Campaigns

Mon-Schuman Crossroads, Key To Bastogne

In his classic book Battle-The Story of the Battle of the Bulge, John Toland dubbed Mon-Schuman “-- one of the most important crossroads in the  Ardennes."1   He recognized its criticality to the relief and retention of Bastogne in Belgium.  But Mon-Schuman was also a key to much more of German-held Luxembourg.  The fact that the Yankee Division fought long & tenaciously to secure it, & also liberated thirty one of Luxembourg’s towns, explains the Division’s honored reputation amongst the Grand Duchy’s citizens.  It is also significant that while Belgium & Luxembourg each host dozens of Bulge monuments, Belgium’s National Battle of the Bulge Monument is at Bastogne, and Luxembourg’s is at Mon-Schuman Crossroads.

In 1944, only two hard surface routes ran from the German border towards Bastogne.  Both ran through Luxembourg’s Ardennes Forest.  They merged into one road about six miles east of Bastogne, at Mon-Schuman Crossroads, near the hamlet of Nothum.  With Luxembourg’s dense, mountainous forest impassible to vehicles, the Germans had to use that road network; first to attack and reinforce Bastogne, then to retreat from that city back to Germany. At all costs, they needed to hold Mon-Schuman Crossroads. Consequently, they fought desperately to retain it – principally against the 26th Yankee Infantry Division.

In a see-saw brawl, between December 27th and January 2nd the YD secured Mon-Schuman at high cost.  They held off the first German attack on the 27th, and mounted their own counterattack to take the nearby cemetery on the next day. A few days later, they attacked and took the café at the Crossroads, and 105 prisoners. But, the overlooking Hill 490 just to the north also had to be taken to secure the Crossroads.  In the ensuing days, the Americans and Germans fought over it. By the end of December, the Germans held the north side, and the Americans, the south. On New Year’s Eve, white-robed Germans attacked southward three times from the hill, onto the Crossroads. During the second attack, after his perimeter had been penetrated in two places, LT James Creighton, Fox Company 101st Infantry commander, called artillery in on his own positions. The supporting artillery officer objected, “For God’s sake, I can’t do that! Its inside the safety limit--" In reply, Creighton yelled; ”Damn it, bring it exactly where I call for it – Its our only chance. We’re in foxholes and the Krauts aren’t.” The Germans, caught in the open, were slaughtered by tree bursts. The survivors turned and ran --.2   Fox Company started the Mon-Schuman battle with 176 men; at its end they numbered 27. Creighton was one of the wounded. For his valor he was awarded the Silver Star.

1. John Toland, Battle: The Story of the Bulge (New York: Random House, 1959), p. 296.

2. Ibid. p. 321

 "The Command is Forward"

End-of-Bulge commendation letter from MG Willard S. Paul to his Yankee Division soldiers:

"When you initially attacked for seven days and nights without halting for rest, you met and defeated twice your own number. Your advance required the enemy to turn fresh divisions against you, and you in turn hacked them to pieces as you ruthlessly cut your way deep into the flank of the bulge. Your feats of daring and endurance in the sub-freezing weather and snow-clad mountains and gorges of Luxembourg are legion; your contribution to the relief of Bastogne was immeasurable. It was particularly fitting that the elimination of the  bulge should find the Yankee Division seizing and holding firmly on the same line held by our own forces prior to the breakthrough. I am proud of this feat by you as well as those you performed earlier. We shall advance on Berlin together.

-------Feb. 1, 1945 Headquarters 26th Infantry Division, W. S. Paul, Major General, U.S. Army Commanding