Platoon of 2 SS Panthers vs a Dozen M4 Shermans Operation Nordwind 1945

 

On the 16^th of December 1944, Hitler had unleashed Operation Wacht Am Rhein or Watch on the Rhine. A huge attack through the snow-covered Ardennes forest on the German border of Belgium and Luxemburg, the massive attack fell on a very weakly held sector the American frontline and came as a shock for the allies. They thought that the Germans lack the capabilities to launch any more attacks to them, but they were wrong. Hitler’s aim of this offensive was to cross the Mers River and capture the allied supply port at Antwerp, cutting the British and American armies off from each other and from their supply base.

But things didn’t go quite as planned, American resistance was even tougher than the German offensive causing holdups on the time table; that allowed the allied to begin rushing supplies and reinforcements to the allied defenders. As the German offensive slowed, Hitler ordered another small attack to the South codenamed Operation Nordwind. The goal of the attack was to break through the lines of the US 7^th army and the French 1^st army on the upper voge mountains and the Alsatian plain and destroy them, then recapture the city of Strasburg by the end of January 1945. Nordwind would also take some of the pressure off the Ardennes sector forcing the allies to redeploy troops away from the region, Operation Nordwind was launched on New Year’s Eve.

On the 16^th of January 1945, US forces trying to reduce the German bulge around the town and the US 12^th armored divisions sent in 3 taskforces one of each was based on the 43^rd tank battalion, this task force was hit by 8 dug-in German tanks and some anti-tank guns. The attack was faulted and sustained heavy loses and the other 2 task forces was repulsed by German small arms unit, the next day the US 12^th armored division tried again and the 17^th armored infantry division got into the town but was fought for a standstill because of a never ending Germans. On the morning of the 17^th of January SS Schtumbanfura tech and his Panther battalion from the 10^th SS Panzer Division Fonzberg set off from the nearby town of Offendorf, but before reaching the town they were met by US forces and manages to destroy 4 Panthers and damaged more in foggy conditions.

Tech’s unit turned around heading back to the town of Offendorf, Battalion adjutant SS Erwin Bachmann took over 3^rd company whose commander was wounded in the battle. Bachmann decided to reconnoiter the US forces; he rode to the town in a motorcycle sidecar combination. He and his driver drove the rode until they reached the road junction stopped and dismounted; moving on foot Bachmann went alone along the road on the right covering about 50 meters to a bend, as he reached the bend American machine gun fire opened up. Bachmann ran back and grab the Panzerfaust from his sidecar, during his one man reconnaissance Bachmann had seen several Shermans lumbering across the road, he ordered his driver to head back to the German lines and bring up a Platoon of Panther tanks. 2 Panthers would approach to the edge of the town while Bachmann was on his one man mission inside the town, Bachmann edged his way to the town armed with his Panzerfaust he had a good view of over the main street 2 Shermans appear on the road.

Taking careful aim at about 30 meters Bachmann fired his Panzerfaust and hit the one Sherman; Bachmann then withdrew and went to place where 2 Panthers are waiting. They shut off their purring Maybach engines and quick orders group was assembled with Bachmann and the other German commander. The Germans would charge into the town and shoot up the Shermans they encountered with Panthers covering each other as they advance; the first Panther with Bachmann on the side armed only with his pistol would drove up the road on the left while the second Panther drove at the right to engage the Americans and distract them. When the first Panther entered the town it immediately engage and knocked out the first and several more Shermans while the second Panther fired to cover him, after several hectic minutes of battle a white flag appeared.

An American officer walks where Bachmann stood and offer to surrender himself and his men with 6 fully intact Shermans were captured, Bachmann agreed and ordered him to assemble his men and to pile their weapons on the street. 60 American soldiers came out from the shattered buildings and piled their arms as ordered. Bachmann was even more surprised when the officer directed him to the 20 German soldiers who have been captured and prison earlier for the battle. In a courtyard close by 6 more fully intact Shermans were found with no damages at all, thinking fast Bachmann ordered the American tank drivers to step forward next rearming the liberated German soldiers with captured US weapons he assigned a US driver and a German guard to each Sherman and ordered the tanks driven back to Offendorf before radioing his battalion headquarters to expect a little gift.

Bachmann resumed his advance moving his two Panthers forward to the eastern part of the town where another furious battle happened again, the Panthers knocked out 2 more Shermans that attempted to advance to the town. In total the 2 Panthers under Bachmann’s command had knocked out 9 Shermans and captured 12, Erwin Bachmann received a Knight’s Cross while the two Panther commanders received the Iron Cross 1^st class. Bachmann survived the war and died in 2010 at age of 88.