During the Ardennes Campaign and the 467th AAA was attached to the 4th armored Division.
In mid-December '44, the 467th Battalion was providing air defense for Luxembourg City. This was an interesting time with V2 rockets frequently flying overhead. The Germans attacked out of the Ardennes Forest and suddenly caught by surprise the Allies gave ground. Patton quickly organized portions of the Army to provide relief. The Battalion was attached to the 4th Armored Division and drove northward into the German southern flank of the Bulge. The 467th AAA was in combat for 41 days during the Ardennes Campaign. They engaged 74 enemy aircraft but were also often used to guard roads.
On Dec 26, 1944 elements of Patton’s 4th Armored Division attacked from the South and succeeded in make contact with the surrounded Americans at Bastogne. The 101st Airborne Division had been encircled and had held the city for several days under extreme odds while refusing surrender demands form the Germans. The 467th was deployed around the city during the initial relief and later to protect the city from further attack.
This linkup of the two forces broke the siege of Bastogne and was one of the great turning points in the Battle of the Bulge. Bastogne was another time Dad remembered well and was proud of perhaps being part of the 4th Armored Division to play a part in the dramatic rescue and relief operations. Being with him during this part of the trip took me back to watching “Patton” with him when I was 12 or so years old and I was beginning to understand the relationship.
We get up early to drive to Bastogne. First we hit a park where they have turned pieces of old tanks into something that kids can play on and interact with like a working turret that you put your head into and can swing around in. Swords into plowshares I guess. We hit the supermarket and grab a few supplies for the road and its off to Bastogne.
Here is John playing Tank Commander at the public park.
Dad was attached to Patton’s 3rd Army, 4th Armored Division for part of this campaign and he was also deployed at all kinds different spots in this region including Aachen, Germany, Maastricht, Netherlands and other places that are not too far away. We drive through Bastogne and see first hand the narrow multiple street entrances to the center of town. We decide to spend another night with the innkeeper in Aywaille so we head back do a little more sightseeing and plan the next part of our trip into Germany.
We drive through some of the areas of the Battle of the Bulge and go around the Aachen area as well where Dad spent considerable time.