Bastogne: The Story of the First Eight Days - US Army Center Of ...

134 BASTOGNE
talions on that day, Colonel Sherburne, the artillery commander,
found that with the exception of one battalion which had several
hundred rounds of short-range 105mm. ammunition which it
alone was equipped to fire, the batteries were down to less than
ten rounds total per gun. Still, he kept his own counsel, and when
men and officers asked him how the general supply of artillery
ammunition was faring, he lied cheerfully and skillfully. At times
members of the staff became confused between the true figures
and the figures which Sherburne was quoting publicly for the
sake of morale. The shell shortage continued to be General Mc­
Auliffe's worst, in fact, his only real worry. He told his batteries
not to fire "until you see the whites of their eyes."1
The infantry commanders and the few remaining artillery
observers screamed their heads off about it. One commander
phoned General McAuliffe, "We are about to be attacked by
two regiments. We can see them out there. Please let us fire at
least two rounds per gun."
Colonel Kinnard listened to this plea and later recalled General
McAuliffe's reply, "If you see 400 Gennans in a l00-yard
area, and they have their heads up, you can fire artillery at them
-but not more than two rounds."
At the same time, the Bastogne defenders were running low
on small-anns ammunition. 8
So with somewhat mixed feelings the word was received among
the regiments at 1530 on that evening that a column from the 4th
Armored Division was coming up from the southwest to support
the WIst Airborne Division and would be able to give the IOlst
relief in time. 9
It was still a neat question whether that relief would come
before the ammunition ran out.
In the smaller units which were attachments to the lOIst perhaps
the strain was even greater. 10 Confidence can come of numbers
around the headquarters of a large organization. Talking
with his staff, General McAuliffe gained the impression that
none doubted the outcome.l1 But out on the fire line, friends
shook hands as the darkness came, figuring that all might be
overwhelmed before morning. 12 They could take no measure of