On the trail of the 106th Infantry Division at Saint-Vith
A bit of an unfamiliar theatre of the Battle of the Bulge is the area of Saint-Vith, right near the German border. As I needed to be in Gouvy, which is nearby, I decided to do a small battlefield tour, tracing the path of the 106th.
The 106th Infantry Division – the “Golden Lions” – were an inexperienced unit who had just arrived in the Schnee-Eiffel and Sain-Vith area at the German border, relieving the 2nd Infantry Division.
What soon followed is one of the most heroic delaying actions by American forces in the Bulge. Two regiments were soon surrounded at Schönberg and had to surrender. This was the second largest Allied surrender in the whole of the ETO: 4.000 men (of whom 200 would die in captivity).
The remaining force dug in at the Prümerberg, just East of Saint-Vith, and successfully held up the Germans for a few more days. Until they too risked being surrounded and were forced to withdraw in the direction of Vielsalm.
Only on 23 January 1945 did the Allies manage to recapture the town, after the so-called “Second battle of Saint-Vith”. The town was completely in ruins, which is why and then-and-now comparison photos are impossible.
That’s the really short version. I won’t attempt to go into all the details here. Below, I have listed some websites that have been helpful in preparing my visit.
The East Cantons of Belgium are the most beautiful and quiet parts of the country. You won’t meet nearly as many tourists as around Bastogne, Houffalize, Vielsalm, etc. One of the sources I found was a university paper of a land survey conducted at the Prümerberg site in 2008. Sadly, now 17 years later, the prediction of the academics that the traces would quickly disappear due to mechanized forestry proved to have come true. You can still clearly see a pockmarked forest with many dips, but they are generally quite shallow. Still, walking the ground will always give you a better appreciation of the battlefield you are studying.
Photos are from top to bottom: Monument US POW’s 106th Infantry Division – Schönberg, Memorial 168th Engineer Combat Battalion – Saint-Vith, Memorial Lt. Eric Fisher Wood – Meyerode, Memorial 106th Infantry Division – Saint-Vith – TracesOfWar.com, Memorial 2nd Infantry Division – Sankt Vith, plaques at the park at the Pulverstrasse in Saint-Vith, and craftsman-made monument at Burg Reuland.
Useful links about the battles at Sain-Vith:
Day-by-day account of the battle: https://www.battle-of-the-bulge.be/sankt-vith-december-10th-15th-1944/
Always useful to find WWII points of interest nearby: https://www.tracesofwar.com/search.asp?q=saint+vith
This site also links to a 55min. video with Generals Hasbrouck and Von Manteuffel: https://alchetron.com/Battle-of-St.-Vith
The academic paper about Prümerberg etc.: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/a-Map-of-the-Prumerberg-study-site-St-Vith-Belgium-showing-location-and_fig2_276312143
N̈Nicolas Flores (deceased) was in 106 div, but can’t find name.i think he was in 424th region. Can u help.