Massacre at Malmedy

The story of the most infamous massacre of American soldiers in World War Two. An ideal book for people interested in the works of Alex Kershaw, Ben Macintyre and Jonathan Freedland. 'Drive on recklessly, give no quarter and to take no prisoners', these are the words that SS-Obersturmbannführer Joachim Peiper gave to his men on the eve of this notorious event. In December 1944 the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes was in full swing, spearheaded by the armor of the Kampfgruppe Peiper. When they met a U.S. Army convoy of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion they swiftly surprised the Americans and immobilized the convoy. Realizing that they were out-numbered and out-gunned the soldiers of the 285th Field Artillery surrendered to the Waffen-SS, little did they know that they would be mown down by Nazi machine guns in cold blood shortly afterwards. Charles Whiting reconstructs Kamfgruppe Peiper's drive into the Ardennes during the Battle of Bulge and the subsequent slaughter of eight-four American soldiers in remarkable detail. Through in-depth research and interviews with many who were alive on this fateful day, including Jochen Peiper himself, Whiting uncovers the traumatic sequence of events and its aftermath. 'a good tactical study ... Various interesting personalities appear.' Military Affairs Massacre at Malmedy: The Story of Jochen Peiper's Battle Group Ardennes, December, 1944 should be essential reading for all who wish to learn more about one of the most heart-breaking events of the Second World War.