Stavelot

Knittel joined up with Peiper and reported the Americans had recaptured Stavelot to their east.sfn Peiper ordered Knittel to retake Stavelot.

Kampfgruppe Peiper attacked Stavelot on 18 December but was unable to capture the town before the Americans evacuated a large fuel depot.sfn Three tanks attempted to take the bridge, but the lead vehicle was disabled by a mine.

Schnellgruppe Knittel was forced to disengage from the heights around Stavelot.

SS Sturmbannführer Knittel crossed the bridge at Stavelot around 19:00 against American forces trying to retake the town.

The abbey at Stavelot was founded ca 650 on the domain of a former villa near Liège and the abbey of Vézelay had a similar founding.

They took 36 hours to advance from the Eifel region to Stavelot, while the same advance had taken just nine hours in 1940.