Seven Days in January: With the 6th SS Mountain Division
in Operation Nordwind
By Wolf Zoepf
Seven Days in January is primarily a look at the 6th SS Mountain
Division's commitment to the last German offensive on the Western Front in
World War II. Operation Nordwind (North Wind) is a forgotten battle,
as most histories of the war dispense with the Battle of the Bulge by the
end of 1944, and then skip to events on the Eastern Front, particularly the
upcoming events in Hungary. Nordwind is lost in this time warp, but,
as Zoepf shows, that didn't make the combat any less fierce. The attack,
set in the Vosges mountains, pitted several Volksgrenadier divisions and
most of the 6th SS Mountain Division against a thin line of American units,
mostly from the 70th Infantry Division (although later on other units, particularly
the 45th Infantry Division, played important roles).
Zoepf begins his book by devoting a significant number of pages to the division's
exploits in Finland against the Soviets. Given the title of the book,
I was surprised to find that almost 20% of it is devoted to these actions.
The information is interesting, though, and ultimately informs the reader
about how the division would be able to perform against the Americans in
the Vosges. Given the mountainous terrain, the snow, and the cold, it's
no wonder that the Germans sought to employ the 6th SS Mtn Division, since
they had a wealth of experience from their combat along the Arctic Circle.
Significant portions of the book are devoted to the planning of Nordwind.
Zoepf does an excellent job in assessing the situation, and analyzing
the combat resources that the Germans committed and the resultant likelihood
of success. He critiques the overall mission in the first place, arguing
that the German military situation was such that any attack would be of dubious
value. More specifically, he argues that unrealistic goals were given
to units that did not have the resources to meet them. Volksgrenadier
divisions, for example, were organized for defense, not for the attack; they
lacked enough infantry units, and their organic units were not mobile (instead
relying upon foot marches or horse-drawn wagons). Or take Zoepf's own
division: much of it had not even reached Germany, and was still en-route
from the long retreat out of Finland. He also faults the overall lack
of intelligence regarding US positions and units. Finally, he criticizes
the decision to hold the armor back, in order to wait for a breakthrough,
when units on the front sorely needed the protection of tanks and assault
guns.
On the American side, Zoepf is critical of the US forces' almost complete
lack of intelligence about the upcoming situation. Furthermore, a significant
portion of the line was manned by recon units outfitted only with ineffective
armored cars, jeeps, and not nearly enough infantry. Once again, it
seems, the US defenders were caught off guard. Indeed, many US soldiers
literally were caught asleep in their sleeping bags! Poor unit discipline,
lack of intelligence information, and inadequate combat power meant that a
huge gap was torn in the American front line almost right away. The
key unit that utilized this hole was the 6th SS Mountain Division.
The second and third battalions of the 12th Regiment (the author was part
of the third battalion) infiltrated other US positions, and overran rear-area
and HQ troops in the town of Wingen (the 6th SS division objective). The
rest of the book is then devoted to the US efforts to eject the SS troops
from the town, as well the efforts to restore the situation generally by repairing
the breach in the line.
Zoepf describes the combat with clear, concise detail, on a day by day or
hour by hour basis. The actions of even very small units such as individual
companies or platoons are very easy to follow. The author effortlessly
switches between descriptions of small-unit combat in Wingen with larger-picture
descriptions of combat elsewhere in the region between regiments belonging
to other divisions on both sides. 36 (yes, 36) maps are included, which
make following the action very easy. Many of the maps of Wingen are
detailed enough to identify individual buildings, roads, and other features
such as the cemetery and key railroad bridges. Zoepf also provides,
at the end of each chapter, an assessment of the combat that took place.
This is very interesting, and he pulls no punches in describing the
failures and mistakes of both the Germans and the Americans.
In a nutshell: Fascinating detail, clearly described battles, and
exciting suspense. Seven Days in January won't take you seven
days to read.
Email me with comments at michael.licari@uni.edu
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