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

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RUNNING BA'ITLE FmsT ACTION AT MARVIE . THE RESPITE • "NUTS!" . CONTENTS-Continued Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 THE SECOND MARVIE A'ITACK . Low EBB OF SUPPLY SUPPLIES AruuvE THE SITUATION IMPROVES . WEST OF BASTOGNE CHRISTMAS EVE THE RELIEF. Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 ApPENDIX: THE ENEMY STORY. KEy TO NOTES PLATES iv PAGE 86 99 107 · 115 · 119 · 133 · 137 140 147 155 170 174 199 215
Forward The Center of Military History is pleased to present the second volume in the U.S. Army in Action series, a facsimile reprint of Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall's Bastogne: The First Eight Days. Originally published in 1946, this brief study provides a combat history of a critical battle during the Allied liberation of Europe in World War II. Outnumbered and surrounded for five days, a U.S. Army combined arms force of airborne infantry, armor, engineers, tank destroyers, and artillery conducted a successful defense of the Belgian crossroads town of Bastogne in late December 1944. They separated the German combined arms formations and destroyed the pieces, halting the offensive. The outcome of this battle was critical to the successful Allied defense against the German Ardennes offensive. Bastogne offers unique insights, capturing the immediate impressions of the soldiers who fought in this harsh winter engagement. The author penetrates the "fog of war" with a coherent narrative that clearly captures the strategy, tactics, and leadership of the battle. This action strangled the German logistical flow to their forward assault divisions, disrupting their offensive tempo and slowing their advance. What emerges is a vivid case study of how decisive leadership and incidents of individual heroism can contribute to overcoming enemy forces and weather. Historians and professional soldiers will find Bastogne a valuable addition to their reading list. The Center of Military History recommends it highly for use in conjunction with Staff Rides. Although later studies provide more depth of research and detailed analysis concerning the Battle of Bastogne, Marshall's book, with its excellent maps, provides a superb one-volume narrative which can be utilized as a guide for officers and noncommissioned officers when visiting the Ardennes battlefield. The Center wishes to thank Mrs. S.L.A. Marshall for her kind assistance with our efforts to reprint Bastogne as well as her continued support of the U.S. Army Historical Programs. WASHINGTON, D.C. WILLIAM A. STOFFT Brigadier General, U.S. Army Chief of Military History
Page 1: ASTOGNE THEFIRST EIGHTDAYS S. L. A.
Page 11 and 12: UNITS, COMMANDERS, STAFF MEMBERS, A
Page 13 and 14: 2D BA'ITALION (Companies D, E, F an
Page 15 and 16: 54m ARMORED INPANTRY BATI'ALION (LE
Page 17 and 18: CHAPTER 1 THE SITUATION THE SIEGE O
Page 19 and 20: otal Extent of the Bulge [ 3 1
Page 21: THE SITUATION 5 penetrated the posi
Page 25: THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 9 tow
Page 30 and 31: 14 BASTOGNE bat Command B continued
Page 32: 16 BASTOGNE While there was still l
Page 35 and 36: THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 19 In
Page 37 and 38: THE CONCENTRATION ON BASTOGNE 21 th
Page 40: 24 BASTOGNE tions over, Lieutenant
Page 44 and 45: 28 BASTOGNE north and west and goin
Page 47: FIRST MEETING WITH THE ENEMY 31 nin
Page 52 and 53: 36 BASTOGNE own fight. He had alrea
Page 54 and 55: 38 BASTOGNE make it easily possible
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 41 someone walking
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 43 fire, his own t
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 45 O'Hara of Comba
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EAST OF BASTOGNE 47 Map 7
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50 BASTOGNE pressed in against the
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TEAM DESOBRY AT NOVILLE 53 clog the
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TEAM DESOBRY AT NOVILLE 55 knocked
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TEAM DESOBRY AT NOVILLE 57 points o
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60 BASTOGNE the power of the Gennan
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CHAPTER 8 ATTACK AND WITHDRAWAL COL
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64 BASTOGNE losses to the enemy. Fr
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66 BASTOGNE Colonel Sink, having ca
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68 BASTOGNE and decided thatthis mu
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70 BASTOGNE denly realizing that it
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I T CHAPTER 10 THE REPULSE WAS A NI
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76 BASTOGNE twenty minutes. 1o Pris
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80 BASTOGNE pushing rightward towar
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82 BASTOGNE of the darkness and the
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THE REPULSE 85 of the enemy were ca
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RUNNING BAITLE 89 drivers were alre
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92 BASTOGNE ited attack forward to
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RUNNING BATTLE 95 tain William G. S
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98 BASTOGNE aged or destroyed many
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FIRST ACTION AT MARVIE 101 At 1125,
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ACTION AT MARVIE 20 DECEMBER o soo
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106 BASTOGNE During all that time,
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108 BASTOGNE the driver to make for
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no BASTOGNE Now, on the 21st, McAul
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THE RESPITE 113 Later in the mornin
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116 BASTOGNE Division Headquarters.
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118 BASTOGNE The main event for tha
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122 BASTOGNE slowly. The German inf
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126 BASTOGNE provide a target for t
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130 BASTOGNE stayed in their holes
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132 BASTOGNE Higgins reasoned that
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CHAPTER 17 SUPPLIES ARRIVE 1 FROM D
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144 BASTOGNE was always Team O'Hara
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CHAPTER 19 WEST OF BASTOGNE FOR SIX
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WEST OF BASTOGNE 149 they guessed t
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152 BASTOGNE tered a small detachme
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154 BASTOGNB left Bank of the high
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CHRISTMAS. EVE 157 usual pressure f
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160 BASTOGNE heavy aitillery fire a
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162 BASTOGNE pinned them down with
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164 BASTOGNE north and northwest. U
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BATTLE A1 CHAMPS ZS DECEMBER I PHAS
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CHRISTMAS EVE 169 of Champs, but by
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172 BASTOGNE tanks moved in among t
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THE ENEMY STORY 177 The onfall of X
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THE. ENEMY STORY 179 terence produc
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THE ENEMY STORY 183 he was constrai
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186 BASTOGNE at Neffe was something
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.... 00 00 Map 27: Destruction of t
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THE ENEMY STORY 191 concluded that
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THE ENEMY STORY 193 he was temporar
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198 BASTOGNE grenadier Division got
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KEY TO NOTES 201 M45A-Narrative Sum
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210 BASTOGNE 22 Kinnard and Danahy
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214 BASTOGNE and 84 enlisted men wo
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2. Colonel (now Brigadier Generall
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4. Brigadier General (now Major Gen
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6. Lieutenant Colonel Paul A. Danah
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8. Lieutenant Colonel (now Colon el
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J 3 and J 4. Bomb damage in Bastogn
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16. Vehicle in Bastogne camouflaged
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[ 232 ]
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[ 234 ] .. •
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2 J. Neffe, scene of heavy flghting
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23 (top'. Wounded in the hospitals
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[ 240 ]
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[ 242]
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29. Command Post of Company F, 327t
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32 (top). Members of the 101 st Air
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37. Pine plantation near Bastogne,
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40. Men on guard in a pine plantati
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42. Colonel Danahy, General McAulif
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PIN:100429-000
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