Libramont is in German hands.Īfter a short discussion with his staff, General McAuliffe sent the following in reply to the German Commander: Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche, and reached St. This time strong German armored units encircled the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne. McAuliffe during World War II.ĭuring the battle, the 101 st Commander, General Anthony Clement McAuliffe, received the following demand for surrender from the German commander fighting the 101st, which has become one of the most famous World War II quotes known to this day: General McAulifee’s Famous Bastogne Quote Then-Brigadier General Anthony C. The Allies could hold Bastogne with reinforcements, but getting them there took time. The American troops in Bastogne desperately needed reinforcements, Patton’s had his army on the south side of Bastogne, and he was ordered to move north. However, even though they ruled in numbers, most of their soldiers weren’t very well trained and inexperienced they were primarily young recruits sent into battle to sustain the German war machine. At first glance, their victory seemed almost inevitable. The Germans had vastly more troops, over 100,000 of them prepared to take Bastogne, which is now considered part of the greater Battle of the Bulge. To hold Bastogne, the Americans sent in the 101st Airborne Division with soldiers from the Easy Company.īoth sides had strengths and weaknesses that would present themselves in the Siege of Bastogne. ![]() Considering this, Eisenhower sent some of the best American troops to the town he knew they would have to give their best if the Allies held Bastogne. Due to heavy rainfall before the German attack, only one road could be used as a crossing point.Īt this point, the Allies realized that they couldn’t afford to lose Bastogne, they had already lost some lines during previous battles, and if they were to lose Bastogne, the Germans could keep advancing. Because the troops weren’t wide enough to sustain an even battle line, their attention was on the four roads. He planned to attack a 7-mile (11 km) line using three divisions the Allied forces were mostly in small groups located at big villages with outposts at the river. ![]() The responsibility of capturing Bastogne was in the hands of Heinrich Freiherr von Luttwitz. Infantry of relief force near Bastogne, December 1944. Because of the terrain layout in the area, the Allied command believed that there couldn’t be a big-scale attack in this area. ![]() Bastogne, a strategically important city in the region, was protected by the 28th Infantry Division which was assigned to this relatively peaceful area after constantly fighting in its previous assignment. In the weeks leading up to the Battle of Bastogne, the Allied command expected an attack from anywhere but the Ardennes. On the other hand, the Allied commanders didn’t consider that the Germans would launch an attack from the Ardennes because of the terrain, which wasn’t suitable for a large-scale attack. Despite protests from some of his commanders, the plan was set to launch on 16 December 1944. The plan was for 55 divisions to perform a surprise attack to cross the Meuse River and capture Antwerp. Hitler developed a plan to attack Allied troops near Belgium. ![]() The city of Antwerp was notable for its port and was captured during the push by winter, the Allies controlled the German territory near Aachen. Battle of Bastogne VideoĪfter the Invasion of Normandy and the push to France afterward, the Allies extended their lines from Nijmegen to the neutral Swiss. Allies: 3,000+ total casualties (2,000+ from the 101st Airborne)īattle of Bastogne Map Bastogne, Belgium Map december 19-23, 1944.Total: All or parts of 7 German Divisions.Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz (XLVII Panzer Corps).Creighton Abrams (US)(37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division).Roberts (US)(Combat Command B (CCB), 10th Armored Division) Anthony McAuliffe (US) (101st Airborne Division).General McAulifee’s Famous Bastogne Quote.
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