Battle East of Elsenborn [Hardcover]

William Cavanagh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

The Battle East of Elsenborn closely examines the role of Oberstgruppenfuhrer Joseph 'Sepp' Dietrich's Sixth Panzer Army in the massive German winter counteroffensive. Hitler had tasked Dietrich with making the main effort east of the Elsenborn Ridge and against the positions of the US 99th Infantry Division. Hitler's plan was to reach deep into Allied-held territory and seize the vital port of Antwerp. In the event this daring and desperate counterattack failed but it was a close run thing. Credit for the outcome must ultimately go to the American soldiers who, some new to combat and others battle-hardened, fought valiantly to blunt the German advance and ultimately bring it to a halt just east of Elsenborn. The book also studies the actions of six individuals who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, their nation's highest bravery award. It tells of the courageous story of men who believed in their heritage, and who, through their heroic teamwork and dedication, stopped the main effort of the German Sixth Army.

American veterans who participated in this battle remember the events, even after sixty years, as only yesterday. They also remember their compatriots and friends who died in this battle.

The author, has probed into every possible source for factual information. He has studied official after-action reports, histories and unit reports of organizations involved in the battle.

In addition, he has conducted an extensive program of individual contacts, not only with the US Army participants, local villages and resistance fighters, but also with German commanders at various levels in the 3 divisions involved.

Such an ample and widespread research effort has enabled the author to separate fact from fiction.

The author William C. C. Cavanagh acted as principal research assistant to the late Charles B. MacDonald, himself a veteran and former Company Commander in the 2d Infantry Division. Having lived in the Ardennes area for thirteen years, he knows the battlefields intimately and his book A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield was first published by Pen and Sword Books in 2001.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pen and Sword (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844151263
• ISBN-13: 978-1844151264
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,554,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pivotal Battle in the Bulge, April 11, 2005

By 

Danny Parker "A fellow writer" (Cocoa Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Battle East of Elsenborn (Hardcover)

Ever hear of Rocherath-Krinkelt? After reading Will Cavanagh's book on the battle east of Elsenborn in the opening stages of the Battle of the Bulge, you may never feel the same about Bastogne. Why? Because the reversal metted out by the U.S. 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions in this pivotal battle for two small Belgian border villages doomed the German Ardennes Offensive from the start-- much more than the later seige of Bastogne. The prime Waffen SS spearheads were clearly blunted in this encounter-- and so terribly did the reversal damage German prospects that by the third day of the attack Field Marshal von Rundstedt was using this failure as reason to recommend to Hitler that the entire Ardennes operation be called off. Will Cavanagh writes from his strength as the world's leading expert on the Ardennes battle in this area. No one knows the story like he does. Read it and learn the history of the 'other Bastogne.'

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Battle East Of Elsenborn: And The Twin Villages, May 21, 2005

By 

Dr. Irving H. Miller (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Battle East of Elsenborn (Hardcover)

William C. C. Cavanagh has created a wonderfully written account about a pivotal battle in World War Two. In the book, THE BATTLE EAST OF ELSENBORN & THE TWIN VILLAGES, Cavanagh brings to life the enormous struggle that took place there during the massive German Winter Counter Offensive of 1944. The Americans although they were vastly outnumbered by the Germans and caught by surprise, managed to hold on and stop the German advance.
We know the eventual outcome of the battle, but the talented author Cavanagh through his skills as a story teller keeps your attention as if you have temporarily forgotten the ending. The Author describes the battle and the strategies in fascinating detail. Much of the narrative is in the first person, told by many of the participants of the battle. The book has 155 photographs and many well illustrated maps.
Through the narrative, analysis, character sketches, and the military strategy, Cavanagh brings the battle to life. You can almost hear the crackle of gun fire and smell the smoke. This book has it all, and I recommend it to everyone interested in the Battle of the Bulge or anyone who has traveled in this area.
I have visited this area and listened to Will Cavanagh's Lecture. No one knows this history better.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lest we ever forget...., March 31, 2005

By 

Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Battle East of Elsenborn (Hardcover)

More than 60 years ago (December 13-22, 1944), what is generally referred to as "The Battle of the Bulge" was fought and won by Allied forces. In the Foreword to this book, retired General Frank T. Mildren (former Commander, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division) points out that Cavanagh focuses primarily on a five-day critical battle for the north shoulder of the Bulge at Rocherath-Krinkelt. "Of course, the Bulge was fought in many areas, but it was won for the [U.S.] First Army on this shoulder." It is important to keep in mind that Hitler committed some of his best troops to achieving victory (i.e. four powerful Panzer divisions and five infantry divisions) by attacking through Losheim, proceeding across the Elsenborn Ridge, and then continuing on to Antwerp. The key to the U.S. Army's success was its denial of the main efforts of the Sixth Panzer Army.

Cavanagh's research was completed over several decades and included extensive interviews of German as well as U.S. participants. He seems to have located and utilized every possible source of factual information. I also appreciate the inclusion of so many archival photographs. Of greatest interest to me, however, is Cavanagh's rigorous and eloquent discussion of those who are sometimes referred to as "grunts." In this context, I am reminded of The Face of Battle in which John Keegan examines comparable warriors who fought in three other major battles: Agincourt (October 25, 1415), Waterloo (June 18, 1815), and the Somme (July 1, 1916). With due respect to celebrated military leaders such as General George S. Patton, Cavanagh celebrates the courage, stamina, determination, self-sacrifice, and heroism of the troops under their command.

Having read this book, I fully understand why General Courtney H. Hodges (Commanding General of the First U.S. Army) asserted that "What the Second Infantry Division has done in the last four days will live forever in the history of the United States Army."