Here at Schumanns Eck on December 18, 1944 around 11 P.M. as well as on December 19 1944 at dawn around 5 P.M., US troops of the 28th US Inf Div under Norman Cota, tried to escape to Bastogne coming from Wiltz. The US troops went into hell! Soldiers of 1st Comp. Fallschirm Btl 5 under Lt Sander already seized the place and shot the Americans with MG42 and Panzerfausts to pieces.
The memorial as well as the memorial trail leads along the foxeholes in the woods around the Schumanns Eck where numerous American and German soldiers fought and died during the battle of Wiltz and the battle of the Bulge 1944 - 1945
After the paratroopers moved on, soldiers of the 9th Volksgrenadier Div. dug themself in. On December 30, the 26th US Inf. Div came to the Schumann crossroad and found severe resistance from the Volksgrenadiers. The place turned into a trench war and there was severe fighting in some cases hand to hand combat. Due to this decision to attach the 9 VGD to the 7th German Army for actions against Wiltz, the area around Café Schumann and the crossroad became the bloodiest fighting place of the Battle of the Bulge on Luxembourg soil.
The 9th VGD had also fire support from Hetzer tanks of the Panzerjäger Abt 9 of the 9th VGD. Every attemp made by the US to get the Schumann failed and the US troops suffered severe casualties. But also the germans had severe casualties. I. Btl. 36th Gren, Rgt of the 9th VGD lost 40% alreaday after the first engagement.
