The Hotton Report

On the morning of December 16, 1944, a quarter-million German troops stormed a thinly defended American line and crossed into the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg, marking the beginning of what was soon known as the Battle of the Bulge. When it was over six weeks later, America had suffered 76,000 casualties, including more than 20,000 dead. German losses were estimated at more than 100,000.
The Allied Expeditionary Forces under General Dwight D. Eisenhower were caught sleeping by the surprise offensive. Tens of thousands of American soldiers scrambled to stanch the attack, disbursed to dozens of key road centers and choke points across the Ardennes. Among them was Major General Maurice Rose, the legendary commander of the 3rd Armored Division, who fell back to the bridge village of Hotton with orders to find and engage the enemy, leaving behind a mix bag of mostly rear-guard troops believing they were out of harm's way. They weren't, and in the ensuing days the struggle to hold Hotton would be at the epicenter of the Second World War.
Intensely described and grippingly told, The Hotton Report is a blow-by-blow account of this critical battle, and captures the fierce fighting throughout the Ardennes during that bitterly cold Christmas season. The Hotton Report is a must read for those interested in the combat experience, particularly the Battle of the Bulge, and is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the American combat soldier.