CHAPTER I
Introduction 

“This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American Victory.”1 Prime Minister Winston Churchill made this statement, in an address to the House of Commons, shortly after the largest pitched battle on the Western front during the Second World War. This battle would take place during the coldest and snowiest weather in decades, in the semi-mountainous, forested area of the German-Belgium-Luxembourg border region. 

Since D-Day, the Americans had carried out highly successful offensive operations. A result of this success was that the American soldier, including those at Supreme Allied Headquarters, was imbued with the belief that the German war 5 machine did not have the ability to mount a serious counterattack against the Allied forces. The German Ardennes offensive ranks second only to Pearl Harbor, as the worst failure of military intelligence during the war. Unfortunately it would be the GI who would pay the price for this failure. In all, more than a million men (600,000 Americans, 500,000 Germans, and 55,000 British)2 would fight in this battle. Three German Armies, the equivalent to 29 divisions, and three American Armies, the equivalent of 31 divisions would be thrown into a 500 square mile battlefield. One  hundred thousand Germans would die, be captured or wounded during their offensive, while the Americans would suffer 81,000 men killed, wounded, or captured.3 These would be the worst American losses from battle in World War II on all fronts. This, “the greatest American battle of the war,” was given the unfanciful title of the Battle of the Bulge, because of the large bulge the German offensive made in the American lines. 

However, to one division, the 106th Division “Golden Lions”, this great American battle would become a living nightmare. This division and its men would have the dubious honor of being hit by a greater concentration of enemy strength than any other American division in the war. Also, in their single brief engagement of the first three days of the battle, the 106th suffered more losses than any other American division in World War H. The totals for this division were 416 killed, 1242 wounded and 7001 missing in action (MIA). An overwhelming number of the MIAs were later liberated as prisoners of war (POW) in 1945. These losses account for over 60 percent of the division personnel.4 A majority of the losses were from the 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments that were encircled, and after attempting to break their way back to the American lines, were faced with the unsavory decision of surrender or annihilation. Their choice would be survival. However, during their time in the battle they played a major role in throwing off the time table of the German Fifth  Army to such an extent that it gave valuable time to the American forces behind and S to the south to regroup and later stop the German offensive. 

Cedric Foster, a popular news analyst of the time summed up the story of the 106th in his nationwide broadcasts on 21 January 1945: 

Tonight for the first time there may be told the story which, in its dual aspects, is one of the most tragic and yet one of the most glorious episodes in the history of American arms ... the story of America’s 106th Division. ... The record they wrote is a shining example for all of the armed forces of the United States.5 

These pages are an attempt to tell the history of the l06th, in particular the 422nd and the 423rd Regiments, and how this green division from Fort Atterbury played an important role in the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

CHAPTER I 

Introduction 

“This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American Victory.”1 Prime Minister Winston Churchill made this statement, in an address to the House of Commons, shortly after the largest pitched battle on the Western front during the Second World War. This battle would take place during the coldest and snowiest weather in decades, in the semi-mountainous, forested area of the German-Belgium-Luxembourg border region. 

Since D-Day, the Americans had carried out highly successful offensive operations. A result of this success was that the American soldier, including those at Supreme Allied Headquarters, was imbued with the belief that the German war 5 machine did not have the ability to mount a serious counterattack against the Allied forces. The German Ardennes offensive ranks second only to Pearl Harbor, as the worst failure of military intelligence during the war. Unfortunately it would be the GI who would pay the price for this failure. In all, more than a million men (600,000 Americans, 500,000 Germans, and 55,000 British)2 would fight in this battle. Three German Armies, the equivalent to 29 divisions, and three American Armies, the equivalent of 31 divisions would be thrown into a 500 square mile battlefield. One  hundred thousand Germans would die, be captured or wounded during their offensive, while the Americans would suffer 81,000 men killed, wounded, or captured.3 These would be the worst American losses from battle in World War II on all fronts. This, “the greatest American battle of the war,” was given the unfanciful title of the Battle of the Bulge, because of the large bulge the German offensive made in the American lines. 

However, to one division, the 106th Division “Golden Lions”, this great American battle would become a living nightmare. This division and its men would have the dubious honor of being hit by a greater concentration of enemy strength than any other American division in the war. Also, in their single brief engagement of the first three days of the battle, the 106th suffered more losses than any other American division in World War H. The totals for this division were 416 killed, 1242 wounded and 7001 missing in action (MIA). An overwhelming number of the MIAs were later liberated as prisoners of war (POW) in 1945. These losses account for over 60 percent of the division personnel.4 A majority of the losses were from the 422~ and 423w Infantry Regiments that were encircled, and after attempting to break their way back to the American lines, were faced with the unsavory decision of surrender or annihilation. Their choice would be survival. However, during their time in the battle they played a major role in throwing off the time table of the German Fifth  Army to such an extent that it gave valuable time to the American forces behind and S to the south to regroup and later stop the German offensive. 

Cedric Foster, a popular news analyst of the time summed up the story of the 106th in his nationwide broadcasts on 21 January 1945: 

Tonight for the first time there may be told the story which, in its dual aspects, is one of the most tragic and yet one of the most glorious episodes in the history of American arms ... the story of America’s 106th Division. ... The record they wrote is a shining example for all of the armed forces of the United States.5 

These pages are an attempt to tell the history of the l06th, in particular the 422nd and the 423rd Regiments, and how this green division from Camp Atterbury played an important role in the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

Charles B. MacDonald, A Tune for Trumpets: The Untold Swiy of the Battle of the Bulge, (New York: Bantam Books, 1985), 614.   2fl,jd., 618  

3 Ibid

4 John Kline, Commemorating the 48th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. December 16. 1944 to January 25, 1945”. (a presentation to the Apple Valley Rotary Club, December 16, 1992), 2. 

5. Charles B. MacDonald, A Tune for Trumpets: The Untold Swiy of the Battle of the Bulge, (New York: Bantam Books, 1985), 614.   2fl,jd., 618  

3 Ibid

4 John Kline, Commemorating the 48th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. December 16. 1944 to January 25, 1945”. (a presentation to the Apple Valley Rotary Club, December 16, 1992), 2.