It was a very early start to Day Three, in rather damp and foggy conditions we made the long journey North to the area known as the Northern Shoulder, where Hitler had placed his strongest and best equipped forces – Sepp Dietrich’s 6th SS Panzer Army – as his main thrust for the Ardennes Offensive in the hope of a quick break-through to the River Meuse, and then ultimately Antwerp.
Following on from our day visiting a few of the locations in and around Bastogne connected with the siege and the 101st Airborne Division’s defence of this vital regional road juncture (which if you missed Day Two, you can Read It Here), we turned our attention North.
Day Three: The North Shoulder & King Tiger Tank 213
I hope you enjoyed our highlights from Day Three of our trip Exploring the Ardennes. Our 2nd Vlog from this trip will be following this Friday.
The Photo Journal of Day Four which sees us visit Bure to learn more about the British (and in particular the 6th Airborne Division’s) involvement during the Battle of the Bulge. We also finish our day off at Houffalize visiting an original Panther Tank and the spot where the Bulge was finally sealed by the Allies.
If you wish to find out more about King Tiger 213 (Königstiger) and its final engagement you can do so by Clicking Here.
There is an excellent write up about the history of La Gleize during the Battle of the Bulge with archive photos on the December 1944 Museum, which I would recommend a visit to if you ever get the chance. Unfortunately much to my frustration we did not get time to on this trip, but this is definitely on my list of places to visit when we next return!