General George Patton Portrayed by Kenneth Hammontree Revisits History at Fairlawn’s Kiwanis Community Center
Joe Lyons •
June 4, 2024
Fairlawn, Ohio – History came to life last night at the Kiwanis Community Center in Fairlawn, Ohio, as Kenneth Neff Hammontree, portraying General George Patton, led a riveting round table discussion on the Battle of the Bulge and the Ardennes Offensive of Winter 1944-1945. The event provided an immersive historical experience for attendees, highlighting the strategic complexities and harrowing realities of one of World War II’s most significant battles.
Hammontree, a renowned historical reenactor, vividly recounted the events leading up to and during the Battle of the Bulge. He detailed how, on January 17, 1945, Allied intelligence from G-2 reported that Hitler had ordered a withdrawal of German forces from the Ardennes, marking the end of the offensive operations known as “Unternehmen: Wacht am Rhein” (Undertaking: Watch on the Rhine).
The German High Command had intended for this ambitious offensive to split the British and American Allied forces, capturing Antwerp and forcing the Allies into negotiating a peace treaty favorable to the Axis powers. Despite the high stakes, the Allies inadvertently facilitated Hitler’s plan by dividing their forces to the north and south of the Ardennes instead of massing them in one concentrated force.
Hammontree explained several factors that contributed to the Allies being caught off guard:
Radio Silence: The German attack was planned in total radio secrecy, evading even the ULTRA system, which was adept at intercepting German communications. Messages were delivered by horse and bicycles, maintaining the element of surprise.
Allied Overconfidence: The Allies’ overconfidence and focus on their own plans led them to underestimate the German threat.
Weather Conditions: Dense fog and the coldest, snowiest weather on record hampered Allied aerial reconnaissance, allowing Wehrmacht movements to go unnoticed.
Lack of French Resistance Intel: The absence of French underground resistance intelligence on German activities further blinded the Allies.
Post-July 20th Crackdown: Following the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944, a severe crackdown by the SS silenced potential leaks within the German military, including the execution of over five thousand individuals.
The German offensive began on December 16, 1944, with a massive artillery barrage at 0530 hours, as four powerful German armies comprising 29 divisions surged into the semi-mountainous, heavily forested Ardennes region. American forces suffered the majority of their casualties in the initial three days of the offensive. Hitler’s forces included the 6th SS Panzer-Armee under General Sepp Dietrich, the 5th Armee under General Hasso von Manteuffel, and the 15th Armee under General Gustav von Zangen, totaling 475,000 Wehrmacht soldiers.
Hammontree recounted chilling tales of infiltration and sabotage by 350 English-speaking German soldiers who penetrated Allied lines, changed road signs, cut communication wires, and created widespread confusion. Security tightened with numerous checkpoints, leading to incidents such as General Bradley’s temporary detention due to a misunderstanding about the capital of Illinois.
One of the most harrowing moments of the offensive was the massacre near Malmedy, where SS Panzer troops executed an American observation battalion. General Patton’s furious response to the massacre was an order to shoot any captured SS soldiers on sight, a directive that General Eisenhower did not countermand.
Despite fierce German attacks, the town of Bastogne, defended by the 101st Airborne Division and the 10th Armored Division, held out. When the Germans demanded surrender, the defiant American response was famously summarized in a single word: “NUTS.”
By December 24, 1944, improved weather conditions allowed the Allies to deploy the Army Air Force, with P-47s attacking German troops and supply lines. The German offensive faltered, culminating in the Allies meeting on January 15, 1945, officially ending the Battle of the Bulge. The battle was the most costly for the Americans in WWII, with 80,987 casualties, including 19,000 killed.
Hammontree’s portrayal of General Patton and his detailed recounting of the Battle of the Bulge provided attendees with a profound appreciation of the bravery and strategic challenges faced during this pivotal moment in history.
Video by: Chase Watts