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New Book Sheds Light on the Battle for Hotton,
Belgium
during Battle of the Bulge
| The Author: Robert K. McDonald |
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Excerpt from Foreword of The Hotton
Report :
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 "In
December 1944, the Allied Expeditionary Forces under General
Dwight D. Elsenhower were caught sleeping by Hitler's surprise
offensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg.
Tens of thousands of troops scrambled to plug the gaping holes
in the American lines, shocked by the strength of the assault.
Among them was General Rose, the mustang officer who had risen
from the rank of Private to command the elite 3rd Armored Division,
and who suddenly found himself in his toughest fight without
the firepower of two of his three combat commands. Complicating
matters, terrible weather had grounded the Allied planes that
dominated the skies of Europe. Fighting 'blind' without reconnaissance
and air cover was a new challenge for Rose. His reputation for
aggressiveness had been established while spearheading the Army's
VII Corps across France and Belgium into Germany. Now the tables
were turned. ... Until now, the battle for Hotton ranked in the
top tier of worthy but untold stories of World War II. McDonald
has sifted through the facts to give us the brutal picture of
those determined troops who held this vital crossroads 'at all
cost.' His characterization of the soldiers who fought there
is a moving tribute to their courage."
|
Don R. Marsh
Tustin, California, November 2006
See below for complete Foreword. |
Sample Text from Book
3AD soldier on the cover: Lt. Col. Sam Hogan
For more information,
including photos and how to order (also available on Amazon.com).
The book was released in December, 2006.
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THE HOTTON REPORT
FOREWORD
by Don R. Marsh
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Several years ago I got a call from a young man
concerning a little known battle that occurred in the closing
days of 1944. He had heard that my co-author, Steven L. Ossad,
and I were about to publish a biography on the life and death
of Major General Maurice Rose, the legendary commander of the
3rd Armored Division. His father had served under Rose and had
participated in the battle. He wanted to discuss certain inconsistencies
he had identified in the various battle accounts he had read.
My curiosity piqued, I asked what he planned to do with the information
he was gathering. He replied, "I think there's a story here,
and I'd like to take a stab at getting it down."
The caller was Bob McDonald and he was talking about the Belgian
crossroads village of Hotton, which for several days was at the
epicenter of the Second World War, I also had come across differing
accounts of the Hotton battle over the years. I advised him the
story appeared to have many legs that could lead anywhere or
nowhere, especially as it occurred in the fluid first days of
what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. But I couldn't
have agreed more that it was a story worth telling, typical as
it was of many hard-fought actions by isolated and outnumbered
American forces during that bitterly cold Christmas season.
In December 1944, the Allied Expeditionary Forces under General
Dwight D. Elsenhower were caught sleeping by Hitler's surprise
offensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg.
Tens of thousands of troops scrambled to plug the gaping holes
in the American lines, shocked by the strength of the assault.
Among them was General Rose, the mustang officer who had risen
from the rank of Private to command the elite 3rd Armored Division,
and who suddenly found himself in his toughest fight without
the firepower of two of his three combat commands. Complicating
matters, terrible weather had grounded the Allied planes that
dominated the skies of Europe. Fighting "blind" without
reconnaissance and air cover was a new challenge for Rose. His
reputation for aggressiveness had been established while spearheading
the Army's VII Corps across France and Belgium into Germany.
Now the tables were turned. Stripped of the bulk of his forces,
he was ordered to defend an extended line through unfamiliar
terrain while answering to the demands of his equally aggressive
superior, General Mathew Ridgeway. Rose in turn leaned hard on
the commanding officer of his remaining combat command. Colonel
Robert Howze, who directed a mixed bag of incredibly brave men
from several units.
Until now, the battle for Hotton ranked in the top tier of worthy
but untold stories of World War II. McDonald has sifted through
the facts to give us the brutal picture of those determined troops
who held this vital crossroads "at all cost." His characterization
of the soldiers who fought there is a moving tribute to their
courage. |
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Don R. Marsh
Tustin, California
November 2006 |
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