantry Division, but on the same day at 2:00 pm was reassigned to the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, and took up defensive positions at Butgenbach, Belgium. Later this day the remnants of Company B were relieved from attachment to the 99th Infantry Division and placed in direct support of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.

Company A was again attacked at Höfen by an enemy force estimated to be about one regiment in size, but they were successfully beaten back. Company C was relieved from attachment to the 26th Infantry Regiment and placed in support of the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division, and took up defensive positions east of Wirtzfeld on 19 December. In Höfen, Company A was attacked by strong enemy forces, and again they repulsed the attack. Eleven men were reported missing in action.

The battalion forward moved to Elsenborn Ridge to the 99th Division Advance Command Post, where Lt. Col. Deeley took command of anti-tank defenses of the 99th Infantry Division on 20 December. On 21 December, Company A had engaged German paratroopers, part of a failed German reinforcement plan. At the end of the year Company A and Company B were relieved from their positions and were converted to self-propelled M-18 tank destroyers in the vicinity of Verviers, Belgium. Company C continued to maintaining its position east of Berg.