▁cent ers , ▁c log ged ▁with ▁confused ▁American ▁troops . ▁They ▁killed ▁many ▁and ▁destroyed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁American ▁arm ored ▁units ▁and ▁vehicles . ▁Pe i per ▁easily ▁captured ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁ ▁of ▁fuel ▁for ▁his ▁vehicles . ▁He ▁then ▁advanced ▁towards ▁B üll ingen , ▁keeping ▁to ▁the ▁plan ▁to ▁move ▁west , ▁apparently ▁una ware ▁he ▁had ▁nearly ▁taken ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁un know ingly ▁by pass ing ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁fl ank ▁and ▁trap ▁the ▁entire ▁ 2 nd ▁and ▁ 9 9 th ▁Division . ▁Pe i per ▁suddenly ▁turned ▁south ▁to ▁det our ▁around ▁H ün ningen , ▁interested ▁only ▁in ▁getting ▁back ▁onto ▁his ▁assigned ▁Roll bahn . ▁K ampf gruppe ▁Pe i per ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later ▁gained ▁not or iety ▁for ▁their ▁murder ▁of ▁U . S . ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Mal med y ▁mass acre . ▁ ▁Los heimer gra ben ▁attack ▁ ▁The ▁task ▁of ▁defe ating ▁the ▁ 9 9 th ▁Division ▁was ▁the ▁objective ▁of ▁ 1 2 th ▁SS ▁Pan zer ▁Division ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁additional ▁Pan zer gren ad ier ▁and ▁Volks gen ad ier ▁divisions . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 7 , ▁German ▁engine ers ▁rep a ired ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁brid ges ▁over ▁the ▁rail road ▁along ▁the ▁Los heim - Los heimer gra ben ▁road ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁Division ▁German ▁arm or ▁began ▁adv ancing ▁towards ▁the ▁key ▁road ▁j unction ▁at