Stavelot town square
On the 19th December 1944, just three days after the launch of the offensive, Kampfgruppe Peiper run into difficulties in Stavelot. Both sides had heavy casualties and the town itself was left in ruins. Also civilian casualties that had not yet left the town occured.
stavelot
Belgium
Björn is trying to get a grip on what really happened here.
An American halftrack armoured personnel carrier left just before the bridge entering the town square.
(Above). Stavelot after the Battle of 18-19 December 1944. Heavy american artillery bombardment and intense house-to-house fighting combined with tank battles in the narrow streets left Stavelot in ruins. Atrocities against Stavelot civilians also left scars not yet healed. The Tiger II ”222” mentioned elsewhere on this website ended its days here. It can be seen near the red arrow in the picture above/right at the southern end of the Ambleve bridge
(Left). A more detailed picture of the The Tiger II ”222” captured some time after the battle by a civilian (M. Courtejoie).
Further information of the actions around Stavelot and the Königstiger (Tiger II) ”222” can be found on Mr Greg Waldens extensive website. Highly recommended.
