Country Hardly Suitable For Armored Action, With Relatively Heavy Casualties.
Then Came The German Counter-Attack In The Ardennes, Better Known As The "Battle Of The Bulge."The Attack Began Before Dawn On 16 December 44 In A Quiet Sector Manned By Two U.S.Infantry Divisions, One Of Which Was Severely Mauled In The Fighting In The Hurtgen Forrest And The Other, A Green Unit Recently Arrived From The States. The Germans Had Concentrated For The Attack About 29 Divisions, Mostly Elite Units, The Attack Was A Surprise, And For Two Or Three Days The Enemy Gained Much Ground, Drove Back And Scattered Many Of The American Units.
On 16 Dec.44, The 36th. Togeather With The Remainder Of The 3rd. Armored Div. As In V11 Corps Reserve.The First Bn.Having Been Relieved By Units Of The 9th-Inf.Div.On The West Bank Of The Roer River. No Plans To Commit The Div.Before Christmas Had Been Made-The Div.Area Was Still Near Stolberg, About 75 Miles Northeast Of The German Attack.
Suddenly The Situation Was Changed Drastically-On 18-Dec.Cca, (2nd. & 3rd.Bn's,) 32nd-Armd-Regt.3rd.Bn.36th;And 67th-Armored Artillery Bn.Was Dispatched To The Vicinity Of Eupen, Belgium To Counter A Rumored German Parachute Drop-Ccb, (Lst. & 2nd.Bn's, Of The 33rd.Armored Regt. 2nd.Bn.36th. And 391st-Artillery) Moved Out The Morning Of The 19th-To La Gleize, And Ccr, (Lst.Bn.36th.And 54th. Artillery) 1st.Bn.32nd. & 3rd.Bn.33rd.Armd-Regt.)Moved At 1800 The 19th. To The Vicinity Of Hotton And Soy, Belgium, All On The North Shoulder Of The Bulge.3rd. Armd.Div.Hq. Accompanied CCR. CCR Arrived At Hotton Shortly After Daybreak On The 20th,But Enroute Was Directed To Detach Three Of It's Four Medium Tank Co's. And The Two Tank Battalion Headquarters And The 54th. Artillery To Form Three Task. Forces Togeather With The Div. Reconnaissance Bn. Therefore The Combat Command Reached It's Destination With One Bn. Of The 36th. One Medium Tank And Two Light Tank Companies And No Artillery. The Combat Command Was Supposedly In Reserve. In The Evening Of The 20th.The 1st. Bn.36th. Less Company B.Was Detached And Sent Towards Dochamps Where One Of The Detached Task Forces Had Been Repulsed.
On The Morning Of The 21st. A Combat Command Of The 116th.