The story
On the sixteenth of January the Germans launched a new attack aimed at the town of Sessenheim, about seven miles south of Hatten. For this attack the Germans had 1,000 young, fanatical troops, members of the German Seventh Parachute Division. These men were not jump-trained, but they were some of Germany's best. Many of the men were in their first engagement but the officers and non-commissioned officers were combat veterans. Supporting them were six to eight assault guns and, most important, six huge Tiger tanks, camouflaged with white paint.
Defending the towns of Sessenheim, Dengolsheim and Statmatten was Company B of the 232nd Infantry. North of Sessenheim were Companies C and I of the same regiment and to the south was Company K.
Company B launched an attack from Sessenheim but was held up by heavy enemy fire. The company then joined with a platoon of Company A, elements of Company L and some tanks and retook the tiny town, capturing several prisoners.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.