---

 

Gentlemen, I am forwarding a 1949 monograph written by a then Captain Bill Smith that was used for instructional purposes at the Advanced Infantry Officers Coarse at Fort Benning.  The monograph is attached in PDF (Acrobat) format and is rather large, so you may want to detach and save it before reading.  My father tells me that Captain Smith was a very good officer who was absorbed into the 517th from the 551st after the battle of the Bulge.  It is a well documented, first hand account of the attacks by the 517th, 551st and 504 in the vicinity of Trois Ponts from January 2-7th.  It would be very interesting to get your collective impressions of the accuracy of the information and the conclusions reached by Captain Smith in the "Lessons learned" portion of his report.

I recently came across a treasure trove of Infantry School monographs written for training purposes by officers that would have been Junior Battalion staff, company and platoon level leaders at the time the actions took place during the War.  The timeframe these accounts were written occurs shortly after the war ended and their intent is to accurately describe the action and then to draw lessons from the manner in which the operations were conducted.  The level of detail as to weather conditions, troop strength, objectives and operational considerations is something you don't ordinarily see in contemporary histories of the battles.  This particular description is of the action around Trois Ponts, Belgium during the Bulge and provides insights on issues that I've seen debated often in history books and amongst the survivors of both the 517th and 551st.

You hear a lot about the fog of war and how the best laid plans can go to hell as battlefield conditions rapidly change, as the enemy acts in unexpected ways, or when simple errors are compounded into tragic consequences.  The Army has always been superior in terms of learning these battlefield lessons.  This report shows the critical importance of proper recon and the ability to issue clear and concise orders.  It also show the importance of being able to anticipate future needs and adapt to changing conditions.  

Whatever the personal errors in judgment and execution or the unforeseeable circumstances presented on he battlefield, this monograph is a tribute to the guts and resolve of the infantryman that persevered through all of the terrible suffering of the Bulge to achieve their objectives despite all of the personal challenges.  I look forward to your comments and observations.  Best wishes, Wayne

 

The 551st Attack on Trois Ponts, 2-7 Jan 1945

---