T F Peiper left Ligneuville late in the afternoon on the 17th. and reached Stavelot by the way of La Vaulx Richard after getting a tank knocked out, Peiper retreated for the night and attacked Stavelot on the morning of the 18th. He had met with an Officer from Skorzeny's group that night. The bridge at Stavelot was to have been blown but was sabotaged. Peiper column crossed the bridge over the Ambleve River and headed for Trois Ponts. There was nothing in the way but an anti tank gun from the 526 Armored Infantry Battalion, which they shot up, and continued into Trois Ponts only to learn the 51st. Engineers had blown the bridge across the Ambleve.

          Peiper then turned right and passed La Gleize and Stoumont, and headed for another bridge. He had to re cross the Ambleve as it ran west and then turned North at Trois Ponts and then West as it wrapped around La Gleize and Stoumont and North again. Peiper was following the Ambleve looking for a way to cross and on to Liege. He passed La Gleize and Stoumont and found the bridge intact at Cheneux and headed for one more bridge at Neufmoulin across the Lienne Creek, but the 291st.Engineers pulled the plug just as they arrived. On the 19th. Peiper went back to Stoumont and LaGleize to regroup and find another route.
 
          On the 20th. The Third Armored Division went to work. Combat Command B had been attached to the 30th Infantry Division, which was under the XV111 Corps. and defending a large area from Trois Ponts to St. Vith. T F Jordan attacked Stoumont; T F McGeorge attacked LeGleize and T F Lovelady attacked and cut Peiper's column between La Gleise and Grand Coo. They shot up some vehicles and went pass Petit Coo and on to Trois Ponts. They had cut Peiper's column and that led to the end of T F Peiper. They were supposed to drive to Trois Ponts and then to Stavelot to hook up with elements of the 30th. Infantry Division. On going through the viaduc or double railroad bridge. Lt. Hope of E/33 lost four tanks and was killed charging the enemy on foot.

          On the 21st. Lt. Edmark was sent from Petit Coo to Parfondruy with a small task force of 9 Shermans and a few Infantrymen, a mortar section and engineers and our RO section to provide artillery support.

          On the 22nd. the Germans made a last attempt to break through to Peiper and resupply him and send more infantry. They had been using the Petit Spay Bridge near Trois Ponts since the Engineers finally blew the bridge in Stavelot on the 19th. They came up East of the tracks and cut through Petit Coo, over running Lovelady's aid station. This maneuver cut off E Company in Trois Ponts, and D Company. in Parfondruy. The Petit Spay collapsed when a heavy tank tries to cross. Later a bailey type bridge was erected, but was not adequate. On Dec. 24th. Peiper left his equipment and took most of his men and escaped across the 82nd. Division lines after they had pulled back. Thus ends faze one of the Ardennes Northern Shoulder.

         The following interviews will confirm what happened between the 20-25 December 1944.