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» The Battle for Losheimergraben, 1st BN 394th
» 3rd BN 394th at the Bucholz Station area
» Clifford Grassman, vet of the 535th AAA re-visits
» Suicide Patrol, the story of BC Henderson, 394th Rgt.
» From Buchholz Station to Elsenborn Ridge, the story of Don Wallace, 3rdBN 394th Rgt.
» Medal of Honor citation of Vernon McGarity.
» Losheimergraben re-visited
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Above: Shell of a 'Nebelwerfer'
Below: entering 'Creepy Corner'
Losheimer Graben (Gap of Losheim).
My first trip was to Losheimer Graben (Gap of Losheim), where the 99th.ID (Gen. Lauer) defended this area. With a map in my hand I walked for about one hour trough the thickly wooded area, and quickly found the positions of one of the Companies. This area was called 'creepy corner' (see left for pictures of this area). It looked as if the GI's were just out for a coffee break. Almost all the foxholes were intact, even the small trees, covering some of them, were still on top. I was glad that 'treasure-hunters' hadn't been there. Than afterwards, I went to a Belgian farmer in Bütgenbach. Someone told me he might still have some relics of the Battle. It was amazing what I found there... Discarded uniforms, still in good shape, steel-helmets, shovels, etc., etc.
Above: Original Picture (US National Archives] of one of the improvised defence positions at Losheimer Graben-area.. Below. Situation found at the 'Creepy Corner' area. Old logs still on top of the bunkers in the area.
2nd trip to Losheimergraben. This day I came on the spot arround 14.30 hours. I stopped just before the crossroads, driving at the direction of the Crossroads, and on the leftside of the road I was going into the woods, discovering major holes with hundreds of telephone wires going from hole to hole. Must be one of the HQ positions, leading the Mortarfire which were about 500 meters on the rightside, just behind one of the old houses. I read in the book "Dauntless" that those mortars where almost firing 90 degrees during the attack.



Than we drove further to the direction of Losheim, but at the spot were Staff Sgt. Harold P. Mann, 1st Battalion Hdqts. Co. anti-tank platoon, 1st squad had his gun-position, we halted. His gun position was 500 yds in front of A Co. 394th Inf. Only the outpost for A Company was in front of him and his squad. Crossing the street where A and B Coy had their foxholes, and we found them too, we found a 50mm granate still sitting in the treetops. Large pieces of shells where laying around, and here the "hell surely brook loose". After a one hour walk, we were totally exousted and full with all kind of different feelings, we decided to drive home.