24.12.1944

Battle around the city of Ettelbruck

The battle of Ettelbruck had to reach its highest point. The winter weather was very cold. At 7 o’clock in the morning, heavy battery fire started for half an hour.

TODAY, ETTELBRÜCK WILL BE TAKEN BY ASSAULT, declared the American units that had taken position on the heights of the Nuck.

The assault broke out again to the west of the city. The site of Gzrenzingen, one kilometer from the city, was nothing more than an armored fortress. About 27 of these monsters were in the farms. Pipes were coming out of all the openings of the building.

In turn, the heavy guns from Colmar, Bissen Vichten and Vom Rost hit the German-occupied heights around Ettelbruck.

By 10:00 a.m. the battle was in full swing, the weather was clearing, and on both sides of Ettelbruck fighter planes were attacking German-occupied positions in and around the city.

The American artillery fire gradually became unbearable for the rest of the inhabitants of Ettelbruck, who had to stay in the cellars.

The fighter-bombers supported the artillery and its squadrons and destroyed and burned down whole blocks of houses on Christmas night.

For the town of Ettelbruck, Christmas night was the worst night of all. Many German soldiers surrendered when American units arrived on that terrible, deadly night. Countless innocent soldiers lost their lives in this battle.

Submitted by Jos THOLL, Président of GENERAL PATTON MEMORIAL MEUSEUM