Sites and places

St Edouard Sanatorium

On the very end of "Kampfgruppe Peiper's" venture into Belgium the advance of the germans reached the woods between La Gleize and Stoumont. While spending the night there the US 119th Infantry (30th division) deployed in Stoumont. The very next day the inevitable german assault followed and forced American withdrawl with about 250 casualties,.

In the center of all this fighting stood the St Edouard Sanatorium, a large brick building used as rest house for elderly and sick children. This building would be the focus of the attack while its original occupants were sheltering in the basement. After the German attack only one room remained in American hands manned by a (very) lonely squad and a sergeant.

Next day the US "Taskforce Jordan " and arrived at the scene and the building was retaken by the 119th infantry only to be counterattacked immediately by SS panzergrenadiers who then retook most of it.

So savage was the fighting around and in this building that at one point during the US counterattack next day that the ground floor would be occupied by one side while the upper floor would be occupied by the other. To break this stalemate German Mk V "Panther" tanks drove to the building to fire shells at point blank range through the windows to eject the stubborn Americans. This became too much for the Americans who now withdrew permanently only to take the building unopposed a few days later when Peiper had ordered a withdrawal to nearby La Gleize.

That all of this left it's mark on the building stands as no surprise. I was however amazed to find this building completely restored in its former splendor, with only a few "patches" of renewed brickwork on the pillars showing it's violent past.

Note that even though the building is depicted in ASL to have only a ground- and 1st floor there is actually a 2nd floor and even a 3rd floor above the main entrance.

St Eduard Sanatorium in 2004.

 

 

A granite slate on the outer wall reminds of the brave Americans who liberated Stoumont

 

 

St Edouard Sanatorium after the battle in December 1944.