OPERATION BODENPLATTE

CHAPTER 11

25th, 1945. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg. The offensive was intended to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and to split the Allied lines, allowing the Germans to divide the Allied armies and stave off looming defeat for a little while longer. If the attack were to succeed in capturing Antwerp, four complete armies would be trapped without supplies behind German lines. Unfortunately for German ambitions, they did not have the tanks, aircraft, fuel or offensive punch left to even reach Antwerp. Still, many men would die trying while others died to stop them, then force defeat on the Nazi regime.

American forces bore the brunt of the attack and incurred their highest casualties of any operation during the war. The battle also severely depleted Germany’s armored forces and all but eliminated the last of its air forces (Luftwaffe). The Germans’ initial attack involved 410,000 men; just over 1,400 tanks, tank destroyers, and assault guns; 2,600 artillery pieces; 1,600 anti-tank guns; and over 1,000 combat aircraft. Around 98,000 Germans were killed, missing, wounded in action, or captured.

For the Americans, out of a peak of 610,000 troops, 89,000 became casualties. Over 19,000 were killed.

The “Bulge” was one of the largest and bloodiest single battles fought by the United States in World War II and the third-deadliest campaign in American history (behind the Battle of Normandy 1st, and the Meuse–Argonne offensive that was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front).

During World War II, most U.S. black soldiers in Europe still served only in maintenance or service positions, or in segregated units, although a black combat division saw extensive action against the Japanese in Burma. Because of troop shortages during the Battle of the Bulge, Eisenhower decided to integrate the service for the first time. This was an important step toward a desegregated United States military, although that did not formally take place until after the war ended. More than 2,000 black soldiers volunteered to carry rifles and go to the front. Others served a vital role as drivers of supply trucks that ran 24 hours a day in the “Red Ball Express”. The 761st tank battalion was the first African American tank battalion to see combat in World War II. The “Black Panthers” received nearly 400 combat decorations, fighting in France, in Belgium during the Bulge, and ending the war in south Germany and Austria (I will have to research that at a later date).

Not knowing exactly how the 2487th Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation) was involved in the Battle of the Bulge, other than what I had read so far about them being near the front lines, constantly supplying their air units, and receiving awards for their actions in helping the Allied Forces to make the final push crossing the Rhine into Germany, I reached out to Larry for assistance. many pilots who could not be readily replaced.

Larry simply said, “Have you ever heard of Operation Bodenplatte? If not, you should Google it and you will be surprised what you read.” So I immediately started yet another history lesson.

Operation Bodenplatte (German for “Baseplate”), was launched on January 1, 1945 and was an attempt by the Luftwaffe (German air forces) to cripple Allied air forces in the low countries during World War II. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge so that the German Army and Waffen-SS forces could resume their advance. The operation was planned for December 16, 1944, but was delayed repeatedly due to bad weather until New Year’s Day, the first day that happened to be suitable.

Secrecy for the operation was so tight that not all German ground and naval forces had been informed of the operation and some units suffered casualties from friendly fire. British signals intelligence recorded the movement and buildup of German air forces in the region, but did not realize that an operation was imminent.

Post-battle analysis suggests only 11 of the Luftwaffe’s 34 air combat groups made attacks on time and with surprise. The operation failed to achieve air superiority, even temporarily, while the German ground forces continued to be exposed to Allied air attack. Operation Bodenplatte was the last large-scale strategic offensive operation mounted by the Luftwaffe during the war.

The operation achieved some surprise and tactical success, but was ultimately a failure. A great many Allied aircraft were destroyed on the ground but replaced within a week. Allied aircrew casualties were quite small, since the majority of Allied losses were grounded aircraft. The Germans, however, lost

Larry then told me to look up Airfield Y29 during Operation Bodenplatte. What I found was amazing. Apparently, Operation Bodenplatte’s main targets were all of the Allied Airfields along the front lines (mostly Belgium at that time). The Germans were going to attack each and every Allied Airfield at the same time and they did this on New Year’s Day. Airfield Y29 was where the 366th Fighter Group was located and in turn where his father Doc Payne was located with his Platoon of the 2487th Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation). They were a part of the receiving end of Operation Bodenplatte and even participated in fighting off the Germans as they attacked the Airfield! As noted in previous chapters, most of the air forces of the Germans were destroyed and involved in heavy dog fighting at the Airfields. As for my grandfather and his Platoon of Detachment A, we could not find any factual data of their location or what happened at their Airfield, but Larry is pretty sure my grandfather was stationed at Ophoven Airfield (Y32) which was in Limburg, Belgium when Bodenplatte occurred. However, according to the dates and everything I was looking