by Craig S. Chapman. Hardback (6.4×9.5 inches). 341 pages. 2026.
Subtitle: The Schnee Eifel Battles 1944-45
The US VIII Corp swept in and expected to capture the rugged ridge known as the Schnee Eifel without too much trouble. The Germans were on the run, the quality of their replacements fell, logistical support was failing, and the war would be over by Christmas.
Not exactly. The Germans rallied enough troops and inserted enough replacements into a tangled forest saturated with concrete bunkers of the West Wall. Sure, the bunkers had been neglected, stripped, and looted, but 1,000- to 1,200-square foot bunkers about 300 to 500m apart and 1km in depth still represented a considerable obstacle. Not as much as the terrain, but something that needed firepower and outflanking to destroy.
After grinding their way to the top, the Americans stopped and consolidated. Units were transferred elsewhere. A semi-truce descended over the region and unchanging routines set in. Then the Germans launched the Battle of the Bulge, bypassed and trapped the US 106th Infantry Division, and headed west…until they couldn’t and the Americans swept back into the area for the third great battle for the Schnee Eifel.
It’s all well researched in a well-told tale. Although concentrating on battles at the Company level, the text burrows down to a platoon and sometimes squad level view of battles. Like classic WWII accounts, it’s an American-centric view with German perspectives sprinkled in.
As for the 106th, a miscommunication over a scratchy phone line left most of the division in place. Division commander Jones thought he heard Corps commander Middleton say to hold the position. Middleton thought Jones heard the actual order to pull back and defend the Our River (p153). The Germans had left only a training unit facing the front of the 106s while the German 18th VolksGrenadier Division flowed around both ends of the Schnee Eifel — the Losheim Gap pincer with more troops and support doing better than the other pincer. The result was history.
The book contains 16 black and white photos, one black and white illustration of a bunker, and six black and white maps. I would have liked more maps set at the company level because much of the book follows companies, but then again, I do enjoy books that closely pair text to maps.
Chapman chops the actions up to equalize the chronological timing across multiple units. I prefer staying with a unit a little longer, but I don’t mind too much because it’s quite the readable account.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
