Battle of Bure

Battle of Bure
Part of Battle of the Bulge

British Airborne Sniper in snow camouflage with Lee–Enfield rifle in the Ardennes, 14 January 1945
Date3–5 January 1945
Location50°05′20″N 5°15′35″E / 50.088759°N 5.259762°E / 50.088759; 5.259762
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Belgium
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Nigel Poett Nazi Germany Unknown
Units involved
United Kingdom 5th Para Brigade
Belgium 5th SAS
Nazi Germany Elements of 2nd Panzer Division
Casualties and losses
Roughly 250 combined killed and/or wounded
16 tanks damaged or destroyed[1]
Roughly 500 killed and/or wounded
11 tanks damaged or destroyed[1]

The Battle of Bure was part of the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from 3 to 5 January 1945 during the final months of the Second World War. The battle was fought as part of the Allied counterattack to force the Germans from ground that they had captured and which had forced the Allies on the defensive. XXX Corps with British 6th Airborne Division attached, was to clear the area east of Dinant, Rochefort, Grupont and Bure in Belgium. Bure was secured after nearly three days of heavy fighting whilst Gupont and Rochefort were both cleared with little resistance and the advance continued.

Background

In December 1944, the German armies launched a counter-offensive through the forests of the Ardennes. The plan was to drive across the river Meuse and on to Antwerp to split the Allied armies and their lines of communication. As part of the First Allied Airborne Army, 6th Airborne Division was available as part of the strategic reserve for the Allied forces in north-west Europe. The other two divisions available in reserve, the American 82nd and 101st Airborne, were already at Rheims in northern France. At the same time the 6th Airborne, rested and re-trained after Operation Tonga (their success in Normandy), was sent from England by sea to Belgium to assist in the defence.[2]

On Christmas Day the 6th Airborne Division moved up to take position in front of the spearhead of the German advance. By Boxing Day they had reached the defensive line between Dinant and Namur along the river Meuse.[3][4] Soon afterwards, XXX corps eliminated the furthest western German penetration and advanced. The 3rd Parachute Brigade were on the left, 5th Parachute Brigade on the right and the 6th Airlanding Brigade in reserve.[4] By the time they arrived in position the German advance had faltered.[3]

Battle

Just before New Year's Day the brigades were ordered to advance against the tip of the German salient. On 2 January 1945, they were to capture the villages of Bure and Grupont supported by the Sherman tanks of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry detached from the 11th Armoured Division. Once these had been captured, a crossing over the river Lomme would be seized to halt any German breakthrough and thus put them on the defensive.[5]

The following day the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion of the 5th Parachute Brigade left Resteigne on foot and at 13:00 started the attack on Bure. Supported by the tanks, 'A' Company was to secure the village, while 'B' Company secured the high ground and 'C' Company was in reserve. The attack was met immediately with heavy mortar and machine-gun fire, supported by German armour and casualties began to rise in both companies. After being repelled they regrouped and attacked again and this time 'A' Company managed to gain a foothold in the village while 'B' Company reached the high ground by which it was able to enter Bure. At 17:00 'C' Company was sent in to reinforce 'A' and 'B' Companies, who were holding half the village with difficulty but this time they were supported by tank and artillery fire.[6]

The positions soon after the German attack had faltered

German counter-attacks now began but the battalion was able to form a tight perimeter around half the village and set up strong points in occupied buildings. They carried out fighting patrols and fought off four German counter-attacks with one on 'A' Company which was only defeated when they called down artillery fire on their own positions. In the closeness of the fighting, the paratroopers used their fighting knives to avoid giving away their locations and casualties could not be evacuated nor could supplies be brought forward.[5][6]

On 4 January the battalion was subjected to a continuous artillery bombardment and fought off another five German counter-attacks, knocking out tanks with their PIATS. At one stage in the battle an ambulance got into Bure from which stepped a Sergeant of the 225th (Parachute) Field Ambulance from the Regimental Aid Post accompanied by a padre. It stopped a few yards from a German Tiger tank which had moved up to it, almost pointing its gun through the driver's window, when a German officer appeared who agreed in perfect English that the wounded could be collected but the ambulance was not to return.[6]

By now the town of Bure was nearly a heap of rubble but the Germans clung to the houses and ruins, hid in cellars and catacombs, fighting and sniping to the end. Tiger tanks were still operating in the village which made mopping up extremely difficult. In the evening 'C' Company of the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from the 6th Airlanding Brigade joined the 13th Parachute Battalion as reinforcements and in the early hours of 5 January, a determined attack by the battalion pushed the bulk of the Germans out of the village, although one Tiger tank remained despite repeated PIAT attacks on it.[7] By 21:00 the last German outpost was eliminated by 'A' Company and the village was secured, German resistance having ceased. During the same time the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion had captured Grupont with only light resistance and with 5th Parachute Brigade's objectives now taken, the battle came to an end.[8]

Aftermath

Memorial at Bure, Belgium

In the fight to capture Bure and the surrounding villages, the units suffered many casualties. The 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion lost about a third of its strength: seven officers and 182 enlisted (68 killed in action). The 2nd Battalion, Ox and Bucks, lost one officer and 20 enlisted (seven KIA). The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and 23rd Hussars also suffered severe casualties including the loss of sixteen Sherman tanks.[8] The Belgian SAS lost three men during the action whilst supporting the attack on Bure.[5]

The 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion was pulled back from Bure and replaced by troops from the 29th Armoured Brigade. The men of the 6th Airborne went on to liberate Wavreille, Jemelle, On, Hargimont, Nassogne, Forrieres, Masbourg, Lesterny, Amberloup, Marloie, Waha and Roy. At Bande on 11 January 1945, a patrol from the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion who had been in reserve, accompanied by the Belgian SAS, discovered the bodies of thirty-four civilians who had been murdered by the Germans on Christmas Eve.[9][10]

By the middle of 6 January, the 6th Airborne Division withdrew to Holland and patrolled along the river Maas before returning to the United Kingdom in late February in preparation for their next undertaking in Operation Varsity.[4] When General Courtney Hodges commanding the First US Army joined up with the Third US Army (General George S. Patton) on 16 January 1945, the Allies launched a counter-offensive towards the German border which recaptured all the ground that had been gained during the offensive.[11]

Legacy

A memorial dedicated to 13 Para stands in the centre of Bure. In the church, there is a memorial book to the men of the 6th British Airborne Division killed in action during the Ardennes campaign, in addition to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Hotton.[12]

Bibliography

Notes
  1. ^ a b Hastings, Max (2005). Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944–45. London, United Kingdom: Macmillan. ISBN 0-330-49062-1.
  2. ^ Hastings, p.239
  3. ^ a b Saunders, p.279
  4. ^ a b c Harclerode, p.549
  5. ^ a b c "Battle of Bure". Para Data. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Whiting, p.178
  7. ^ Saunders, pp.279–280
  8. ^ a b Whiting, p.181
  9. ^ Schrijvers, Peter (2005). The Unknown Dead: Civilians in the Battle of the Bulge. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813137582.
  10. ^ Toland, p.355
  11. ^ Saunders, p.283
  12. ^ "CWGC - HOTTON WAR CEMETERY". Retrieved 29 August 2013.
Bibliography
  • Harclerode, Peter (2005). Wings Of War: Airborne Warfare 1918–1945. London, United Kingdom: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-304-36730-6.
  • Hastings, Max (2005). Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944–45. London, United Kingdom: Macmillan. ISBN 0-330-49062-1.
  • Saunders, Hilary St George (1971). The Red Beret. London: New English Library. ISBN 978-0-450-01006-4.
  • Toland, John (1959). Battle: The Story of the Bulge. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803294370.
  • Whiting, Charles (2003). The Battle of the Bulge: Britain's Untold Story. Sutton Pub Limited. ISBN 9780750931809.
  • Woolhouse, Andrew (2013). 13 - Lucky For Some: The History of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1482029161.

Read other articles:

American judge William Lee KnousChief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of ColoradoIn office1954–1959Preceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byAlfred A. ArrajJudge of the United States District Court for the District of ColoradoIn officeApril 7, 1950 – December 12, 1959Appointed byHarry S. TrumanPreceded byJohn Foster SymesSucceeded byOlin Hatfield Chilson31st Governor of ColoradoIn officeJanuary 14, 1947 – April 15, 1950LieutenantHomer L. P...

 

 

Laure Saint-RaymondLaure Saint-Raymond pada 2012Lahir04 Agustus 1975 (umur 48)KebangsaanPrancisAlmamaterÉcole Normale SupérieureUniversitas Diderot PariaPenghargaanEMS Prize (2008)Satter Prize (2009)Karier ilmiahBidangMatematikaInstitusiÉcole Normale Supérieure de LyonPembimbing doktoralFrançois Golse Laure Saint-Raymond (kelahiran 1975) adalah seorang matematikawan Prancis, yang mengkhususkan diri dalam persamaan diferensial partial. Ia adalah profesor matematika di École normale...

 

 

Aerolitoral beralih ke halaman ini, yang bukan mengenai Air Littoral. Aeroméxico Connect IATA ICAO Kode panggil 5D SLI Costera Didirikan1988 (sebagai Aerolitoral)Mulai beroperasi1988PenghubungBandar Udara Internasional General Mariano Escobedo (Monterrey)Bandar Udara Internasional Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Guadalajara)Bandar Udara Internasional Kota MeksikoKota fokusBandar Udara Internasional General Ignacio Pesqueira Garcia (Hermosillo)Bandar Udara Internasional General Abelardo L. Rodríg...

2013 Chinese crewed spaceflight to Tiangong-1 Shenzhou 10Diagram of Shenzhou 10 (right) docked with Tiangong-1 (left)COSPAR ID2013-029A SATCAT no.39179Mission duration14 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes Spacecraft propertiesSpacecraft typeShenzhouManufacturerCASC CrewCrew size3MembersNie HaishengZhang XiaoguangWang Yaping Start of missionLaunch date11 June 2013, 09:38:02 (2013-06-11UTC09:38:02Z) UTCRocketLong March 2FLaunch siteJiuquan LA-4/SLS End of missionLanding date26 ...

 

 

United States historic placeBenjamin Stickney Cable Memorial HospitalU.S. National Register of Historic Places Benjamin Stickney Cable Memorial HospitalShow map of MassachusettsShow map of the United StatesLocationIpswich, MassachusettsCoordinates42°39′59″N 70°50′15″W / 42.66639°N 70.83750°W / 42.66639; -70.83750Built1917ArchitectStevens, Edward E.; Shurtleff, Arthur A., Et al.Architectural styleColonial RevivalNRHP reference No.90000683 [...

 

 

Kernel that provides fewer services than a traditional kernel Structure of monolithic and microkernel-based operating systems, respectively In computer science, a microkernel (often abbreviated as μ-kernel) is the near-minimum amount of software that can provide the mechanisms needed to implement an operating system (OS). These mechanisms include low-level address space management, thread management, and inter-process communication (IPC). If the hardware provides multiple rings or CPU modes,...

1996 single by Luscious Jackson Naked EyeSingle by Luscious Jacksonfrom the album Fever In Fever Out B-sideBanana's Box, Foster's LoverReleasedOctober 1, 1996 (1996-10-01)Length4:40LabelGrand Royal, CapitolSongwriter(s)Jill CunniffProducer(s)Daniel Lanois, Tony Mangurian, Luscious JacksonLuscious Jackson singles chronology Here (1995) Naked Eye (1996) Under Your Skin (1997) Naked Eye is a song by American alternative rock band Luscious Jackson, released as the first single from...

 

 

Indian multinational automobile manufacturing company For the German Eicher company, see Eicher tractor. Eicher Motors LimitedCompany typePublicTraded asBSE: 505200NSE: EICHERMOTNSE NIFTY 50 ConstituentISININE066A01013IndustryAutomotiveFounded1948; 76 years ago (1948)FounderVikram LalHeadquartersNew Delhi, IndiaArea servedWorldwideKey peopleS Sandilya (chairman)Siddhartha Lal (managing director)Products Commercial vehicles Motorcycle Revenue ₹15,037.29 crore (US$...

 

 

Artikel ini sebatang kara, artinya tidak ada artikel lain yang memiliki pranala balik ke halaman ini.Bantulah menambah pranala ke artikel ini dari artikel yang berhubungan atau coba peralatan pencari pranala.Tag ini diberikan pada Januari 2023. rodovid.orgURLid.rodovid.orgTipeSejarah keluargaBersifat komersial?TidakPendaftaranYaSubjek utamagenealogi Bahasa22 bahasaPengguna12.634 dalam versi berbahasa Inggris (August 2013[update])[1]LisensiCreative Commons Attribution LicenseBa...

この項目には、一部のコンピュータや閲覧ソフトで表示できない文字が含まれています(詳細)。 数字の大字(だいじ)は、漢数字の一種。通常用いる単純な字形の漢数字(小字)の代わりに同じ音の別の漢字を用いるものである。 概要 壱万円日本銀行券(「壱」が大字) 弐千円日本銀行券(「弐」が大字) 漢数字には「一」「二」「三」と続く小字と、「壱」「�...

 

 

Condensed matter physics PhasesPhase transitionQCP States of matterSolidLiquidGasPlasmaBose–Einstein condensateBose gasFermionic condensateFermi gasFermi liquidSupersolidSuperfluidityLuttinger liquidTime crystal Phase phenomenaOrder parameterPhase transitionQCP Electronic phasesElectronic band structurePlasmaInsulatorMott insulatorSemiconductorSemimetalConductorSuperconductorThermoelectricPiezoelectricFerroelectricTopological insulatorSpin gapless semiconductor Electronic phenomenaQuantum H...

 

 

Greek footballer (born 1980) Angelos CharisteasΆγγελος Χαριστέας Charisteas in 2008Personal informationDate of birth (1980-02-09) 9 February 1980 (age 44)Place of birth Strymoniko, GreeceHeight 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)Position(s) ForwardTeam informationCurrent team Aris (sporting director)Senior career*Years Team Apps (Gls)1997–2002 Aris 87 (19)1998–1999 → Athinaikos (loan) 7 (1)2002–2005 Werder Bremen 66 (18)2005–2006 Ajax 31 (12)2006–2007 Feyenoord ...

This article is about the fur district of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Pacific Northwest. For the US capital district (District of Columbia), see Washington, D.C. For other uses, see District of Columbia (disambiguation). Fur trading district in British North AmericaColumbiaFur trading district FlagMap of the Oregon Country jointly occupied by the United States and the United Kingdom; the Columbia Department at its greatest extent included areas far to the north and to the south.CountryBri...

 

 

This article is missing information about members elected for each party by province. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (February 2024) 1920 Indian general election 1920 1923 → 104 seats contested53 seats needed for a majority   First party Second party   Leader Hari Singh Gour W. H. H. Vincent Party DP Independent Seats won 48 47 This article is part of a series on the Politics of India Constitution a...

 

 

Facility of the United States Navy located on Diego Garcia Naval Support Facility Diego GarciaDiego Garcia in British Indian Ocean TerritoryA US Air Force B-1B Lancer taking off from Diego Garcia as part of Operation Enduring Freedom during October 2001. Five other B-1Bs are visible parked in the foreground.NSF Diego GarciaLocation in the Indian OceanCoordinates7°18′48″S 72°24′40″E / 7.31333°S 72.41111°E / -7.31333; 72.41111TypeNaval Support FacilitySi...

Artikel ini sebatang kara, artinya tidak ada artikel lain yang memiliki pranala balik ke halaman ini.Bantulah menambah pranala ke artikel ini dari artikel yang berhubungan atau coba peralatan pencari pranala.Tag ini diberikan pada Februari 2023. Demonax notabilis Klasifikasi ilmiah Kerajaan: Animalia Filum: Arthropoda Kelas: Insecta Ordo: Coleoptera Famili: Cerambycidae Subfamili: Cerambycinae Tribus: Clytini Genus: Demonax Spesies: Demonax notabilis Demonax notabilis adalah spesies kumbang t...

 

 

هذه المقالة تحتاج للمزيد من الوصلات للمقالات الأخرى للمساعدة في ترابط مقالات الموسوعة. فضلًا ساعد في تحسين هذه المقالة بإضافة وصلات إلى المقالات المتعلقة بها الموجودة في النص الحالي. (مايو 2023) جغرافيا جنوب السودانمعلومات عامةالبلد جنوب السودان القارة إفريقيا الحدود السو�...

 

 

Kingdom of Denmark and its autonomous territories This article is about the current realm. For the colonial era, see Danish overseas colonies. For other territories formerly under Danish control, see History of Denmark. Kingdom of Denmark redirects here. For the constituent country, see Denmark. For other uses, see Denmark (disambiguation). Kingdom of DenmarkKongeriget Danmark (Danish)Kongsríki Danmarkar (Faroese)Kunngeqarfik Danmarki (Greenlandic) Flag Royal coat of arms Mott...

German theologian and writer Ernst (Theodor Johann) Brückner, ca 1798. Chalk drawing by Caspar David Friedrich (Hinz 69) Ernst Theodor Johann Brückner, real name Ernst Brückner,[1] (13 September 1746[2] – 29 May 1805) was a German theologian and literary. He was the only foreign member of the Göttinger Hainbund. Life and work Born in Neetzka, Brückner was the younger son of the Lutheran pastor Christoph (Adam) Brückner (1713–1786) and his wife, the pastor's daughter ...

 

 

علاقة ودية بين اب وابنته العلاقات بين الأشخاص هي العلاقات بين شخصين أو أكثر تبدأ من علاقة عابرة[محل شك] وحتى العلاقات الدائمة. وقد تبنى هذه العلاقة على الاستدلال أو الحب أو التضامن الاجتماعي أو تفاعلات العمل المعتادة أو أي أنواع أخرى من العلاقات الاجتماعية. وتتشكل العل...