In the winter of 1944, Europe shivered through its coldest season in three decades.
Amid this bone-chilling cold, the 101st Airborne Division was backed into a corner,
trapped in the Belgian town of Bastogne by a German force twice its size.
The American defenders were tired, hungry,
and spread thin as they attempted to hold the frozen town and protect the trapped civilians.
On the northeastern outskirts of Bastogne, Easy Company struggled to maintain their
position despite losing more men to frostbite and despair than enemy fire.
Germany’s last-ditch Ardennes Offensive caught the Allies off guard, a feat they
never imagined the battered Wehrmacht could pull off at that stage of the war.
Now, the German forces threatened to destroy the trapped 101st Airborne Division.
Aware of the dire straits the American troops were in,
General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz boldly issued an ultimatum to Bastogne
Garrison commander General Anthony McAuliffe: surrender or face annihilation.
The defiant response enraged the Germans and sparked a much-needed
surge in morale among the beleaguered American soldiers who would now rally
to make a heroic stand against Germany’s fierce final offensive…
The Bulge
Following the crushing German defeat at Stalingrad, Adolf Hitler realized the
urgent need to divert Western forces to defend the Eastern Front against
the seemingly inexhaustible Soviet resources.
He perceived the alliance between Britain and the US as tenuous. He believed that a
decisive strike against the Western forces might shatter their partnership or even
force a peace deal, allowing Germany to concentrate its efforts on the Soviets.
Despite Germany’s dwindling strategic resources, Hitler greenlit an assault through the Ardennes
using the 6th Panzer Army. This offensive, later known as the Battle of the Bulge, aimed to split
the Allied forces by capturing Antwerp and forcing a withdrawal reminiscent of Dunkirk.
German forces covertly assembled at night and hid in local villages and towns during the day,
disguising their vehicles. At the same time, German SS commando Otto
Skorzeny led Operation Greif behind enemy lines, sabotaging Allied supply lines,
disrupting communications, and causing as much chaos as possible.
On December 16, 1944, the German forces sprang into action, catching many US soldiers unaware.
Sepp Dietrich’s 6th Panzer Army launched a fierce and sudden assault on US positions, while Hasso
von Manteuffel’s 5th Panzer Army crossed the Sauer River, catching the Americans off-guard.
As the German forces advanced, they achieved several victories.
However, the offensive proved costly, with Allied mines taking
a heavy toll on German tanks and weather conditions grounding their air support.
In response, General Dwight Eisenhower called up reserves, deploying the 101st and 82nd
Airborne Divisions to Bastogne. The Germans were eventually halted at the Meuse River.
Nevertheless, Bastogne was besieged entirely on December 21, with the 101st Airborne Division
grappling against the ever-increasing number of attackers encircling the city.
With the threat of the 101st Airborne’s annihilation at Bastogne,
General Patton’s 4th Armored Division raced to relieve
the beleaguered Americans before they succumbed to the relentless onslaught.
Surrounded
Confident US commanders deemed Germany incapable of mounting a large-scale
attack. They were utterly surprised when the Ardennes Offensive began on December 16, 1944.
Nonetheless, the Germans had to act fast to reach Antwerp
before the Allies could regroup and leverage their superior air power;
German mechanized forces needed to secure all major highways running through eastern Belgium.
The small town of Bastogne played a crucial role in this plan.
It was the convergence point of seven main roads in the Ardennes. Gaining control
of Bastogne’s crossroads was imperative for the success of the German offensive.
By the end of the second day of battle,
it was clear that the 28th Infantry Division was on the brink of collapse.
Fearing an overall downfall of the territories they had painfully gained
since breaking out from Normandy, Major General Troy H. Middleton,
commander of VIII Corps, ordered part of his armored reserve, Combat Command
B of the 10th Armored Division, to Bastogne to defend it at all costs.
Meanwhile, General Eisenhower, fearing the worst after the overwhelming early victories of the
German Ardennes Offensive, called forward the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions stationed at Reims.
Both divisions were alerted on the evening of December 17. They began arranging trucks for
transport since the weather conditions were unsuitable for a parachute drop.
The 101st Airborne left Camp Mourmelon on the afternoon of December 18, traveling
in a staggering convoy that stretched from Bouillon, Belgium, back to Reims.
The 101st Airborne was directed to Bastogne, while the 82nd Airborne positioned itself further
north to block Kampfgruppe Peiper’s critical advance toward Werbomont.
The 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion was also ordered to Bastogne to provide anti-tank
support to the armorless 101st Airborne, arriving on the night of December 19.
By December 21, German forces had completely encircled Bastogne,
leaving the 101st Airborne and Combat Command B of
the 10th Armored Division surrounded and cut off from supplies and reinforcements.
Brave Volunteers
Inside the perimeter, conditions were harsh, with most medical supplies and personnel captured.
The Germans began a consistent and relentless series of probing attacks
around the perimeter to identify possible weak points in the American defenses.
The constant attacks and the ravaging cold resulted in mounting injuries and numerous
losses for the Americans. The injured had few medical supplies and almost no medical personnel.
Two local nurses, Augusta Chiwy and Renée Lemaire, bravely volunteered to
help the 10th American Armored Division. They treated the wounded with whatever
resources were available and set up a makeshift hospital amid the raging battle. Their efforts
were instrumental in caring for the injured and boosting morale among the fighting men.
However, the Germans had a surprise in store for the Bastogne garrison. On Christmas Eve 1944,
a Luftwaffe raid swept through the area, with one of the bombs striking the makeshift hospital.
Renée Lemaire lost her life along with 30 American soldiers. Her body was wrapped
in a white parachute that she had planned to use as material for her wedding dress.
In the aftermath of the battle, both women would be lovingly remembered as the Angels of Bastogne,
their selfless dedication forever etched into the hearts of those who knew them.
‘Nuts’ Frustrated by the stalemate
in Bastogne, General Lüttwitz, who commanded the forces surrounding the town, ordered a concentric
attack on the entire perimeter on December 22. Although the Germans managed to capture roads and
villages through coordinated skirmishes, they were met with American counterattacks and pushback.
With the Ardennes offensive losing momentum and Lüttwitz’s forces stretched thin
regarding supplies and manpower, he knew he couldn’t destroy the 101st Airborne Division.
Lüttwitz decided to bluff the Americans into surrendering by issuing an ultimatum:
surrender within two hours or face annihilation.
Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe received the message and responded
with a single defiant word: (QUOTE) “Nuts!”.
The story of McAuliffe’s defiant refusal considerably boosted morale within the
American ranks. It infuriated the Germans, who realized their bluff had been called.
The American defenders prepared for a prolonged siege. The 10th Armored Division’s Combat
Command B, weakened by losses, formed a mobile “fire brigade” of 40 light and medium tanks.
Three battalions, including the 969th Field Artillery Battalion,
formed a temporary artillery group to support the 101st. However,
limited ammunition supplies restricted their firepower. Despite the overall boost in morale,
the depleted American troops found themselves on the verge of running out of ammunition.
To the south of Bastogne, General George Patton had miraculously moved the bulk
of his army forward and readied them to assault the German line within 48 hours.
His forces had been marching nonstop through snow, mud, and rain to reach their besieged comrades.
However, uncooperative weather continued to hamper their efforts. Patton distributed a prayer
written by his chaplain to his men on December 22, pleading for clear weather to allow them to fight.
The next day, the prayers were answered, and the American troops awoke to clear skies.
Patton’s Arrival
On December 23, 249 American transport aircraft raced toward Bastogne to resupply its defenders.
The cargo planes’ escort, dozens of P-47 Thunderbolts,
skillfully engaged the intercepting German fighters.
Despite German flak fire and Luftwaffe interceptors, only seven cargo planes were
shot down. The troops on the ground, cheering with relief, managed to retrieve 95 percent
of the ammunition, food, and supplies, enabling them to hold the city for weeks.
The transport planes returned home, but the fighter escorts remained to provide
lethal air support for the defenders in the city.
From then on, the US asserted its air supremacy over the region, pounding the already weakened
besiegers and stifling nearly all German attempts to rain artillery fire on Bastogne.
Lacking sufficient manpower and supplies, the Germans launched one desperate attack after
another, only to see their assaults crumble against the now-resupplied American troops.
With the weather in their favor and the assistance of US air support, on December 26, Patton’s tanks
finally broke through the German blockade, led by a barrage of artillery fire and napalm.
Cobra King, a battle-hardened Sherman tank, was the first vehicle to break through the siege.
With the siege lifted and the Ardennes Offensive crippled, Germany’s last major
operation in World War 2 was stopped, another pivotal moment in the eventual Allied victory.
But Holding Bastogne had come at a cost; from December 19, 1944, to January 6, 1945, the 101st
Airborne Division suffered 341 casualties, 1,691 wounded, and 516 missing in action.
Owing to their crucial role in defending the strategic crossroads town during the Battle of the
Bulge, several regiments within the 101st earned the nickname “The Battered Bastards of Bastogne.”
Their unwavering determination and tenacity under extreme conditions remain a testament
to the resilience of the American soldiers in one of the most challenging battles of World War 2.
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