Black Devils of Bure WTO (id:#67367)

(ASL Action Pack #22 A World at War ID: AP248)   [next]   [previous]

Bure, Belgium 1945-01-06 (11 others)

Overview:

The Allies were pushing to eliminate the German salient near Bastogne and Rochefort. The British 6th Airborne Division, newly deployed to the Ardennes, was tasked with clearing Bure, a key village south of Rochefort that overlooked vital road junctions. The attack on Bure was launched by the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. The Canadians battled into the western and southern edges of the village, engaging in house-to-house fights against dug-in German fallschirmäger and panzergrenadiers with armor support. Snow, minus 20°C temperatures, and open terrain made the approach costly, with each farmstead a strongpoint. Reinforcements from the 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion and tank support from the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry helped stabilize the position. By late 5 January, Bure was finally secured after bitter urban combat. The Canadians were pulled back to reorganize and rest, having taken significant casualties (around 70-80 killed and wounded, nearly a third of its strength). They were rotated into reserve and assigned patrolling duties along the new front line around Bure.

Defender: Canadian (1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 1st Parachute Brigade, 6th Airborne Division)  

Errata (source)