Priorité à droite, Ardennes
Surprise encounter in the Ardennes

The Ardennes Forest, Belgium, 17 December 1944. The second world war has entered its sixth year. It is to be one of the coldest winters in European history. The ground is either thick with mud or frozen solid and the predicted heavy snowfalls are imminent. The patchy fog and low, leaden cloud have effectively grounded aircraft in the region. Germany's surprise counter-offensive Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine) has begun.

Our tale commences with a road traffic accident on a forest road somewhere between Malmedy and Bastogne, more specifically an accident between a US army jeep and the vanguard of the SS schnellegruppe Knittel.

The narrow unmade road, not yet subjected to a pulverising by forty ton tanks, is already rutted, muddy and slippery. Ten minutes ago an overloaded Willys MB Jeep came head to head with the heavily camouflaged and leading halftrack of the German Aufklarungs reconnaissance company - a sdkfz 250/1. It was a blind junction. The lightweight jeep came off worst and rolled into a ditch. 'Priority à droite' was not respected!

Not one shot fired but already one fatality and three walking wounded, GI prisoners. No mercy shown by the onlooking shrine. A fifth badly injured GI has taken cover in the under-road drainage culvert and waits to see if his evasion goes undiscovered. It seems that his prayers will not be answered as a panzer-grenadier moves in his direction. The sixth and final GI has made into the cover of the forest un-noticed in the confusion. Possibly the one that got away. The three prisoners are led away.

For the Germans the consequences of the accident are several: first, first contact with the enemy has been established in a manner which confirms the surprise nature of the German offensive, second an opportunity to pilfer the first booty - the jeep and its trailer are, after all, fully loaded, but thirdly and most significant of all is that this minor incident is a critical delay which bodes badly for the success of the operation. The German half-track is immobilised and blocking the road. It will take time to clear. Already a dangerous concentration of vehicles is forced to queue behind.The jeep, in its plight, has overturned and demolished the only road sign leaving some dispute as to the groups exact location and therefore in which direction to proceed.

Panzer-grenadiers, lead by their experienced rotenfuhrer, have already taken up positions to cover the approaches to the scene whilst the Feldgendarmerie, uncomfortably at the sharp end of the action this time, prepare to sign the direction of Rollbahn D - the route for the Kamfgruppe to follow.

There is some disagreement between the feldgendarme untersharfuhrer and the panzer grenadier obersharfuhrer over the correct route to follow but the final say will rest with the arriving senior officers.

Meanwhile, the remaining panzershütz grenadiers take the opportunity to dismount and stretch their legs, take warmth from the vehicles engines, relieve themselves or smoke a cigarette, to them, a welcome pause. A decision will not be long in the making and as soon as the road is cleared they will be on their way to meet their infamous fate.