Pic 9:



The Hurtgen forest trip was also very impressive. We started at the Museum in Hürtgen to pick up our battlesite tour guide, who was with us the whole day.

Pic 10:



Most of the stuff in the Hürtgen Museum was from the a private owned collection which was partially bought from the Hürtgen community in 1992. It was also completed from ground founds which also can be found even today.

Pic 11:



This are the remains of Bunker No. 59. It was a Bunker for 15 men with a small combat room equiped with a MG 34 in Simonskall in the Kall valley.

Pic 12:



War cemetery Vossenack where the famous Field Marshal Walter Model is buried

Pic 13:



The Ochsenkopf was one of the heavy fighting area to prevent the Us Forces from taking the Kall valley. The signs of the trenches are still very good visible even after 59 years.

Pic 14:



As I said even today soldiers of both sides will be found found by german ordanace sweeping teams. So in the year 2000 Robert Cahow was found due to the fact the he still got 4 handgrenades laying with his remains and have been found by the german ordanance sweeping team. He was in action against elements of the 272nd Volks Gren Div December 13th 1944. On the left you can see the spot where Cahow was originally found

Pic 15:



One of the many Bunkers in the Ochsenkopf-Stellung. The US forces had order to destroy every remaining bunker after the battle and blew it off

Pic 16:



The Paustebacher Höhe was a german stronghold defended by 6 bunkers and manned by soldiers of the the 89th Inf. Div. The US assault started September 19th 1944 but came quickliy to a halt due to the heavy german defending acts. Men of the US 9th Inf Div started almost 6 assaults per day to take the Paustenbacher Höhe but with no success and heavy casualties. It took the US 9th Infantry 10 days untill the last german defenders have been killed or taken prisoner. The photo was taken on the Paustenbacher Höhe, sight in direction Lammersdorf. Just in front of me was one of the 6 Bunkers manned by soldiers of the 89th Inf Div

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Gentlemen, These are Pics from JUERG's trip, not mine. I post these pics here fro him.

Pic 1:



Let's start with some photos of La Gleize, where the Panzergruppe Peiper came to a halt and had to break out on December 24th and 25th with 850 men, leaving most of his tanks and weapons in La Gleize. The first shot is showing me on SS-Obersturmführer Wilhelm Dollingers Kingtiger No. 213. His tank got hit in the barrel during the battle. It'was placed in front of the Museum from Augst 1951 before that the tank was placed in the middle of the town. The second shot shows La Gleize from the street coming from Stoumont.

Pic 2:



One of the many dummys placed in the Museum in La Gleize. This one's shows a tanker equipped with infantry wepaons.

Pic 3:



Our Hotel was not far away from La Gleize in Haute-Bodeux. A very nice, small hotel which was also destroyed during the battle of the bulge.

Pic 4:



One of our trip was to the small twon of La Roche en Ardenne. This town was almost 90% destroyed and was taken by the 84th US Inf Div as well as the 51st scotish Div on January 10th 1945. The shot shows a german Feldgendarme and a Grenadier of the Waffen-SS. The museum also has a great weapon room with almost every gun used during the bulg battle.

Pic 5:



Another trip was to the crossroad of Poteau where some of the best known pics have been taken. The first shot shows the crossroad coming from the village Recht. Remember the MG42 gunner with the cigarette in his mouth? We found out that his name is Walter Armbrusch. Some sources said that Mr Armbrusch already past away but afer my visit in Poteau the museum owner told me that Mr Armbrusch is still alive and lives in the US but he does not want do correspond anymore. The museum guy is in contact with the neighbour of Mr Armbrusch and hops to get in touch with him some time.

Pic 6:



We took a ride to the battlefield with this german halftrack SdKfz 251. The ride will you take to the exact point where the famous photos of the Waffen-SS Grenadiers have been taken.

Pic 7:



next pic is some kind of than and now. As you can see the shed is still there even after 60 years. There was once a wooden plate with an SS inscription and taken to the museum but I did not see that.

Pic 8:



dummy from the Poteau museum

[ 12. June 2003, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

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Pic 17:



Some of the Dragon teeths not far awy from the Paustenbacher Höhe

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"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" - Homer Simpson

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An excellent tour and narrative--thankk you Juerg and thank you Stevin for having these here.

Seeing these reminds me of why I love Europe so well. Thank you again for this tour [img]smile.gif[/img]

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Juerg - Thank you VERY MUCH for the most informative and outstanding pictorial tour. Western Europe looks just like the western portion of the Pacific Northwest. Wunderschon!

Bill

Yes indeed, many thanks guys.

This thread has given me a real 'itch' to visit the Ardennes again - last time I was there, I stayed in an auberge at Basse Bodeux, just down ( or is it up? ) the road from where you were.

Pour me a Biere du Ciney now !

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A very well documented trip in both words and pics! [img]graemlins/rk.gif[/img]

gets me itching to go as well!

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