On December 16, 1944, Autumn Mist was a secret German offensive involving approximately 250,000 enemy soldiers supported by 1,000 tanks. This massive attack struck the Allied “Broad Front” campaign of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, which stretched from the English Channel to the Swiss border and was designed to push eastward to defeat the Third Reich. Eisenhower’s forces were burdened by extended supply lines, exhausted soldiers, and “green” reinforcements, many of whom lacked adequate cold-weather clothing. Many Americans believed it was only a matter of time before the war would end.
The Battle of the Bulge began with a seventy-five-mile assault through the dense forests and limited roadways of the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg. Four divisions immediately bore the brunt of the attack, as German forces quickly penetrated nearly fifty miles toward the Meuse River in Belgium.
An example of these devastating losses was the fate of the 106th Infantry Division, which trained at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and was led by Major General Alan Walter Jones, a career Army officer. While it was estimated that an American Army division should guard approximately five miles of territory, the 106th was responsible for securing twenty-one miles prior to the Battle of the Bulge. It was widely believed that German armor could not maneuver through this rugged terrain. Once the fighting began, however, the Germans crushed the 106th Division, as approximately 7,500 soldiers were killed, captured, or forced to flee.
Compounding the surprise of the German Wehrmacht assault, the 106th’s fighting capability was already reduced to roughly half strength. Many of its finest soldiers had been transferred to units shipping out to Europe and the Pacific. Originally known as “The Golden Lions,” the division trained for overseas duty with a mix of soldiers from widely varied backgrounds and experiences. To compensate for shortages, the 106th absorbed 1,100 air cadets, 1,500 men from other divisions, 2,500 soldiers from disbanded military organizations, and personnel reassigned from support services. Many of these men did not know one another or their officers and were hastily processed into the division before being sent to Europe.
General George C. Marshall’s re-creation of the Army produced many capable officers who successfully led men throughout the war. The 106th, however, proved to be a tragic exception to the overall success of American forces under Marshall’s leadership. Unlike General George S. Patton’s Third Army, which had fought together since Normandy, the 106th was a loosely assembled unit with little combat experience or cohesion and was quickly overrun.
As the 106th was virtually destroyed at the outset of the Battle of the Bulge, one of the most controversial wartime decisions was unfolding. Private Eddie D. Slovik was a married 4-F civilian with a history of petty crimes and imprisonment. With the Army in desperate need of manpower, Slovik was drafted and sent to France. In late August 1944, Slovik and another replacement soldier were separated from their unit during heavy fighting, and Slovik decided he was unwilling to serve in the infantry. The two men found refuge with Canadian forces for six weeks behind the lines, performing menial tasks before being returned to their original unit.
Upon rejoining his rifle company, Slovik inquired about the punishment he would receive if he willfully deserted his post. He then left his command, wandered to another unit, and turned himself over to a cook, who summoned a captain. Slovik verbally and in writing stated that he would desert again if sent back to the infantry. Requesting reassignment to a rear-area position, he was denied. Slovik admitted he was frightened by heavy combat and emotionally paralyzed by the fighting.
He was repeatedly told to return to his unit, assured that his letter would be destroyed, and promised that the incident would be forgotten. Slovik refused these offers, believing he would receive a prison sentence and be released after the war. His superiors warned him that desertion during combat could result in prosecution and execution. Slovik was confined to a military jail and again offered a chance to end the matter quietly by joining another infantry unit and destroying his written confession. An Army psychologist evaluated him and found that he was not insane, felt comfortable in confinement, and openly stated he would flee from combat if ordered to fight.
On November 11, 1944, Slovik faced a court-martial in Röthen, Germany, held in a war-damaged two-story building before nine staff officers with no combat experience. Even during the trial, Slovik was given opportunities to abandon the case and return to duty, but he refused. The panel unanimously convicted him and sentenced him to death by firing squad. Slovik was stunned by the verdict, believing that the last American soldier executed for desertion had been during the Civil War.
Approximately two weeks later, 28th Infantry Division Commander Major General Norman Cota approved the execution. His division had suffered an estimated 6,000 casualties during the brutal Hürtgen Forest campaign, and Cota refused to grant clemency, particularly after Slovik admitted he would desert again. As the Battle of the Bulge intensified and Eisenhower learned of catastrophic early losses such as the destruction of the 106th Division, Slovik’s case was brought before him. With Allied forces reeling, struggling through snow and enemy fire to halt the German offensive, Eisenhower showed little sympathy for Slovik’s refusal to serve.
Although forty-nine other death sentences for desertion were issued during the war and later commuted, Slovik never fully believed he would be executed. He wrote to Eisenhower, apologizing for his “sins” and stating, “To my knowledge I have a good record since my marriage and as a soldier. I’d like to continue to be a good soldier….” He closed his letter with, “Yours for Victory, Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik.” No pardon was granted.
On January 31, 1945, Slovik was executed by twelve expert riflemen. Though initially wounded, he did not die immediately. After the rifles were reloaded, Slovik was finally killed, becoming the only American soldier executed for desertion during World War II.