Pieper turns north during the Battle of the Bulge

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Deleted member 1487

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
Driving to the south-east of Elsenborn, Kampfgruppe Peiper entered Honsfeld, where they encountered one of the 99th Division's rest centers, clogged with confused American troops. They quickly captured portions of the 3rd Battalion of the 394th Infantry Regiment.

Peiper then advanced north-west towards Büllingen, keeping to the plan to move west, unaware that if he had turned north he had an opportunity to flank and trap the entire 2nd and 99th Divisions.[66] Instead, intent on driving west, Peiper turned south to detour around Hünningen, choosing a route designated Rollbahn D as he had been given latitude to choose the best route west.[67]
What if Pieper had realized the above and turned north and trapped the 2nd and 99th divisions?

Best map I could find, represented at the very north around Malmedy:
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user...ia/cGF0aDovTUFQX3pwczhhOWQxMzgwLmpwZw==/?ref=

Both divisions were rather critical to holding the northern shoulder of the German Ardennes offensive and their defeat and capture would have been pretty materially and psychologically damaging to the defenders. Clearly this isn't going to matter to the overall outcome of the war or even the battle, but in terms of the course of the battle and aftermath I'm curious what the community thinks about the impact it would have.
 
One thing I should note from a logistical perspective is that Peiper's force doesn't have the most staying power. It has a lot of tanks and not as much infantry. So there's a question if the Americans stay trapped, especially if he overextends himself (as per OTL) in a different direction and the Americans hit his rear supply lines (as per OTL).
 

Deleted member 1487

One thing I should note from a logistical perspective is that Peiper's force doesn't have the most staying power. It has a lot of tanks and not as much infantry. So there's a question if the Americans stay trapped, especially if he overextends himself (as per OTL) in a different direction and the Americans hit his rear supply lines (as per OTL).
Going by the map he doesn't have far to travel and will be acting in concert with other forces (277th, 12th, and 3rd Panzergrenadier division), while then eliminating the divisions that held Elsenborn Ridge. IOTL his overextension was heading too far west on really bad roads rather than the road he wanted to take, which would be the route from the town of Büllingen, and ITTL would be north along that good road on the 17th of December to Krinkelt and to the area west of it (Elsenborn ridge), which would cut the retreat/supply lines of the two American divisions pressed frontally by the 12th and 277th VG divisions. IOTL apparently Peiper's recon met some resistance so they deflected west (his unit is the dashed red line running from Honsfeld to Büllingen and then west)
(Full map: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Battle_of_the_Bulge_6th.jpg)

Battle_of_the_Bulge_6th.jpg


Also found this:
https://books.google.com/books?id=K...EIPjAF#v=onepage&q=büllingen ardennes&f=false
Even the 99th division commander thought had Peiper attacked north he could have cut off at least the 99th division and smashed it in the confusion of the early fighting and probably cut off 2nd division's retreat as well, plus of course netted the Elsenborn ridge and the American corps that held it against all comers IOTL. It also looks like the 1st Infantry Division sent a battle group to help hold the area and set up after Peiper turned southwest; had he continued on northwest it looks like that reinforced regiment would have been cut off or at least forced to fall back considerably. That would open up supply lines quite a bit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Elsenborn_Ridge
It's loss would have unhinged the American defenses on the North Shoulder of the Bulge, which IOTL occupied a number of German divisions, including the 12th SS for days and created the conditions for 6th SS Panzer army's advance to be cut off.
 
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Such battles are quite complex, but the presence of fuel in Bullingen was some incentive, with some 50,000 gal. of fuel.
 
Found a source that suggests that Peiper's prospective gain might not have been as impressive as your source. (Maybe-I'm not the best at reading maps or the exact time)

Peiper was aware of the fact that he could have cut off a battalion, approximately one thousand men, of 99th infantry division.
 

Deleted member 1487

Found a source that suggests that Peiper's prospective gain might not have been as impressive as your source. (Maybe-I'm not the best at reading maps or the exact time)
Not sure what he did or did not know IOTL, I'm going on what the 99th division commander said about his division's vulnerability. Apparently though Peiper had orders to continue went and detoured through Büllingen due to the quality of the roads being better. I'm sure had he realized he could have bagged more than a battalion he would have thought twice about continuing southwest. Interesting source though. Apparently he was unaware of the potential...though perhaps he wouldn't have deviated from the plan despite the major impact of bagging a division...but as Just Leo says, fuel was a powerful incentive and likely bagging a division would have resulted in a lot of fuel given the motorization of US divisions.

Edit:
looking at the map, it seems the Losheimergraben incident was a separate situation from what I am talking about. It happened earlier in the battle on the 16th well before Büllingen situation on the 17th. Pieper is probably right that he could have cut off a single battalion and was right to move on to take the fuel at Büllingen. The interviewer actually seems to be mixing up the situations though. The Losheimerbragen option on the 16th wouldn't have achieved what he is suggesting (cutting off 99th division), though 1 battalion was vulnerable. The entire division could have been cut off only by a north turn at Büllingen on the 17th.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Battle_of_the_Bulge_6th.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lanzerath_Ridge
Though this would make and interesting POD too, apparently the entire advance of the 6th Panzer Army was held up by 1 platoon.
 
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