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

46 BASTOGNE
from Company I who said to him, "Have you heard about Company
I? We've been wiped out." Ewell got to his radio; he didn't
believe the sergeant, but the story was nearer right than he
thought. Company I had lost 45 men and 4 officers at Wardin
and the survivors had scattered so badly that it was no longer
possible to form even a platoon. The news was a shock. When
he first heard that Company I was becoming involved in: Wardin,
Colonel Ewell had ordered it to disengage and withdraw.
But before the company could comply, it had come under the
full shock of an attack by seven tanks and one infantry battalion
from Panzer Lehr. The survivors got out as best they could.18
This news simply strengthened Ewell's conviction that he
must abandon all further offensive intention and tighten up his
position. Colonel O'Hara had reached the same conclusion and
for much the same reason. Four of the walking wounded who
had gotten out of Wardin had come into his lines and told him
the news. He saw his force now in an exposed position with no
one on his right, an aggressive enemy on his left and pressure
along his whole front, and he asked Combat Command B headquarters
for permission to withdraw.
By radio he received his reply, "Contact friends on your left,
hold what you have." This told him that headquarters still didn't
understand the situation. 80 he sent his 8-3, Captain George
A. Renoux, to Bastogne to explain in person what he couldn't
with safety discuss over the air, and then went to his rear to reconnoiter
a better position. At 1715 he was ordered to withdraw to
the high ground north of Marvie-the place he had by then
already picked as the best defensive line in the area. The Headquarters
Company, Heavy-Weapons Company and engineers
were first to start digging into the new slope. When they were
in place, the rest of the force came along, except for four medium
tanks and one platoon of infantry which covered the withdrawal.
Throughout the whole move, the 420th Armored Field Artillery
Battalion put a heavy covering fire inta the ground where the
enemy had been seen during the day. Not a shot was fired in
retum.14
Because of the loss of Company I and his feeling that the