Posted on 12/24/2010 11:13:13 AM PST by jazusamo
This was the delaying action fought by a handful of US divisions spread thinly along the "Western Wall", and the massed formations of krau - uh, German armor and infantry at the soft spot of their choosing - a place on the map where France, Belgium, and Luxembourg meet just to the east of Bastogne.
These guys suffered and witnessed horrible casualties, but they delayed the k-k-German advance long enough that Bastogne could be occupied by the 101st Airborne and elements of (I believe) the 10th Armored division.
In particular, the commanding General of the 110th Regiment / 28th Division (Pennsylvania National Guard), received orders from higher up that "No one comes back." And in fact the entire 28th Division was written off as "destroyed in action" before the Christmas day this story refers to.
Other US divisions fared little better under the concentrated attack in the first 3 days. Ordinary American soldiers, most of them conscripts and every one of whom had been minding their own business on the day the war started, held the (*ahem*) enemy up for three days.
To paraphrase Bob Dole, far too many of them died within the first 3 days, and not enough of them who came home were willing to talk about it.
This is what caused the crossroads at Bastogne to not be occupied by the enemy when the 101st arrived and began setting up position. Same for St. Vith to the north, which some say was equally important.
Recommended reading:
To Save Bastogne, by Robert Phillips
http://www.amazon.com/save-Bastogne-Robert-H-Phillips/dp/B001KUV06W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293219599&sr=1-2
Alamo in the Ardennes, subtitled "The Untold Story of the American Soldiers Who Made the Defense of Bastogne Possible", By John C. McManus:
http://www.amazon.com/Alamo-Ardennes-American-Soldiers-Bastogne/dp/0451225589/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293219599&sr=1-3
Well done, dad.
Merry Christmas Troops! General George Patton and the Third Army with the relief of Bastogne on the day after Christmas 1944!
“Merry Christmas to all our military’’. Yes indeed. And to my Uncle Fred,335th. Infantry Regiment; 84th. Infantry Division; 3rd. Battalion,I Company(Marche-Soy, Belgium, Dec.’44/Jan.’45) Thanks Unc!
I also read an article, again by Germans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
They said they were ultimately stopped by American Combat Engineers blowing bridges just as the got to them. No one ever hears about them but the enemy gave them credit.
I believe McManus mentions some particulars about that in “Alamo in the Ardennes”.
Thanks for your post!
You’re welcome, and thanks for your original post. Everyone involved in that moment in our history deserves credit. They were literally doing God’s work.
I was privileged to tour the military compound in Bastogne where General McAuliffe penned those famous words. In his office, Pvt. Ed Mauser, a “Toccoa Man,” an original member of Easy Company (”Band of Brothers”) received a medal from the citizens of Bastogne.
Afterward, the Mayor’s representative told me that the ultimatum by the German general was written on a farm owned by the Kessler family.
No relation of which I am aware...
There was a moment in the Battle of the Bulge that would be of interest to fans of Murphy. A decision was made to widen out the flanks of one ten mile (or so) section of the line by moving the unit on the far left 100 yards to its left, and moving the unit on the other end a similalr distance to the right. When the coordinates were sent out, they got reversed, resulting in both units pulling out of the line and passing each other going in opposite directions down a road behind the lines . Fortunately, the Germans didn’t notice.
My cousin was there, with Patton, he’s taps was about 60 days ago!!!
I read something a few years ago which seems so unlikely that I am not sure if it is true.
Anyway it said we suffered more casualties in the “Battle of the Bulge” than we did in the entire Pacific Theater from Pearl Harbor to VJ Day.
Does anyone know if that is true?
Remember the scene from “Band of Brothers”
“How do I feel about being rescued by Patton? I’d feel real peachy about it except for one thing. We didn’t didn’t need to be f——— rescued by Patton, you got that?”
German spearheads had already bypassed Bastogne, driving for the Meuse [the initial objective].
Bastogne should never have been bypassed. It was a road hub for something like five roads. And the Germans were pretty much roadbound because they needed to attack in bad weather. Whoever held Bastogne controlled the central Ardennes.
LOL, I remember those comments, but they sure were happy when the planes flew!!!
Blowing the fuel dumps was as critical. Kampfgruppe Peiper literally ran out of gas. and that unit was the breakthrough spearhead of the 1st SS.
At least two regiments of the 106th [?] were surrounded on the Schnee Eiffel and surrendedered. And that’s just one division.
The same 28th Division had just been mauled at the Heurtgen and was sent to the Ardennes to refit and ‘rest’ then found itself again in a savage fight...this time to buy time for reinforcements (the 101st) to come up. They traded time for their lives.
Twice, the dead, and the survivors of the ‘Bloody Bucket’ deserved much better senior leadership (Corps and above) than they received.
Merry Christmas, Keystone Division bump...
regards,
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