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

14 BASTOGNE
bat Command B continued on its way moving north and east to
carry out its orders. l1A
The first two teams got through the town during daylight.
The lead team, Team Cherry, under Lieutenant Colonel Henry
T. Cherry, proceeded toward Longvilly, which was considered
to be in the direction of the most immediate danger. The second
team under Lieutenant Colonel James O'Hara headed toward
the village of Wardin in the southeast. It was dark when the last
team began moving through Bastogne. Its youthful commander,
Major William R. Desobry, went to see Colonel Roberts with
whom he had an especially close· relationship. For a number of
years Desobry had known the older man well; he was talking
now to a man who was not only his commander but whom he
regarded as a second father. Roberts pointed northward on the
map to the village of Noville and told Desobry that he was to
proceed there and hold the village. "It will be a close race to get
there before the enemy," Roberts said. "You are young, and by
tomorrow morning you will probably be nervous. By midmorning
the idea will probably come to you that it would be
better to withdraw from Noville. When you begin thinking that,
remember that I told you that it would be best not to withdraw
until I order you to do so."
There were no maps at hand; one of Colonel Roberts' staff
officers grabbed a Corps MP and sent him along with Desobry to
put the team on the Noville road. A cavalry platoon leader from
Desobry's column was sent on ahead to reconnoiter Noville, clear
it if there were any enemy present, and then outpost it until the
arrival of the main battle group. Desobry then dismounted one
platoon of armored infantry, placed them on the backs of the
three lead tanks and gave the word for the column to move north.
Small groups of stragglers were already passing them, drifting
southward. The column paid them no heed. The dark had
already slowed the armor to a five-mile-per-hour pace and Desobry
figured that he had no time to waste. l1B
While McAuliffe and his party were on the road, at Mourmelon
the Division was working on the problems of the move.
The few hours before the Division began its march were utilized