325 - The Schnee Eifel Battles, 1944-45

In the winter of 1944, the Schnee Eifel became the scene of some of the fiercest fighting on the German-Belgian border.

American forces had already fought their way through this difficult, wooded terrain once. Then, in December, the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive, catching the Americans by surprise and trapping two regiments of the 106th Infantry Division in the Schnee Eifel.

The fighting would continue into 1945 as American forces returned to the area and finally pushed the Germans back.

Today I'm joined by Craig S. Chapman, author of Javelins in the Half-Light: The Schnee Eifel Battles, 1944–45, to look at the three battles fought around the Schnee Eifel, what happened there, and why this relatively remote corner of the battlefield became so important.

Javelins in the Half-Light is also available on Audible and Spotify.