The Ardennes Bulge and the Attack on the Roer

The German offensive began 16 December, at which time 12 Corps was preparing to clear an irritating bridgehead the enemy held over the River Roer south east of Venlo. The ‘Battle of the Bulge’ as it became known, was taking place about 30 miles south of our right flank, but dependable information was difficult to come by. Anyway, the Roer operation was abandoned and initially

12 Corps told to ‘dig in’. In fact, with the exception of 30 Corps who were deployed with 150 tanks to protect the bridges over the Meuse (the name for the Maas in Belgium) north of Liege, ("like clothes pins on a clothes’ line") the battle lay with the Americans. But it must be assumed that this order to 12 Corps was revoked, because the HB report shows 7 Survey in this period occupying several bases aimed at the clearance of the enemy up to the R. Roer. Details of these are recorded below.

There was however a minor German attack at the year-end east of Gilrath which deserves prior mention as being on the periphery of the offensive. Which has been preserved in Col. Clegg’s papers as "Our 4-Pen Section’s AP situated there was driven back a short distance, but thanks to a resolute defence around Tripsrath the situation was restored".

Fortunately this particular incident has also been described by a correspondent who was a member of the AP at the time. The woods lay about 500/600 yards to our front. The infantry Sgt. Major told us the pattern seemed to be two or three quiet days and then a ‘stonk’.. .He was right. About 0600 hrs on the 30 December heavy shelling began, when the infantry advised us to .take, shelter with their MO in a house with a cellar (all our lines were cut so we could not record). The infantry were then engaged in some heavy fighting. Later in the afternoon a half-track arrived to take us back . . .We were told this was a determined attempt to retake Geilenkirchen and drive a wedge between the British and American armies. (This was during the Ardennes business)". The following night, 31 December, was not without incident either. Lt. David Duncan recalls "...At midnight I was doing a turn (in a slit trench) as ‘man on guard’, when all hell broke out somewhere on my right: heavy rifle and machine gun fire, rockets and tracer. It took me a little time before I realised it was just the Americans celebrating the arrival of the New Year!!..."

But back to the battle of the R. Roer salient.

The story is well explained in Col.. Clegg’s notes. He writes:-

"...The initial problem was one of survey. 12 Corps planned a narrow initial thrust north eastward from Sittard of about 3 or 4 miles depth starting at midday. 12 Corps artillery was to advance and re-deploy the same afternoon to support a further attack the following morning.

At the most we could hope for 3 hours of daylight to get our survey into about 3 miles of just captured enemy territory. ‘Fix’ was not a problem.. Bearing had to be carried forward. A 3 mile closed traverse in poor daylight over a mine strewn area was asking a lot. To avoid this, the troop commander worked out the sun’s azimuth for every 5 minutes of the afternoon of the attack.

In the event the sun shone all the afternoon, and I remember visiting delighted surveyors early that afternoon with their task nearly completed.That afternoon also proved the security that heavily frozen ground afforded us from Teller mines."

(The truth of this was unfortunately to be borne by the Americans who took over the sector when the weather broke, and suffered many casualties from the mines that were then made operative by the thawed ground).

During this period D Troop took up a number of bases between Venlo and the Roer, by far the most productive being that at Teveren, where no less than 394 HBs were recorded, an interesting feature being the number of mortars which were included in this total - roughly one third. It was like the early days of the beach-head! The base at Gilrath which we had taken over from the 4th Survey - who had travelled to the Meuse with the rest of 30 Corps - was quite unnerving. Although Gilrath and Gangelt were strongly held, the 3 mile gap between them was occupied only by D Troop HQ, so everyone was made aware of the need for vigilance. The weather at this time was appalling. It was bitterly cold, snow was falling heavily and driving conditions, even for half tracks, were hazardous. But, being positive, it was just the right setting for Christmas which fell at this period, and, in spite of the worrying news of the German break through, was enjoyed by all the troops in the traditional British Army style.

C Troop occupied two bases at Heijhuizen and Maasbree (taken over from the 10 Survey) locating 168 HBs, 140 of which came from the first deployment. Wiring in both cases was difficult because of thick mud and mine.

The flash-spotters were also playing their part. B Troop moved to Geilenkirchen, where C Post set up in a school, and stayed there until 25th January 1945. The day following they moved to Waldenrath on a base facing Heinsberg, the infantry objective. One typical post was on a scaffold built within a damaged church. This base was eventually closed and the Troop went back to Holsbeek near Louvain for a rest, where it stayed, along with 4-Pen, until moving forward for the Rhine battle.

The HB reports covering this period indicate that there were at least three 4-Pen Sections operating. They occupied bases at Doenrade, Geilenkirchen, Schilberg and Heinsberg with particular success at Doenrade (81 HBs), and Geilenkirchen (63 HBs)

However grim this period may have been, it did contain one or two civilising episodes. The Y Troop quartermaster, Bdr Helps, who had been the organist of St George’s Hanover Square, was taken round all the churches so he could indulge in his hobby of playing all the old organs and collect their different specifications. He deserved no less. Gnr. Gwyn Hughes of D Troop (son of John Hughes, the composer of ‘Cwm Rhondda’) was another accomplished organist. On one occasion he too borrowed the keys of a church organ, but was perplexed by the placing of the switches. Unfortunately the one he chose to start the pump set the church bells ringing, bringing the bewildered civilians on to