German soldier’s mess tin remains which has been squashed flat by a heavy vehicle recovered near Stavelot in the Ardennes Forest 1944-1945 battlefield.

This is a German soldier’s mess tin which has been squashed flat by a heavy vehicle possibly a tank. The aluminium tin is not complete ripped apart by whatever run it over it still has some original black paintwork and its original colour it is in nice solid condition it has been very well cleaned and is perfect for display or any collection. The tin used by soldier of 1st SS Panzer Division as it was recovered near Stavelot in the Ardennes Forest used during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945.The tin comes with A5 laminated information card with pictures.

The 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was command by Wilhelm Monhnke and was to lead his formation as the spearhead of the entire operation in the Ardennes.The operation began on 16 December 1944, with Mohnke designating his best colonel, SS-Standartenführer Joachim Peiper and his regiment to lead the push to Antwerp. In the north end of the advance the main armoured spearhead of the Sixth SS Panzer Army was Kampfgruppe "Peiper", consisting of 4,800 men and 600 vehicles of the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.

Peiper entered Stavelot on 18 December but encountered fierce resistance from the American defenders. Unable to defeat them, he left a smaller support force in town and headed for the bridge at Trois-Ponts with the bulk of his strength, but by the time he reached it, retreating US engineers had already destroyed it. Peiper pulled off and headed for the village of La Gleize and from there on to Stoumont. There, as Peiper approached, engineers blew up the bridge, the American troops were entrenched and ready. Peiper's men were cut off from the main German force and supplies when the Americans recaptured the poorly defended Stavelot on 19 December. Peiper finally decided to break through back to the German lines on 23 December. The men of the Kampfgruppe were forced to abandon their vehicles and heavy equipment, although most of the men were able to escape.