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

THE ENEMY STORY 181
tack by airborne forces. When the message came in, we knew
not only that there would be no such attack but that the Americali
Army must be extremely short of reserves in the immediate
vicinity. Otherwise, it would not commit airborne divisions of
such high standing to the battle." But the. knowledge that those
forces were bound by ground movement for the same objective
as his own forces did not change his plan or his instructions.
He was already proceeding toward Bastogne with all possible
speed and he calculated that he could get there before our airborne
units arrived, and he would be opposed by negligible
forces in so doing.
During December 18, the advance continued, with both German
armored divisions adhering to the boundaries established
in the original plan. Through the day there had been no interruption
of progress in either lane that dimmed Liittwitz's hope of
beating the opposing forces into Bastogne. As the night drew on,
his divisions were promisingly poised: The forward elements of
the 2d Panzer were at the point east of Lon2Villy where the division
was to tum north from the main road. The forward elements
of Panzer Lehr were at Niederwampach, to the south
(Map 26, page 180).
It is to be noted that the turning movement of the 2d Panzer
Division was taking place at such a distance from the roadblock
of our 9th Armored Division in Longvilly (which was in process
of being supported and then replaced by the forces under Captain
Ryerson of Team Cherry, Combat Command B, 10th Armored
Division) that both of these armored bodies could have
carried out their assignments without head-on collision. The
German force was, of course, turning a shoulder and then exposing
a Bank toward the American armor in Longvilly; moreover,
it was assumed by the German commander that the American
armor was in march toward him. He therefore took steps
to cover the avenues of approach leading toward his exposed
Bank. At the same time the Americans in Longvilly, knowing
nothing of the turning movement, took it for granted that this
German column was coming on down the main road. It was therefore
almost inevitable that the two forces would engage but the