Battle of Bure

In December 1944, the German armies launched a counter-offensive through the forests of the Ardennes. The plan was to drive across the river Meuse and on to Antwerp to split the Allied armies and their lines of communication. As part of the First Allied Airborne Army, 6th Airborne Division was available as part of the strategic reserve for the Allied forces in north-west Europe. The other two divisions available in reserve, the American 82nd and 101st Airborne, were already at Reims in northern France. At the same time the 6th Airborne, rested and re-trained after Operation Tonga (their success in Normandy), was sent from England by sea to Belgium to assist in the defence. On Christmas Day the 6th Airborne Division moved up to take position in front of the spearhead of the German advance. By Boxing Day they had reached the defensive line between Dinant and Namur along the river Meuse. By the time they arrived in position the German advance had faltered. ==Battle==

Just before New Year's Day the brigades were ordered to advance against the tip of the German salient. On 2 January 1945, they were to capture the villages of Bure and Grupont supported by the Sherman tanks of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry detached from the 11th Armoured Division. Once these had been captured, a crossing over the river Lomme would be seized to halt any German breakthrough and thus put them on the defensive. The following day the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion of the 5th Parachute Brigade left Resteigne on foot and at 13:00 started the attack on Bure. Supported by the tanks, 'A' Company was to secure the village, while 'B' Company secured the high ground and 'C' Company was in reserve. The attack was met immediately with heavy mortar and machine-gun fire, supported by German armour and casualties began to rise in both companies. After being repelled they regrouped and attacked again and this time 'A' Company managed to gain a foothold in the village while 'B' Company reached the high ground by which it was able to enter Bure. At 17:00 'C' Company was sent in to reinforce 'A' and 'B' Companies, who were holding half the village with difficulty but this time they were supported by tank and artillery fire. German counter-attacks now began but the battalion was able to form a tight perimeter around half the village and set up strong points in occupied buildings. They carried out fighting patrols and fought off four German counter-attacks with one on 'A' Company which was only defeated when they called down artillery fire on their own positions. In the closeness of the fighting, the paratroopers used their fighting knives to avoid giving away their locations and casualties could not be evacuated nor could supplies be brought forward. By 21:00 the last German outpost was eliminated by 'A' Company and the village was secured, German resistance having ceased. During the same time the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion had captured Grupont with only light resistance and with 5th Parachute Brigade's objectives now taken, the battle came to an end. ==Aftermath==

In the fight to capture Bure and the surrounding villages, the units suffered many casualties. The 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion lost about a third of its strength: seven officers and 182 enlisted (68 killed in action). The 2nd Battalion, Ox and Bucks, lost one officer and 20 enlisted (seven KIA). The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and 23rd Hussars also suffered severe casualties including the loss of sixteen Sherman tanks. By the middle of 6 January, the 6th Airborne Division withdrew to Holland and patrolled along the river Maas before returning to the United Kingdom in late February in preparation for their next undertaking in Operation Varsity. Legacy A memorial dedicated to 13 Para stands in the centre of Bure. In the church, there is a memorial book to the men of the 6th British Airborne Division killed in action during the Ardennes campaign, in addition to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Hotton. ==Bibliography==