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

EAST OF BASTOGNE 43
fire, his own tank was hit twice from the left by a high-velocity
gun, wounding Hamer and three other crew members. One man
was incinerated inside the tank. Another medium tank was hit
in the turret by a shell that killed the gunner. The driver backed
the tank down the hill wildly, not stopping until his vehicle became
bogged; the tank could not be salvaged and later had to be
destroyed. The other tanks cleared away from the hill as rapidly
as they could. Direct-fire artillery began to hit the force's main
position from north across the valley. On the road ahead, the team
had hastily set up a minefield. At 1300 a few Germans jumped
from a Volkswagen and tried to remove the mines. From only
200 yards away to the west, five of the infantry half-tracks and
five medium tanks opened fire on the German party. But they
were able to jump in their car and make a clean getaway. Shortly
after, an outpost at the south of the position saw another enemy
group moving through woods northeast toward Wardin. One of
the medium tanks moved up and put them under fire. 9
These were the things that had happened before the time when
Team O'Hara saw men coming toward them from the woods at
their rear. These men were in patrol formation and wore an unfamiliar
green uniform, which looked tight around the legs.
The tankers were just about to fire and then someone in the approaching
party yelled. The approaching men (Map 6, page 44)
were the point of Company I, 501st Parachute Infantry. Their
green jump suits had almost been their undoing. The main body
of the Company was right behind them in the woods and the
company was on its way to Wardin-good news to the tankers.
The first infantry support had arrived and they could now withdraw
their own patrols which had been reaching out toward the
town.
Some fateful minutes passed and nothing was done to unify
the action. With the enemy crowding in on them, the forces
acted like two ships passing in the night. The paratroopers went
on. Two medium tanks were placed so as to cover the exits from
Wardin. That was all. 10
Lieutenant Colonel James O'Hara, commander of the 54th
Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th Armored Division, and Team