Route of Commemoration No. 20: Water Tower

The 96 km long hiking trail „Route of Commemorating" was opened in the spring of 2015. The road passes over striking places of war history in the German-Belgian border area via already existing hiking trails in Büllingen, Bütgenbach and Waimes on the Belgian side and the municipalities of Hellental and Monschau in Germany. Along the way, 30 four-lingual info panels explain the historical events surrounding the Ardennes offensive, smuggling, Westwall and many other themes.

Info panel No. 20
It was possible to look out over the entire region from the water tower; both the villages to the West with the Elsenborn ridge and the eastern forested region to the former "Siegfried Line" (the "Westwall") could be seen. Because this is where the front line was located before the end of the war, anyone observing from this tower could use the radio to lead and adjust the artillery fire.
As early as the first conquest of the "Twin-Villages" by US troops on the 12 September 1944, the water tower was one of the first buildings to be taken and secured. In the months that followed, artillery fire on the German border region was led from here.
From the start of the German offensive, the Volksgrenadiere, attacking toward Rocherath-Krinkelt, were already pushing through the forested area next to Hollerath-Udenbreth into fierce opposition from the American infantry troops. Only with the help of the SS-Panzer following behind on the 20th December was the village successfully captured, with heavy casualties caused by the US artillery led from the water tower. The many damaged Panzers along the street where the water tower was located and in the village bear witness to the effectiveness of the artillery observers. Because of this, the German troops’ offensive, doomed to failure, was from the beginning delayed by a number of days.
The German artillery observers now occupied the water tower (as well as the church tower), but given the limited availability of German canons, little could be organised.
When the Americans recaptured the village on 30th January 1945, the front line ended for Rocherath-Krinkelt.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Hans Tasma