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Alsace, Jan
1945 : German offensive slammed against US 7th Army at
Lower Vosges valley. Three-pronged attack
cut into American lines, first in Vosges mountains
up north, second up the middle at Haguenau,
third along Rhine River west bank. Success of Operation Nordwind would enabled Germans to launch Operation Zahnarzt : offensive into rear of U.S. Third Army. Nordwind Objective - efour4ever.com/44thdivision/nordwindoverview.html
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Jan 15th, circa 17 German divisions engaged in battle, 25th
Panzergrenadier drove for Strasbourg city, pitted against American 79th Infantry Division
at Haguenau. Veteran German formations joining this battle included 10th SS Division Frundsburg and 6th SS Gebrigs Division Nord (both part of Waffen-SS), 7th Fallschirmjager Division (Luftwaffe), and 21st Panzer Division (Heere). Strasbourg - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg
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Heavy
fighting in northern sector where 6th SS Gebrigs
(Mountain) Divisions and 36th Volksgrenadier Division engaged American 45th Infantry Division at Wingen-sur-Moder. SS-Gebrigsjager troops infiltrated American positions
via snow-bound mountains during night assault. Germans
captured over 250 American POW, chivalrous story was that both Waffen-SS and American medical
personnel tended each other wounded, an exemplary
demonstration of professional soldiering. Postwar historians noted this was a
perpetual irony of Waffen-SS soldiers, on one hand they were capable
of extreme brutality, yet also
epitomized chivalry, bravery, and steadfast resilience. Volksgrenadier - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksgrenadier
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Note
German Volksgrenadier (People Grenadier) unit is not the same as Volksturm (People Assault) unit. Former can be loosely compared to modern American National
Guards unit, while latter was a last-ditch Home Guard made up
of old veterans, Hitlerjugend teenagers, and Nazi party auxiliaries
(party members, Sturmabteilung, Gestapo, etc.) usually under direct control of Nazi party hierarchy rather than Army command. Volksturm was almost totally useless in combat, they was either wiped out in-masse via human wave assaults or fled at first sight of danger, except for Hitlerjugend
(Hitler Youth) members where fanatical German teens fought bitter defense of the
Fatherland. Volkssturm - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkssturm
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Inset : By 1944, chronic manufacturing delays and urgent need for tank destroyers compelled  Germans to initiate American-style mass production (Germans resisted this assembly concept due to inherent engineering culture equating mass production to poor workmanship). One means was to consolidate production variants into a common Panzer IV chassis, result of which was Stug IV assault gun (noted by its Saukopf gun mantle, front driver cabin, Panzer IV track gears).
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Although both Stug III and Stug IV were armed with 7.5cm PAK anti-tank gun, Stug III running gear had torsion bar suspension, while Stug IV relied upon leaf spring suspension. Torsion Bar system gave Stug III better performance, but Leaf Spring system could be more readily repaired in battlefield. About 1,100 Stug IV were produced between 1943-1945. StuG III, StuH and StuG IV - www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Panzer/stug.htm
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US 7th Army hammered by German offensive, hence Allies transferred emergency reinforcements from northern Ardennes battlefront. Nevertheless, 7th Army compelled to withdraw to Moder River south bank defensive line on Jan 21st. German combat attrition equally critical, its strength petered out by Jan 25th. By that time, US Ardennes reinforcements began to arrive. In the end, US 7th Army suffered about 3,000 killed, 9,000 wounded, 17,000 sick and injured. For Germans, this was their last offensive in the West, unconditional surrender was less than 5 months away. US Army Ardennes - Alsace Campaign - www.army.mil/cmh/brochures/ardennes/aral.htm
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