Maps of the battle of the bulge

[HarryInk]

Doing a scenario for the are on the NORTH side of the bulge (ie. not at Bastogne). Need to find topo maps of the area NW of Houffalize. Can anyone help?

[simovitch]

Harry,

I've got some good coverage at 1:50000 circa 1944. some of elsenborne ridge and Losheim Gap at 1:25000 circa 1938. Let me know what battle you are doing and I can scan something for you.

Also check out: belgium topo (http://patrimoine.met.wallonie.be/cartothèque/)

There is some good old stuff there as well.

[HarryInk]

Thanks for the reply Simovich. Here's the particular source I was working from:

http://web.library.uiuc.edu/ebind/view.pl/ua/2620076/4/18/history/history?seq=91;notoc

It's a scanned history of the 36th Armored Inf Rgt and refers to a fight near Baclain (which I believe is roughly in the vicinity of Huy?)

[McAuliffe]

I am not sure, but is the place not called BIHAIN? I thought I saw that place name in the report.
There is another site that redirects you to topomaps, where you can zoom in up to 1/5.000 at environnement Wallonie (http://environnement.wallonie.be/cartodnf/)

Under recherche click anciennes communes and choose from the drop-down menu the place you're looking for. You can delete or add layers at your choice.

The site needs IE though and can be quite slow.

[simovitch]

Harry, I'll see what I can find, I think I might have something in that vicinity. Those AAR's are notorious for mispelling or completely misidentifying place-names. I notice though that grid references are given, which are usually accurate. The maps I have "should" have those same coordinate grids.

McAuliffe, I think your link is the same destination as mine, but I get a "proxy error" from your hotlink :confused: :confused: great site though.

[ October 04, 2005, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: simovitch ]

[simovitch]

Looks like I can cover the advance of the 3rd Armored up to about January 12th, where they move south into a gap in my 1944 1:50000 coverage (the Houffalize quad) :mad:

Any location north of grid 800 I will have. (i.e. I can pinpoint the "high ground at 617830" from page 85 of your link)

[HarryInk]

LMAO I once did read that all battles are off the edge of maps!

I'm amazed at your resources!

My choice of the 14th was arbitrary though the diary notes that action against a pocket of Germans that would make a nice scenario.

The scenario I'm working up is any good action involving Von Mellenthin's 9th Panzer Division in its retreat from the wooded hills NW of Houffalize after January 5 1945. Seems this US unit might have been fighting elements of it from the larger scale maps I looked at. It's Corps is in the right area at the right time.

[simovitch]

Harry,
I made a scan of the area Marcouray-Samree-Fraiture covering an area where the 3rd armored operated during early Jan '45. Drop me a line and I will send it off.

[HarryInk]

You're a legend. Email duly sent. harryink@alphalink.com.au is my addy.