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

CHAPTER 21
THE RELIEF
ON THE MORNING of December 26, the German forces
renewed their pressure against the western side of the Bastogne
perimeter (Map 24, page 171). But they did notlress their
attack in real strength and the American lines held soli . Around
the other parts of the defending circle, the day was relatively
quiet though both sides intensified their air activity.
The intervention of the air direcdy hastened the hour when the
enemy encirclement of Bastogne was broken through by the arrival
of the armored column from the south. Since 0600 on December
22, the three Combat Commands of the 4th Armored Division
had been fighting their way steadily toward Bastogne by three
separate routes from their assembly areas north of ArIon. They
had met intense resistance all the way along the line and had
taken heavy losses in men and tanks. By 1500 on December 26,
Combat Command Reserve of the 4th had arrived at the high
ground overlooking Clochimont and was preparing to attack
toward the village of Sibret. This put the command about four
miles to the southwestward of Bastogne with their local objective
about one mile to their own northwestward. As the attack was
about to get under way, the men saw and heard what seemed to
be "hundreds" of G47 planes coming direcdy over them and
bound for Bastogne. The spectacle encouraged Lieutenant Colonel
Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., commanding the 37th Tank Battalion,
and Lieutenant Colonel George L. Jaques, commanding
the 53d Armored Infantry Battalion, to make a break for Bastogne,
disregarding their original mission. They believed that Sibret
was strongly held. Colonel Abrams' force had been cut down to
twenty medium tanks and Colonel Jaques' force was short 230
men. They figured that it might cost less to ignore Sibret and
attack straight toward Bastogne.
At 1520, December 26, Colonel Abrams ordered his S-3, Captain
William A. Dwight, to take a light team composed of tanks
and infantry, break northeast to the village of Assenois and keep
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