On December 16, 1944, Hitler's last great offensive of World War II commenced, pushing through the Ardennes in an attempt to reach the Meuse River and, beyond it, the Allies supply ports. Equipped with Tiger tanks, Kampfgruppe Peiper, a Waffen SS unit and Germany s most powerful battle group, spearheaded the offensive but failed to reach the Meuse. Using a wide variety of sources, the authors tell the story of Kampfgruppe Peiper in unprecedented detail, from the first day of the invasion through the group's retreat on Christmas Day.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
David Cooke is a military historian and battlefield guide. Wayne Evans is an expert on the Battle of the Bulge, having made a close study of the terrain of the Ardennes over which the battle was fought.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clear and Concise Study of KG Peiper in the Ambleve Valley,
By
This review is from: Kampfgruppe Peiper at the Battle of the Bulge (Stackpole Military History Series) (Paperback)
This is one of the best books on the subject of Kampfgruppe Peiper and its drive through, and ultimate defeat, in the valley of the Ambleve. I dub this volume as exceptional in that it does not contain the usual Battle of the Bulge fluff. The authors stick to the subject matter without burdening the reader with needless chapters rehashing the entire war prior to Wacht am Rhein or inserting excessive "meanwhile" verbiage for other areas of the Bulge. This book is specific to the actions of Kampfgruppe Peiper and the opposing American units. Additionally I applaud this work in excluding annoying editorial or opinionated observations (unless quoted from actual participants) that are found in similar books such as Charles Whiting's MASSACRE AT MALMEDY.
For those not familiar with Kampfgruppe Peiper and its part of the Battle of the Bulge: Kampfgruppe is German for battle (or combat) group. It is very similar to the US Army's formation of combat commands and task forces as reinforced battalions/regiments/brigades for specific missions. In World War Two Kampfgruppen were named after their commanders. These organizations were not designed to be permanent organizations. Kampfgruppe Peiper consisted of two panzer battalions, a panzer grenadier battalion, engineers (the Germans called them pioneers), and other support units. Indeed, if Kampfgruppe Peiper did not have the majority of the 1st SS Panzer Division's combat power it certainly contained the creme de la creme including lumbering King Tiger tanks. Peiper's mission was to dash through the American lines once German infantry had broken through US defenders. Unfortunately the German forces committed to the breakthrough effort stalled not much farther than their start point. Peiper belatedly brought up his column and, for the most part, brushed aside American resistance and spared no expense in pushing forward toward the river Meuse. Eventually the restrictive Ardennes road network and last minute blown bridges channeled KG Peiper into box along the Ambleve River. Short of fuel and with his logistic route cut at Stavelot, Peiper found himself and his Kampfgruppe in a position where with every passing hour the US forces grew stronger and his situation became every more hopeless. Under increasing pressure from US forces and no hope of a relief column, Peiper eventually abandoned his vehicles and heavy equipment and led a column of survivors back to German lines. In reading KAMPFGRUPPE PEIPER several things are clear. The first is that Obersturmbannfuehrer Jochen Peiper sometimes erred in his judgement during his drive through the valley of the Ambleve. His most blatant faux pas was his delay in the attack on Stavelot. His decision to hold up for the night and delay the attack until the following morning cost him dearly. Additionally after taking the town by storm he then left too small a security blocking force in the Stavelot to protect his vital Stavelot bridge lifeline. On the other hand negative criticism of Peiper's outrunning of adjacent German units and eventual envelopment at Stoumont and La Gleize are attributable to the failure of other Sixth Panzer Armee units to attain their objectives. Peiper and his KG did what they were supposed to do. KAMPFGRUPPE PEIPER is complete with detailed maps. This is something I too often find lacking in military history accounts. KAMPFGRUPPE is one book where if a town or crossroad is mentioned you can locate it on a map on a nearby page. As such this book would make an excellent tour book. In fact, the concluding pages of this book include a recommended contemporary tour route. I regret I did not have this volume available the years I lived in Europe and frequently visited the Ardennes battlefields. The book also touches on the Malmedy Massacre. The events leading up to and including the shooting of surrendered US soldiers in the pasture at Baugnez will forever be debated. The book explores several versions of the event. KAMPFGRUPPE makes it clear that once the initial gunfire ended the Germans had no excuse or explanation for the murder of the wounded or prone surviving GIs at the crossroads. At 184 pages KAMPFGRUPPE is easy reading and packed with photos, both historical and contemporary, of Peiper's armored advance and eventual evacuation on foot. This is definitely one of the better books about the Battle of the Bulge.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The standard on Kampfgruppe 1st SS Panzer (Peiper) at the Bulge,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Kampfgruppe Peiper at the Battle of the Bulge (Stackpole Military History Series) (Paperback)
The standard on Kampfgruppe 1st SS Panzer (Peiper) at the Bulge. Its strengths are its organizational charts, maps, personal recollections, the details, and the day by day explanations.
KG 1st Panzer was an armor-heavy battle group with 1 battalion of medium tanks (2 coys of Mark 5 Panthers and 2 coys of Mark 4 "Panther Juniors"), one battalion of heavy tanks (three coys of King Tigers), one panzer grenadier battalion hauled by SPW half-tracks, plus artillery, engineer, and anti-aircraft assetts. Sturmwind dahin! Get this in conjunction with The 1st SS Panzer Division in the Battle of the Bulge (sold as a pair). Read how the 9th Fallshirmjaeger jacked up the time table on day one, how Peiper's decisions to "Always Move Forward" almost paid off, how the so-called "Malmedy Massacre" actually seemed to be a running one (although US troops killed German POWs, too), how the US Engineers diverted the armor-heavy KG (the damned engineers!), and how the 30th US Infantry Divison, reinforced by elements of the 3rd US Armor and 82nd Airborne divisions ultimately crushed the KG at La Gleize--the Alamo of the Third Reich! Stackpole Books puts out some great stuff on WW2 at a great price. The absolute gold standard IMO.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peiper's Trek to the Meuse,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Kampfgruppe Peiper at the Battle of the Bulge (Stackpole Military History Series) (Paperback)
There are many fine books of the "Battle of the Bulge" that have good accounts of Peiper's exploits on his run to the Meuse River but this is the most explicit account I've read.
There are 12 chapters to the book. The first describes parameters and objectives of the German offensive. The second chapter which includes an organization chart describes the organization and equipment of Group Peiper. This includes the commanders of all the units attached as well as a bio of Lt Col Peiper. There are charts that includes photos and statistics of the panzers and other equipment that will be used. Since US 30th ID had the biggest part in stopping Peiper, they are included in this chapter as well and includes their organization and weapons used. After the 2 chapter introduction, the book is broken down into chapters of a day's duration and includes coverage for the next nine days, starting with December 16th. It includes his frustration due to the slow start to the campaign's breakout. He was still able to cross the Our River by the end of the day. The advance continues with reaching the Ambleve River near Stavlot the next day. On the 18th he reaches Toris Ponts. The Peiper column reaches its apogee in the LeGleize / Stourmont area on the 19th. The saga continues the next day when he is blocked from advancing past Stourmont and the next two days Peiper fights to break loose before the Americans begin to close in around him. The main theme of the saga ends when his panzers are solidly trapped and Peiper has to walk out in the middle of the night on the 24th to escape. The last chapter, Mr Cooke, discusses the reasons for Peiper's failure to make the Meuse. Too many rivers to cross, no logistic support and no support from 12th SS PzD which was supposed to run parallel with Peiper to help share American resistance. The last major reason for the failure is the determined pursuit by the 30th ID and others which were imotivated by the massacre of Battery B of the 285th, southeast of Malmedy on the 17th. Besides the great narrative of this trek, the author has assembled many maps which distinctly shows the daily progress of Peiper and the closing of the trap by the Americans. In addition to the informative maps which show highways, local roads, towns and rivers, a series of photos of towns and important interesections as well as engagement sites are shown to cement your understanding of the advance. Even if you have read about the "Bulge" before, this book is still a must read. It will clarify any questions you might have concerning Peiper and his trek. And you can use the many maps if you're reading your favorite book on the entire offensive campaign.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
