Schankegréicht, December 1944

A time and place where the Ardennes offensive was stopped

After the German Wehrmacht surprisingly went on the attack at dawn on December 16th, 1944, a decisive battle took place a few days later, here in this spot called „Schankegréicht“.

As the advancing vanguard of the German 352nd Volksgrenadier Division (915th Grenadier Regiment) met the arriving troops of the 104th US Infantry Regiment of the 26th US Infantry Division, also known as the Yankee Division, a rare encounter took place at this spot.

Friday, December 22nd, 1944

A cruel and fierce battle ensued when Patton's troops had just arrived early that morning. Although dead tired, the GI's sought contact with the enemy. Scouts from the 26th Reconnaissance Troop were first sent forward on the Pratz-Grosbous road. They carefully felt their way into the area of the „Schankegréicht“, where on both sides of the road, in the nearby forest, German soldiers lurked in their foxholes. As soon as they caught sight of the approaching scouts, they opened fire.

When the combats developed, tanks were brought into position on both sides and the infantry soldiers of both camps fought each other fiercely. Snow fell constantly. Some of the German soldiers took off their camouflage jackets and turned the white inside out in order to remain unrecognized in the white landscape. American soldiers were still lacking winter equipment at this point of time. The attacked US soldiers quickly retreated and reported the incident to the command post that had been set up in Bettborn in the meantime while the Germans did not wait for their opponents to attack but instead launched their own assault on Pratz and Bettborn. Several medium tanks rolled up to the first houses in Pratz, followed by German infantry soldiers.

Around 11:15 a.m., German bullets hit the first houses in Pratz. Three GIs were fatally shot in the Mangen house. Two US soldiers were also fatally wounded near a small stone bridge in Pratz, which spans the „Bëschruederbaach“. The American forces then evacuate the houses from civilians on the main road in Pratz, while rifle bullets continue to hit the road and the neighboring houses. The German soldiers had dug themselves into the forest to the left of the road to Grosbous and to the right in the so-called Hintjebësch. Barely a few hundred meters away from Pratz. With no time to lose, the GIs recognized the need for more firepower and brought their artillery into position.

The citizens of Pratz could now clearly hear how the artillery and infantry fire intensified from 3 p.m. onwards. The US headquarters were located in the presbytery. The remaining civilians were ordered to take shelter in their basements while the German soldiers tried to advance to Bettborn and Platen. Messengers rushed up in their jeeps and left again. Incessant telephone calls were made via the numerous lines that came together in the priest's house. The GI’s rushed into the upper rooms of the houses in Bettborn. Four tanks roll up and position themselves ready to fire at a carpenter's workshop. There were moments of extreme tension as the first wounded are brought in by jeep, including German soldiers.

A short time later, the German attackers withdraw. The American units had previously succeeded in destroying two German tanks and silencing a German howitzer. Likewise various machine gun nests. For their part, American tanks drove up the hill to Reimberg from where, they fired on the Pratz-Grosbous road and on the German soldiers who had dug themselves into the Hintjebësch in the meantime. The German attack had been defeated.

On the night of December 22nd, 1944, there was an eerie silence on the battlefield. Only the moans of the heavily wounded could be heard, and the exhaustion robbed the other infantrymen of all feeling. Around midnight, the moaning gradually died down. If they had not died of blood loss, they fell into a deadly sleep and had probably frozen to death.

Saturday, December 23rd, 1944.

As daylight slowly returned the German soldiers dug up their dead and buried them right next to the road. Several mounds of earth indicated the graves.

At 3:15 p.m., another barrage rained down on the German soldiers dug into the Hintjebësch. The American artillery fired death and destruction into the forest. Only after half an hour of firing did the artillery attack pause. One GI is sent out to reconnoitre the area in the shot-up forest.

As soon as he has left his position, he is struck down by a German rifle bullet. This is followed by another murderous artillery barrage.

The tree trunks splintered under the bursting of the grenades. Shrapnel, stones and clods of earth flew through the air. When the GI’s finally thought that there was no living human being left in the forest, they entered and saw a terrible work of destruction and death. Only about 14 German grenadiers had survived the artillery raid and were captured. The others were either dead or had managed to retreat.

This fierce battle between the two opponents proves that both gave great importance to the southern entrance to the valley of the Wark (river). On December 23rd, 1944 this valley became open to Patton's troops in the south while the battle that took place here became part of the German winter offensive of 1944/1945 that later went down in history as the Ardennes offensive.

Written by Erny T. Kohn - Circle of Studies on the Battle of the Bulge (CEBA)

Sources and bibliography:

Pratzertal und Pratzertaler in zwei Weltkriegen 1914-1918 1939 -1945, Emile Schaus
Schankegréicht 1994 - Hommage de la population du canton de Rédange à ses libérateurs de 1944
The Ardennes - Battle of the Bulge, Hugh Cole
Das Ösling im Krieg, Fritz Rasqué
Luxemburg in der Ardennenoffensive, Prof. Joseph Maertz
Luxemburg Befreiung und Ardennenoffensive 1944-1945, E.T. Melchers
Schicksale zwischen Sauer und Our - Band I aus deutscher Sicht, Roland Gaul
Die Ardennenschlacht 1944-1945 in Luxemburg, Jean Milmeister