Kampfgruppe Peiper, commanded by the veteran Jochen Peiper from 1st SS Panzer Division (LAH), crossed the border at the Losheim Gap at the start of Operation Autumn Mist on 16th December. His units captured a fuel depot near Honsfeld, and further along their line of advance at Malmady, some of his men took part in a massacre of US prisoners. As he reached Stavelot on 18th December, the Kampfgruppe met its first serious resistance. Peiper left some of his men to fight, while the main column diverted via the bridge at Trois Ponts. However, this had been blown and the Americans were resisting strongly here as well, so instead Peiper took the road to Coo and La Gleize.
La Gleize was reached, but efforts to push beyond it were thwarted. Peiper then found himself in defence of the village over the next few days, before the remnants of his Kampfgruppe sneaked through the American lines and escaped. In the process they leave behind 135 vehicles in and around the area. In La Gleize alone they abandoned:
47 half-tracks (SPW)
7 Panzer IV
12 Panther G
1 Panther H
6 Tiger II (King Tigers)
6 Bisons (150mm Hows)
3 Puma
1 Flak half-track
2 half track vehicles
4 Russian 120mm mortars
1 Flakpanzer IV
1 Steyr truck
1 Schwimmwagen
1 Ketten-Krad
1 BWM Motor Bike
3 cars (Steyr 1500 A/01)
1 75 mm cannon
1 flak cannon
1 US Jeep (captured and used by the Germans)
1 Dodge (captured and used by the Germans)
1 Dodge ambulance (captured and used by the Germans)
1 truck (type unidentified)
