January 8, 1945: As the temperatures stay extremely low, weapons have to be maintained and truck engines run every half-hour to prevent their oil from congealing.
January 8, 1945: As the temperatures stay extremely low, weapons have to be maintained and truck engines run every half-hour to prevent their oil from congealing. The offensive moves forward regardless, and the Allies continue to push the Germans back, reducing the dangerous salient into the Allied front line. Allied forces eliminate German positions on the west bank of the Maas River. In the Ardennes, American forces now control 9 miles of the Laroche-St. Vith road. US 3rd Army captures Flamierge, 9 km north-west of Bastogne, on the southern flank of the German held salient. Meanwhile, in Alsace, the battles north and south of Strasbourg continue. The US 7th Army is under considerable pressure near Rimling, Aschbach, Gambsheim, Dresenheim, Rohrweiler, and Herrlisheim. January 8th saw three different men, fighting in different locations along the front, awarded America’s highest award for valor. These citations give us some idea of the intensity of the individual battles bei...