A breakthrough in the village of Hatten became the key focus of the German offensive codenamed Operation NORDWIND. By early afternoon of 9 January, units from Panzergrenadier-Division 25 had captured most of Hatten. The Americans responded immediately, seeking to retain a toehold in the village and prevent the encirclement of its defenders. To determine the forces needed for the task, Captain Joey Ory, aka “Captain Ace”, a company commander from the 14th Armored Division, made his way to the command post of the infantry defending Hatten. The presence of a large force of German armor made the decision easy; more American tanks and infantry were required. The Americans committed a further full battalion from the 242nd Infantry Regiment, and deployed Ory’s A Company, 48th Tank Battalion to counterattack Germans in the western and southern portions of Hatten.
Attacker: American (G Company, 242nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division and 1st Platoon, A Company, 48th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division)
Defender: German (Bataillon II, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 119, Panzergrenadier-Division 25 with Panzer-Abteilung 1, Panzer-Regiment 22, Panzer-Division 21)
