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

THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 19
In general, things were now looking a little more snug although
one point of irritation had not been entirely eliminated. That
was the captain commanding the heavy maintenance company
who had refused to move his people out at Colonel Kinnard's
request until Kinnard brought an order direct from General
Middleton. General Higgins found him now completely blocking
the highway over which WIst Division was coming in. His
vehicles were parked three abreast and six or seven rows deep.
It was an absolute impasse. General Higgins sought out the
captain and made his protest. "I can't do anything about that,"
said the captain. "I have received an order from the General to
move my vehicles out. I've made this block to make sure that
none of my vehicles get by and get lost; it's the best way to collect
them." Even after the situation was explained to him, he said
he'd stay where he was. General Higgins then gave him a direct
order to get his vehicles in single file along the road at once and
himself set about urging the drivers over to the side of the
highway.
This was but one incident in a night-long fight with the outgoing
traffic. Every time the column of retreating vehicles came
to a halt for a few minutes, some of the drivers fell asleep from
exhaustion. When the road was again free for a few minutes
and the forward vehicles got in motion, these sleeping drivers
formed new traffic blocks back along the column. To keep things
moving at all, it was necessary for officers and MPs to continue
patrolling up and down the column, ready to rouse any slumberer
who had tied things Up.26
That night in Bastogne was quiet, largely because the 28th
Division was holding in place on commanding ground around
Wiltz and fighting the enemy off for a few vital hours. Many
stragglers were falling back through the town and the roads were
jammed to the south and west but no attempt was made to hold
any of these men at the time. VIII Corps was busy with its evacuation
and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division
and the WIst Division were engrossed in their own problems.
Colonel Roberts, who had set up his command post in H6tel
Lebrun at 1800, December 18, found that it was difficult to per-