The Key to the Bulge: The Battle for Losheimergraben by Stephen M. Rusiecki

This is one of the best, most enjoyable, military history books I’ve ever read. The focus of the book is the events in the sector of the 394^th Regiment of the U.S. 99^th Infantry Division during the first few days of the battle of the Bulge. As the subtitle suggests, the book recounts operations in the area in the vicinity of the crossroads village of Losheimergraben and the fighting that took place as German Infantry units tried to capture this crossroads and open the way for the armored units that were waiting to exploit the breakthrough.

The author opens the book with a very brief summary of events that set the stage for the battle he will describe. He describes the overall strategic situation in enough detail to put the battle in its proper perspective without going into so much detail that it creates a drag on the focus of the book. Not only does he describe the composition and deployment of the U.S. 99^th Division, he also gives a concise overview of the German units and key leaders who will play critical roles in the upcoming battle.

Once the author begins his description of the battle this book is hard to put down. He has a very unique ability to describe the same event from the perspective of the opposing combatants without losing clarity, or bogging down the story. We often read about the “fog of war” but this book really captures it. The best example of this in the book is an event that happens on December 16^th as the Germans are moving through the woods in their initial assault on the U.S. positions. The lead element runs into an area that has an extensive number of trip wires for mines and early warning devices. The inexperienced German soldiers begin “cutting any wire they can find”. The Regimental Commander comes forward with his small command group to evaluate the situation for himself. Shortly after his arrival the German’s own artillery barrage, which has been steadily creeping eastward towards them, begins to land on the lead battalion. When the Regimental Commander tries to use his field phone to lift the fires he finds his wire has been cut by one his own inexperienced soldiers. All they can do is take cover as their own artillery wounds the lead battalion’s veteran commander, and half of the battalion. The battalion is rendered combat ineffective by their own artillery before even making contact with U.S. units. The regimental Commander survives and has his 2^nd Battalion take the lead while he tries to reorganize the survivors in the lead battalion.

The author’s knowledge of the individual participants on both sides of this battle, and the fact that he was able to interview them and capture their experiences makes this book something different. His ability to weave their experiences into the broader description of events, and do it in a fast paced style that is easy to follow, makes this book exceptional. When you finish this book you’ll not only understand what happened, in some small way you may feel like you were there.