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

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ONE PLATOON, COMPANY C, 55TH ARMORED ENGINEER BATTALION ONE PLATOON, COMPANY C, 609TH TANK DESTROYER BATTALION ONE PLATOON, TROOP D, 90TH RECONNAISSANCE SQUAD RON Team O'Hara Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. James O'Hara (also commanding officer of 54th Armored Infantry Battalion) S-2: Capt. Edward A. Carrigo 54TH ARMORED INFANTRY BATTALION (LESS COMPANIES A AND C) COMPANY B: Lt. John D. Devereaux CoMPANY C, 21ST TANK BATTALION ONE PLATOON, CoMPANY C, 55TH ARMORED ENGINEER BATTALION ONE PLATOON, COMPANY D, 3D TANK BATTALION (LIGHT TANKS): Lt. Sherwood D. Wishart ONE PLATOON, TROOP D, 90TH RECONNAISSANCE SQUAD RON FORCE CHARLIE 16: Lt. Richard C. Gilliland 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion. This unit operated independently in conjunction with the lOist Airborne Division until December 21 when it was attached to the lOist and carne under its command. Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. Clifford D. Templeton Headquarters Company (less the battalion trains which were ordered to "find a haven in the west") Reconnaissance Company Company A (less one platoon detached to guard the road junction at Laroche) Company B: Lt. Robert Andrews; Lt. Frederick Mallon; Sgt. Floyd A. Johnson; Sgt. George N. Schmidt; Sgt. Darrell J. Lindley CompanyC Ninth Air Force (members of liaison group attached to lOist Airborne Division during Bastogne operation): Capt. James E. Parker; Lt. Gorden o. Rothwell; Sgt. Frank B. Hotard xii
CHAPTER 1 THE SITUATION THE SIEGE OF BASTOGNE is one chapter in the history of the battle of the Ardennes. On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched their greatest offensive of the war in the west. Achieving a considerable success in their first attacks, they broke through, penetrated 65 miles into Allied territory, halted the Allied offensive then going on, and threatened the entire front in the west. The failure of this Gennan drive was due in part to the American resistance at St. Vith and Bastogne. The background of Bastogne dates from the fall of 1944. At that time three American armies, forming the 12th Army Group, were in position on the central part of the western front. The U. S. First and Third Armies were along the Siegfried Line and the U. S. Ninth Army was facing the Roer River in Germany some thirty miles from the Rhine. All three armies were pushing for the Rhine over difficult terrain, across swollen rivers, and against determined enemy resistance. Except in the Aachen sector, where an advance was made to the Roer, the line did not move during October and November. The Third Army fought near Metz; the First and Ninth Armies made their advance farther north, near Aachen. In between these two major efforts the First Army held an extensive line of defense. Of this line the southern and major part was maintained by the U. S. VIII Corps. On December 16, VIII Corps, under the command of Major General Troy H. Middleton (plate 1) had its headquarters in Bastogne, Belgium (Map 1, pages 2-3). Its area extended from Losheim, Germany, north to a peint where the Our River crosses the Franco-German border. Generally parallel to the German frontier along eastern Belgium and Luxembourg, its front was 88 miles wide. The country, the Ardennes, has rugged hills; there are high plateaus, deep-cut valleys and a restricted road net. The mission that First Army gave VIII Corps was to defend this line in place. New divisions were brought into this part of the front for battle indoctrination, and battle-worn divisions were [ I ]
Page 1: ASTOGNE THEFIRST EIGHTDAYS S. L. A.
Page 8 and 9: RUNNING BA'ITLE FmsT ACTION AT MARV
Page 11 and 12: UNITS, COMMANDERS, STAFF MEMBERS, A
Page 13 and 14: 2D BA'ITALION (Companies D, E, F an
Page 15: 54m ARMORED INPANTRY BATI'ALION (LE
Page 19 and 20: otal Extent of the Bulge [ 3 1
Page 21: THE SITUATION 5 penetrated the posi
Page 25: THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 9 tow
Page 30 and 31: 14 BASTOGNE bat Command B continued
Page 32: 16 BASTOGNE While there was still l
Page 35 and 36: THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 19 In
Page 37 and 38: THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 21 th
Page 40: 24 BASTOGNE tions over, Lieutenant
Page 44 and 45: 28 BASTOGNE north and west and goin
Page 47: FIRST MEETING WITH THE ENEMY 31 nin
Page 52 and 53: 36 BASTOGNE own fight. He had alrea
Page 54 and 55: 38 BASTOGNE make it easily possible
Page 57 and 58: EAST OF BASTOGNE 41 someone walking
Page 59 and 60: EAST OF BASTOGNE 43 fire, his own t
Page 61 and 62: EAST OF BASTOGNE 45 O'Hara of Comba
Page 63 and 64: EAST OF BASTOGNE 47 Map 7
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50 BASTOGNE pressed in against the
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TEAM DESOBRY AT NOVILLE 53 clog the
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TEAM DESOBRY AT NOVILLE 55 knocked
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TEAM DESOBRY AT NOVILLE 57 points o
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60 BASTOGNE the power of the Gennan
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CHAPTER 8 ATTACK AND WITHDRAWAL COL
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64 BASTOGNE losses to the enemy. Fr
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66 BASTOGNE Colonel Sink, having ca
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68 BASTOGNE and decided thatthis mu
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70 BASTOGNE denly realizing that it
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I T CHAPTER 10 THE REPULSE WAS A NI
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76 BASTOGNE twenty minutes. 1o Pris
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80 BASTOGNE pushing rightward towar
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82 BASTOGNE of the darkness and the
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THE REPULSE 85 of the enemy were ca
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RUNNING BAITLE 89 drivers were alre
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92 BASTOGNE ited attack forward to
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RUNNING BATTLE 95 tain William G. S
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98 BASTOGNE aged or destroyed many
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FIRST ACTION AT MARVIE 101 At 1125,
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ACTION AT MARVIE 20 DECEMBER o soo
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106 BASTOGNE During all that time,
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108 BASTOGNE the driver to make for
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no BASTOGNE Now, on the 21st, McAul
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THE RESPITE 113 Later in the mornin
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116 BASTOGNE Division Headquarters.
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118 BASTOGNE The main event for tha
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122 BASTOGNE slowly. The German inf
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126 BASTOGNE provide a target for t
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130 BASTOGNE stayed in their holes
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132 BASTOGNE Higgins reasoned that
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CHAPTER 17 SUPPLIES ARRIVE 1 FROM D
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144 BASTOGNE was always Team O'Hara
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CHAPTER 19 WEST OF BASTOGNE FOR SIX
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WEST OF BASTOGNE 149 they guessed t
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152 BASTOGNE tered a small detachme
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154 BASTOGNB left Bank of the high
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CHRISTMAS. EVE 157 usual pressure f
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160 BASTOGNE heavy aitillery fire a
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162 BASTOGNE pinned them down with
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164 BASTOGNE north and northwest. U
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BATTLE A1 CHAMPS ZS DECEMBER I PHAS
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CHRISTMAS EVE 169 of Champs, but by
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172 BASTOGNE tanks moved in among t
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THE ENEMY STORY 177 The onfall of X
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THE. ENEMY STORY 179 terence produc
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THE ENEMY STORY 183 he was constrai
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186 BASTOGNE at Neffe was something
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.... 00 00 Map 27: Destruction of t
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THE ENEMY STORY 191 concluded that
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THE ENEMY STORY 193 he was temporar
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198 BASTOGNE grenadier Division got
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KEY TO NOTES 201 M45A-Narrative Sum
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210 BASTOGNE 22 Kinnard and Danahy
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214 BASTOGNE and 84 enlisted men wo
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2. Colonel (now Brigadier Generall
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4. Brigadier General (now Major Gen
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6. Lieutenant Colonel Paul A. Danah
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8. Lieutenant Colonel (now Colon el
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J 3 and J 4. Bomb damage in Bastogn
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16. Vehicle in Bastogne camouflaged
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[ 232 ]
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[ 234 ] .. •
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2 J. Neffe, scene of heavy flghting
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23 (top'. Wounded in the hospitals
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[ 240 ]
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[ 242]
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29. Command Post of Company F, 327t
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32 (top). Members of the 101 st Air
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37. Pine plantation near Bastogne,
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40. Men on guard in a pine plantati
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42. Colonel Danahy, General McAulif
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PIN:100429-000
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