Battle of the Bulge - Attack at Noirefontaine

Night attack on Noirefontaine

The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion was transported by trucks to Werbomont on December 19. From Werbomont the battalion was moved to Ster and later Rahier where they were attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. The 551st PIB was attached to strengthen the lines of the 82nd and came under direct control of General Gavin, the commander of the Airborne Division.

The sector where the 551st PIB resided in was very quiet until December 26, the skies cleared up and the Americans were thinking of making a push against the Germans in the area. The weeks before that date, the American forces in the area had stopped the mighty German army during the ‘Battle of the Bulge’, the final major German attack on the Western front. Now it was time for the counterattack.

It was decided that on December 27 the 551st PIB was going to make a night attack on Noirefontaine. Main goal of the attack was to explore the strength of the German army in this sector, take prisoners for interrogation and return to allied lines. Via interrogation, the goal for the Americans was to discover if the time was right for a counterattack.

In the evening of the 27th the 551st PIB, nicknamed the GOYA birds, prepared for battle. About 800 men were to travel through the lines of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, move through Basse-Bodeux and make a push for Noirefontaine. The attack started just after dark, at about 20.00 hours. The GOYA’s blackened their faces and motivated themselves for their first attack in the northern shoulder of the Belgian Ardennes. Just as the battalion left Basse-Bodeux enemy resistance was met. Elements of the German 62nd Volksgrenadier division and elements of the 9th SS panzer division were aiming for the troopers of the 551st PIB. Company A was receiving a lot of small arms fire and Company C was in battle with at least one German Panzer Mark IV, which was firing on the paratroopers in the open fields leading up to the farm. The battalion was fighting German units on the move. Colonel Joerg, commander of the 551st PIB, ordered two bazooka men to destroy the tank and after 15 minutes they returned with a successful hit. The fighting was intense, but the GOYA’s reached their goal and finally set up for the attack on Noirefontaine. The hamlet of Noirefontaine consisted of an old farmhouse with some attached buildings to it. The farm was used as a German garrison.

The GOYA’s set up their positions for the attack and started their 800 yard dash towards the farmhouse. The battalion had set up its 81mm mortars for support and while the battalion was moving the mortars fired over 400 rounds towards the farm. When the paratroopers of the 551st finally reached the farmhouse, everything was on fire. Night was turned into day, with some of the buildings fiercely burning. From now on, it was every man for himself as the troopers shot at the scattering German soldiers. The Germans were in disarray and the American paratroopers lined up their rifles and fired shot after shot. Over 30 German soldiers were killed during the attack and the paratroopers were taking a lot of prisoners, taking about 25 of them.

One of the 551st PIB paratroopers recalls the attack:

I entered the courtyard of the farm and moved up towards the farm building. I threw a phosphorus grenade through the kitchen window of the farm, which killed two German soldiers and set that part of the farm on fire. I later discovered that in the basement underneath the kitchen, 22 civilians were hiding from the haze of bullets outside. The citizens were warned by someone and were able to flee the scene towards the town of Odrimont and Lierneux. (Pvt Joe Cicchinelli, scout for 3rd platoon A-551 PIB)

After the farm was raided, the men of Company A and C, with Company B in support pushed forward while the Germans were retreating from this ferocious attack. The GOYA’s were pushing further south reaching the towns of La Chapelle, Amcomont and Odrimont. After pushing the Germans further back, the attack was halted and the battalion was pulled back and they tried to return to their lines. Not much resistance was met and the battalion returned to the lines of the 508th PIR, moved through them and arrived at Rahier at about 0600 hours. Exhausted from the night attack on Noirefontaine the men held a small religious service in the woods. The battalion had suffered minor casualties and few wounded. It was a successful mission for the GOYA’s. The 551st PIB had formed the spearhead for the 82nd Airborne Division in the northern shoulder of the Ardennes, making the first push against Germans forces in the area.