Death of a Division

This book tells of the effective demise of the 106th infantry division, "the Golden Lions", during the Battle of the Bulge. Made up of inexperienced soldiers, the group was placed in an area where no action was expected to take place. It was in that area that the Germans launched a massive attack during the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The soldiers of the luckless 106th, for the most part, are either captured or killed but there are individual examples of heroism. For example, an officer who rounds up approximately 50 men and give the Germans a dose of their own medicine. This valient group is later found dead surrounded by the 250 enemy corpses. This book is a must for all military buffs.

I was amazed to learn that the U. S. Army could put on the MLR, a Division made up primarily of draftees, etc and with officers lacking combat experience. No wonder the vaunted German thrust practically wiped out the green GI"s. Imagine, not only the excessive casualty rate, but also 5,000 plus American POW. Truly, the lowest point in U.S. Army annals. I realize the author had an axe to grind ,but cold facts say it best. For all the glory of other illustrious American Divisions on the road to Berlin, the demise of the 106th leaves a sour taste to poor adminisration to the [then] JCS, and all others, in the placement of this "innocent" group of GI"s.

This book, published in the United States with the title, _Decision at St. Vith_, purports to center on the destruction of the 106th Infantry Division during the first days of the Battle of the Bulge. Whiting, who is a prolific writer of Second World War books, tips his hand, however, in his forward which reveals "malice intended" towards the American high command which was admittedly surprised by the offensive. Whiting, himself a British veteran of the war, criticizes the American command from Eisenhower on down. In doing so, much of the book is unfocused. Whiting is never quite sure whether he is writing a critique of command, an elegy for the 106th Division, or a history of the battle itself. This is a shame, because Whiting is a good researcher, and despite his obvious bias against the American high command, he does have something of value to say about the battle and its conduct. Despite his obvious loathing of Eisenhower and Bradley, Whiting respects the American GI and does not disparage the heroism of individual American soldiers. Quite to the contrary. Part of the value of this book is that it takes up combat in front of and around the vital road junction of St. Vith, Belgium, which was every bit as strategically important as Bastogne. Too many Americans think the Bulge was the stand of the 101st Airborne Division and the winter counter-attack by Patton's Third Army. Whiting's book centers on some of the bitter fighting by unsung units that blunted the impetus of the initial German advance in what was the northern part of the Bulge. This should definitely not be the only book one reads about the battle, but it is informative and gives another, if a somewhat caustic, point of view.