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

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156 BASTOGNE Map 18: Christmas Eve at Bastogne "The finest Christmas present the WIst could get would be a relief tomorrow." But General McAuliffe's greeting to his troops proved to be in every part a prophetic utterance though the quiet of Christmas Eve did not last for long. That night the town was bombed twice. During the first raid, in the late evening, a bomb landed on the hospital of the 20th Armored Infantry Battalion near the intersection of the main roads from ArIon and Neufchateau. It caved in the roof, burying 20 patients and killing a Belgian woman who was serving as a nurse. Another bomb landed on the headquarters of Combat Command B,. doing heavy damage and knocking down the Christmas tree in the message center. The men set up the tree again, and in an elaborate ceremony, one of the sergeants pinned the Purple Heart on a mangled doll. 2A Except for those bombings Christmas Eve passed without un-
CHRISTMAS. EVE 157 usual pressure from the enemy. (Plate 35 A and B.) The journal entries of the different regiments all use the word "quiet" in describing the period. But that is a word that simply does not record the tumult in the thoughts and emotions of the men of Bastogne. Such was their reaction to the Christmas and to the memories surrounding it, that for the first time all around the perimeter men felt fearful. It seemed to them that the end was at hand. That night many of them shook hands with their comrades. They said to one another that it would probably be their last night together. Many of the commanders saw this happening. though they knew it had little relation to the still strong tactical situation. 2B (Map 19, page 158, shows the situatioR.) In the 502d Parachute Infantry the officers heard Christmas Eve Mass in the tenth-century chapel of the beautiful Rolle CMteau (plate 34) which they were using for a command post .. It was a happy occasion, well attended by the neighboring Belgians who had rounded out the regimental messes with contributions of Hour and sides of beef from their own stores.' The regimental officers turned in about 0130 on Christmas morning.s At 0245 there was an intense shelling of the forward area by the Gennan artillery.s Lieut. Colonel Patrick J. Cassidy, the 502d's executive officer, called Captain Wallace A. Swanson of Company A who reported that his front had suddenly become active (Map 20, page 159). But he added that the situation was obscure; he could not figure out yet what the Gennans intended.' At 0330 Colonel Cassidy called Captain Swanson again. Swanson said that the enemy was on top of him. 8 While they were talking, the line went out. Colonel Cassidy awakened Colonel Chappuis, the regimental commander.9 Then all lines went out. Chappuis called his 1st Battalion by radio and told them to get ready to move, adding that the commander, Major John D. Hanlon, was to come to Rolle as quickly as possible. 10 By radio Chappuis heard ,from Swanson that Gennans in large numbers were in Champs and that his men were locked in a hand-to-hand and house-to-house fight with them. Major Hanlon reported at the command post and was told by Colonel Chappuis to move Com-
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ASTOGNE THEFIRST EIGHTDAYS S. L. A.
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RUNNING BA'ITLE FmsT ACTION AT MARV
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UNITS, COMMANDERS, STAFF MEMBERS, A
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2D BA'ITALION (Companies D, E, F an
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54m ARMORED INPANTRY BATI'ALION (LE
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CHAPTER 1 THE SITUATION THE SIEGE O
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otal Extent of the Bulge [ 3 1
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THE SITUATION 5 penetrated the posi
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THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 9 tow
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14 BASTOGNE bat Command B continued
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16 BASTOGNE While there was still l
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THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 19 In
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THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 21 th
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24 BASTOGNE tions over, Lieutenant
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28 BASTOGNE north and west and goin
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FIRST MEETING WITH THE ENEMY 31 nin
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36 BASTOGNE own fight. He had alrea
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38 BASTOGNE make it easily possible
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 41 someone walking
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 43 fire, his own t
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 45 O'Hara of Comba
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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
Page 122 and 123: 106 BASTOGNE During all that time,
Page 124 and 125: 108 BASTOGNE the driver to make for
Page 126 and 127: no BASTOGNE Now, on the 21st, McAul
Page 129: THE RESPITE 113 Later in the mornin
Page 132 and 133: 116 BASTOGNE Division Headquarters.
Page 134: 118 BASTOGNE The main event for tha
Page 138 and 139: 122 BASTOGNE slowly. The German inf
Page 142: 126 BASTOGNE provide a target for t
Page 146 and 147: 130 BASTOGNE stayed in their holes
Page 148: 132 BASTOGNE Higgins reasoned that
Page 153: CHAPTER 17 SUPPLIES ARRIVE 1 FROM D
Page 160 and 161: 144 BASTOGNE was always Team O'Hara
Page 163 and 164: CHAPTER 19 WEST OF BASTOGNE FOR SIX
Page 165: WEST OF BASTOGNE 149 they guessed t
Page 168 and 169: 152 BASTOGNE tered a small detachme
Page 170: 154 BASTOGNB left Bank of the high
Page 176 and 177: 160 BASTOGNE heavy aitillery fire a
Page 178 and 179: 162 BASTOGNE pinned them down with
Page 180: 164 BASTOGNE north and northwest. U
Page 183 and 184: BATTLE A1 CHAMPS ZS DECEMBER I PHAS
Page 185 and 186: CHRISTMAS EVE 169 of Champs, but by
Page 188: 172 BASTOGNE tanks moved in among t
Page 193 and 194: THE ENEMY STORY 177 The onfall of X
Page 195: THE. ENEMY STORY 179 terence produc
Page 199: THE ENEMY STORY 183 he was constrai
Page 202 and 203: 186 BASTOGNE at Neffe was something
Page 204: .... 00 00 Map 27: Destruction of t
Page 207 and 208: THE ENEMY STORY 191 concluded that
Page 209: THE ENEMY STORY 193 he was temporar
Page 214: 198 BASTOGNE grenadier Division got
Page 217 and 218: 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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