Battle of the Bulge: Fighting in Krewinkle

Introduction

This post is a supplement to Part II of my Bulge series and highlights the fighting for Krewinkle and Afst, a rare American success on the morning of 16 December but not simulated in the scenario.

Situation Maps

This screen shot from an earlier version of the scenario.  Manderfeld is west and in the game we are playing the Germans start off map to the west.

The map below is an update from this post showing German positions at the end of Turn 1, adding place names for Afst and Krewinkel.  The Americans are long gone and Tigers roll through.

Krewinkle & Afst

Photo of map taken from A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield

William Cavanagh's A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield has a good account of the action at Krewinkle. According to him, the village was occupied by 14th Armored Group's 2nd platoon of Troop C, 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and a Reconnaissance Platoon of Company A, 820 Tank Destroyer Battalion. 

On the morning of 16 December, an assault company from the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division (paratroopers & not present in the scenario) approached the village in columns of four. I'm not sure if there was an intelligence or reconnaissance failure on the part of the paratroopers but their advance was easily spotted by the defenders in the village due to the reflected light from powerful German searchlights illuminating low lying clouds. MacDonald describes the advancing column marching down the road as on a hike, talking, whistling and even singing. 

The defenders held their fire until the Germans were close and upon the commander of the garrison's orders (1st Lt. Kenneth Ferrens) made short work of the advancing column. The Germans rallied and advanced again, this time in open order and were soon inside the village, temporarily taking at least half the village before being pushed back out.  

At 0645 another attack from a bald hill was stopped by light machine gun fire. Troop C was resupplied with ammunition after this attack, brought by their Executive Officer (1st Lt. Aubrey L. Mills) in a halftrack but he was killed on the way back to Afst. Another German assault was repelled but the situation elsewhere in the Losheim Gap called for a retreat.  The defenders of Afst and Krewinkel were ordered to withdraw to Manderfeld and were able to do so under fire. 

Estimated German casualties were at least 150 KIA to 1 American KIA and two wounded. 

The situation unfolded in a similar manner at Afst. Illumination from German searchlights revealed advancing troops and made them good targets for the defenders. The Germans were stopped at the barbed wire line outside of the village but declined to counter attack, leaving 30 KIA behind.