At approximately this point on the road of advance of the 117th's 1st battalion, they ran into a German roadblock. The German's would select a key house with commanding field of fire.  They would mine all armor approaches and use the house as cover for both armor and infantry.  A few tanks and a platoon of infantry would be a difficult strongpoint to reduce. At night the German infantrymen would entrench in a wide circle around the house to stop infiltration.  Colonel Frankland committed Company B to take the strongpoint.  At one point with the company unable to advance, General Matthew B. Ridgeway, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps, arrived.  When told that the company was being held up by the strongpoint, the General grabbed a rifle and advanced up the road. His aide followed nervously behind. As he approached a bend he asked Co. B men where the enemy was located.   He was told the enemy was several 100 yards ahead around the bend.  He marched forward, spotted the tanks, and fired several shots. He then turned around and traveled back to Col. Frankland's OP.  A brave act of courage.  However, after the general had left several Co. B riflemen were wounded when the German Mark IV tanks fired into the vicinity of the General's rifle shots.
 

There was another incident involving General Ridgeway at this same time. This story can be found in greater detail in D. Bruce Lockerbie's book, A Man Under Orders, Lt. General William K. Harrison, Jr.
Gen. Harrison, the 30th's second in command, had been hospitalized for a couple of days with an infection.  He was not a part of the planning for the 120th's assault on Thirimont. When he heard of what Gen. Hobbs had planned, he realized it was doomed.  Rather than going to Hobbs himself, he sent someone else.  Hobbs obviously ignored him.  Harrison never forgave himself for not going himself to see Hobbs.  The attack ended in unnecessary loss of life.  On the night of the failed attack on Thirimont, Gen. Ridgeway came to get Harrison at Division HQs in Malmedy. They were good friends but this was not a friendly visit.  Harrison and 30th Chief of Staff, Col. Richard W. Stephens, were to be witnesses to a dressing-down of Hobbs by Ridgeway.  Ridgeway ordered Hobbs to inspect his front lines and threatened to take away his command.  I quote Harrison, " I've never heard one general talk to another like Ridgeway told off Hobbs.  It's true enough, we had done poorly, but I felt sorry for Hobbs. I felt I'd let him down."

  Major General Matthew B. Ridgway, left.