by Leo Barron
30 “He [McAuliffe] started to ask rapid fire questions… and a representative from each major unit…” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 1–2).
31 “General McAuliffe was 46 years old…. McAuliffe sometimes referred to himself in the presence of his younger companions as ‘Old Crock’” (MacKenzie, 1968, 18).
32 “17 December 1944 2230 Lt. Col Chase notified unit is alerted for possible move, and is in command of regiment… 18 December 1944 1638 Departed Camp Mourmelon by truck convoy. Colonel Sink returned—now in command of regiment” (S3, 1944).
33 All five of the boys, Steven, Richard, Donald, Jack, and Charles, served in the military during World War II, according to the youngest of the brothers, Charles, during an interview in 2010 (S. A. Chappuis, Transcript of Interview with General Steve Chappuis, 1995).
34 “I remember… Calm and decisive” (Hayes, Letter from Bill Hayes, 1994).
35 “Steven was very smart and down to earth. He was a more of a thinker and doer, not a talker. For one thing, even after the war was over he didn’t want to talk about it” (C. W. Chappuis, 2010). Bill Hayes, a trooper in the 502nd, witnessed Chappuis’ icy calm demeanor during a fierce firefight in Normandy. In a letter he wrote to the Chappuis family after the war, Hayes remarked: “I remember however when we were attacking Carentan of seeing Colonel Chappuis’ mini command post in a ditch, next to the road that led next to or thru a woody area. The enemy was in the woods. I believe it was part of the German 6th airborne Div. or regiment. His command post seemed quite calm—which I think reflected the Colonel’s projected personality. Calm and decisive.”
36 “If Chappuis says he’s in trouble, you’d better believe it and do something about it fast, because Silent Steve will be in real big trouble and he won’t call back to tell you again” (Arend, 1987, 137).
37 “Upon arriving in Camp Mourmelon… to find exactly what his particular unit needed most in the manner of training” (S. A. Chappuis, Historical Record 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, December 1944, 1).
38 “Upon arrival I made a call on Division Headquarters and met General McAuliffe…. As we passed the ammo dump I turned and took the whole battalion through with orders to load as much 75mm ammo as we could carry in any vehicle, regardless of how crowded they were” (Cooper, Interview with Colonel John T. Cooper, unknown).
39 “It was just after midnight on Monday, December 18, 1944…. Because our two divisions are the only reserve. Everyone else is on the line” (Black, The Last First Sergeant, 1998, 227–28).
40 “My first information… Our movement to Bastogne was quick and decisive” Although Swanson claims this happened after the game, the historical record does not match his account. Colonel Chappuis did not learn of the deployment orders until the night of the seventeenth, while he was still in Mourmelon. In addition, Black mentions his account that Swanson left the morning of the eighteenth, which makes more sense. (Astor, 1994, 216).
41 “At 1215, 18 December 1944… At 1400, 18 December 1944 the division began the motor march with units in the following order: 501 Parachute Infantry, 907th Glider Field Artillery…” (Moore 1944, 1); “Early in December… Talk about a letdown!” (J. W. Flanagan, 1990).
42 “I was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa…. I jumped 18th man as I had to make sure everybody followed the lieutenant out the door” (Asay, 2009).
43 “Huge trucks, we called them cattle cars, were showing up and we all were trucked to the Ardennes” (Asay, 2009).
44 “As we loaded onto the trailer trucks… how valuable our living and existing in freedom really was” (Koskimaki, 2003, 32).
45 “Troops of the Regiment loaded into ten ton trucks at Camp Mourmelon at about 1800 hours, 18 December 1944 and began the trip which was to end at Bastogne” (S. A. Chappuis, Historical Record 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, December 1944, 2).
46 “18 December, 1944, the 327th Glider Infantry and attached First Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry (referred to in reports and herein as Third Battalion), with the 463rd Field Artillery Battalion attached, left Camp Mourmelon, France, in truck convoys at 1955 hours headed toward Belgium” (Headquarters, 327th Glider Infantry, 1944, 1).
47 “I always wanted to go to West Point…. General Bill Lee said my battalion was the best one in the 101st—and that meant we were the best battalion in the U.S. Army” (D. Martin, 1989, 47–48).
48 Ibid.
49 See Gardner, 1980.
50 “When young MacDonald stood up straight… MacDonald had learned his lessons well in combat in Normandy and Holland” (MacKenzie, 1968, 179).
51 C. S. Marshall, 1948, 4.
52 “The 3rd Battalion of 327th Glider Infantry [1/401] was in a rest area in the vicinity of Mourmelon, France…. “Carry with you what equipment you came out of Holland with” (R. J. MacDonald, Another Von Rundstedt Blunder—Bastogne, 1948, 3–4).
53 “We got as much ammo and gear as we could, and then loaded up in trucks for the drive north to Belgium…. After we heard about the American troops getting beat up, our attitudes changed.” (C. Gisi, Interview with PFC Carmen Gisi, 2009).
54 “I happened to be in England…. We got a C-47 airplane and flew back” (Harper, Bastogne Speech, 1975).
55 “Some of our trucks were not unloaded from the trip up from Southern France… regardless of how crowded they were” (Cooper, Interview with Colonel John T. Cooper, unknown).
56 “While in Mourmelon… We were well-supplied prior to setting out for Bastogne” (Hesler, Interview with Ken Hesler, 2009).
57 Courtesy of Filip Willems, author and web designer of The 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Official Website: www.ww2airborne.net/463pfa/index.html, and Ken Hesler interview and permission, May 2011 (Willems, 2011).
58 “This alert was ordered into execution and this organization departed from Mourmelon, France at about 2130 hour 18 December…” (Seaton, 1944, 1).
59 “I [Anthony McAuliffe] met the author on or about December 14, 1944, at the Scribe Hotel in Paris…. Thus, he became the only correspondent with us during the Siege of Bastogne” (MacKenzie, 1968, Foreword).
60 “A realist, methodical and chary of haphazard adventures… They were approaching the Bois de Herbaimont 30 miles or so southwest of Werbomont” (MacKenzie, 1968, 26, 29); “As it was about to take off the advance party got a call from 18th Corps…. The advance party proceeded to the crossroads at Werbomont” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 2).
61 “Entering the town over a road fairly free of travel… men in disheveled and dirty battle dress carrying weapons with the unconscious ease headquarter troops do not attain” (MacKenzie, 1968, 30–31).
62 “Fortunately Gen McAuliffe, Lt Col H.W. D. Kinnard and Lt F.D. Starett took for Bastogne only 15 minutes… We saw the possibility that the column might be hit while it was still on the road or that it might even be caught by the air while it was moving along in column” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 3–4).
63 “Upon reaching Bastogne… He then said these words, “The enemy is just out of town” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 2); “The situation is best described as “confused”… He told me that he thought 10 CCB had 3 RBs to NE, E, and SE of the city” (A. C. McAuliffe, Commander’s View of the Situation, 1945); “General McAULIFFE arrived at VIII Corps CP where he was informed that the Division was attached to the VIII Corps. He was given the mission of stemming the German offense in the vicinity of Bastogne” (Moore, 1944, 1); “He said at one time… He said that Gen Bradley told him over the phone it was ‘OK’ to hold BASTOGNE” (Middleton, Interview with Troy H. Middleton, 1945, 4); “I do not recall… I talked to Bradley because of the difficulty in communicating with First Army” (Middleton, Questions Answered by Lieutenant General Troy H. Middleton, 1945, 1).
64 “I realized… I didn’t know where we were likely to be hit and nobody could help me much on that point” (A. C. McAuliffe, 1945, 2).
&nb
sp; Chapter Three
1 “Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company” (Quote DB: Interactive Database of Famous Quotations, http://quotedb.com/quotes/4137), 3, 1777 (Chadwick, 2004, 198).
2 “November saw the 406th Group still warmly sheltered at Camp Mourmelon—and not very anxious to move” (Office of the Intelligence Officer, 1944, 1–2) See officer and enlisted strengths.
3 “Howard M. Park: born International Falls, Minnesota 27 January 1922, Elementary School Minnesota” (Howard M. Park, n.d.); “After my wounding… was given 10 days convalescent leave effective on or about 7 October” (Office of the Intelligence Officer, 1944, 6); “Stationed with the 406th Fighter Group… C-47’s used to fly in equipment to them and landed at our strip” (The 406th Occupier, 1945, 16).
4 “This was a slow month for me…. It is difficult for new pilots to disregard their own instruments and just fly close formation in heavy cloud” (Office of the Intelligence Officer, 1944, 4).
5 “16 P-47 a/c of the 513th Sq TO 0945 from Site A-80 (Mourmelon) on a close support mission of the 8th Division… TD 1230 at Site A-80” (Weinberg, 1944).
6 “12 P-47 a/c of the 513th Sq TO 1415 from Site A-80 on a close support mission of the 8th Division… Base 12,000,’ Visual” (Weinberg, OPREP A No. D17B (3rd of 3 missions) for 24 hours ending sunset, 17 December 1944. Mission No. 287. Ninth Fighter Command Operations Order No. 1/21–3, 1944).
7 “I was on the second mission of 17th December… I wanted to get into the thick of it but only got off a few long-range bursts in my situation” (Park, 1993).
8 “The M18 was one of the better armored designs produced in the United States during the war… the crew had the ability to fire and run rather than sit and try and slug it out with the opposition.” (Mesko, U.S. Tank Destroyers in Action, Armor Number 36, 1998, 21); (Mesko, Walk Around: U.S. Tank Destroyers, Armor Walk Around Number 3, 2003, 58); The Panzerkampfwagen Mark IV and the Sturmgeschutz III also had a top road speed in the mid-twenties. Tests done by current owners of restored M18s (Josh Coates of Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010) show that under ideal road conditions, fuel, and maintenance, the M18 could reach speeds of sixty mph, making it almost fifteen mph faster than the current main battle tank of the U.S. Army, the M1A2 Abrams.
9 Spielberger, 1993, 59. Armor specs on the later-war versions (Ausf. H and J) of the German Panzerkampfwagen Mk IV, vary, since additional armor was sometimes bolted or welded onto the vehicle, including spare track links and the side-skirt armor, known as schuerzen.
10 “We started with the M3s and by the time we got to England we got the new M18s…. If a German gun shot at you it went right through that armor like paper” (Breder, 2009).
11 “0003—Enroute—location Liege (Coord. VK 4828)” (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
12 “First Lieutenant Richard B. Miller, leader of the reconnaissance platoon… Templeton set out to find VIII Corps headquarters and learn what the score was” (MacKenzie, 1968, 53–54); “0830—Head Advance Guard CR (Coord. VP 575835). Route changed to west” (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
13 “The 1st section of the 2nd Recon Platoon was ordered to make contact with the advance guard because communication had been lost…. Captain Fred Hamilton Jr, the CO of Recon Co. to return to the bn. immediately at its positions 6 miles south of LAROCHE” (Duvall, 1945, 1–2); “0930—2nd Plat Rcn. Contact enemy armor Houffalize (Coord. VP 610720)” (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
14 “3rd Plat. Co A organized defensive block La Roche” (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
15 “1130—Bn C.O, report CG VIII Corps at Neufchateau… 705 TD Bn. attached 101st Airborne Division. Directed to proceed to Bastogne” (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
16 These elements joined the rest of the battalion in Bastogne on December 28.
17 “We were ordered to Bastogne 12/18/44…. Looked like the fires of Hell to me.” (A. D’Angelo, Interview with Tony D’Angelo, 2009); Name of D’Angelo’s Hellcat, also Interview with Tony D’Angelo, 2009. (The song “No Love, No Nothin’” was recorded by several popular artists during the war. In the 1943 Busby Berkeley movie The Gang’s All Here, the song was covered by Alice Faye.)
18 “With the security of the unit temporarily established… Recon Co reconnoitered the routes over which the column would pass” (Templeton, 1945, 1–2); “1500—Battalion COs party contact enemy armoured road block Bertogne (Coord VP 520666) and withdrew to Bastogne.” The German unit was most probably an advance unit from 2nd Panzer, trying to skirt far to the north and close up the gap around Bastogne. (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
19 “The morning of 16 Dec. 44… As I was only a PFC I did not know what our missions were, and I would follow our platoon leader Lt. Vorboril” (Walsh, Letter to George Koskimaki: The 705 Tank Destroyer Battalion to Bastogne, Belgium, unknown); “2100—Battalion (-) closed Bastogne” (Harris, S-3 Report from 182400 December 1944 to 192400 December 1944, No. 110 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
20 “I remember we arrived at Bastogne at night…. Only part of our Battalion got in there” (A. D’Angelo, Interview with Tony D’Angelo, 2009); “I was the company commander of C Company…. I was in the hospital” (Tennant, 2007). Tennant was wounded and was one of the last casualties to be evacuated to France prior to Bastogne being completely surrounded after December 20. Wayne (Tolhurst, 2003, 69–70).
21 “By means of officers guides the Division… largely during darkness and during rain and snow squalls” (Moore, 1944, 1).
22 “The whole trip was miserable… while the remainder stood and took it” (R. J. MacDonald, Another Von Rundstedt Blunder—Bastogne, 1948, 7).
23 “Corps had pulled out during the night” (A. C. MacAuliffe, 1945, 2).
24 “Ewell [CDR 501st RCT] told Kinnard… 327 on its area at 1015, 326th Engr on its area at 1030, thus completing the Div assembly” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 7, 10).
25 “Divisions operations centered in the barracks… Close against the north end of it, aimed at the gate to deal with armor, a self-propelled gun squatted” (MacKenzie, 1968, 72); The last members of the staff [corps] had departed by 1200 on 19 Dec and the 101st then decided to take over the Corps CP, along with a cub airplane, a great deal of medical stores, and a ‘very large’ supply of cognac” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 8–9).
26 “Danahy was the last member of the staff to arrive from the bivouac at Mande St. Etienne… moreover there was no markings at all to show that a defense of Bastogne was taking shape…” (MacKenzie, 1968, 72–74).
27 “1000—Received enemy situation from G-2… East and directed primarily at BASTOGNE” (S2 Section, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 1944).
28 “Between 0800 and 0900 [19 DEC]… and see men moving at a distance of 2½ or 3 miles” (501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1945).
29 “19 DEC 1400 1st Bn. to launch an attack with limited objectives north of Noville” (S-3 Section, 1944); “Somewhere between 1100 and 1400 on 19 Dec… send a battalion to Noville to relieve the road block of Team Desobry” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 10).
30 “Kinnard had contact with Ewell only by radio… was holding his own although the enemy were all around him” (H. W. Kinnard, G-3 Account of Bastogne Operation, 1945, 9).
31 “G-2 interpreters examined letters… the rest of the material had been collected from the dead” (MacKenzie, 1968, 74).
32 “1700—19 Dec—R
eceived word from Division that our Regiment [502] will move up on a defensive position” (S2 Section, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1944).
33 “At about 1800 hours… Contact with the 506th Parachute Infantry at this time was maintained by patrols” (S. A. Chappuis, Historical Record 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, December 1944, 2); “1930—19 Dec—Regimental CP now located at ROLLE (534–618)” (S2 Section, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1944); “At about 1500 on 19 Dec… There was no action anywhere along the regtl front that night” (Cassidy, 1945, 1).
34 “The week of Dec 11-16th Johnnie [Private Ballard] and I [Goldmann] attended bazooka school… set one at a time on guard and to hell with the Germans [and] went to sleep” (Goldmann, Letter to Mrs. Ballard, 1945).
35 “19 Dec 44 Arrive vicinity of Bastogne… Able in reserve. 2-AT guns attch—57mm. 4 LMGs attchd to Able from Red [1st BN]. Able Attch to White Bn [2nd]. ‘Dog’ on left ‘Easy” on right’ (A Co Headquarters Section, 502nd Parachute Infantry, 1945); “A few miles to our right… the Screaming Eagles are here to fight” (Peniche, 2009).
36 “The CP and Fire Direction Center was located in a house in Hemroulle, with the Aid Station in a chapel across the street” (Hesler, Notes on the 463rd PFA and the Battle of Bastogne, 1990, 2).
37 “The 463rd Prcht. F.A. Bn., enroute from Mourmelon… Battalion fired in support of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment” (V. E. Garrett, S-3 Report from: 182400 Dec 1944 to: 192400 Dec 1944, 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion No. 204, 1944); “…with the command post established in the town of Hemroulle, Belgium…” (Seaton, 1944, 1); “At 9 am… Btry B was to the north of the road a short distance beyond” (Hesler, Notes on the 463rd PFA and the Battle of Bastogne, 1990); (S-3 Report, 1944).
38 “At 1630 it was reported that German… especially from the East and Northeast” (Abernathy, S-2 Periodic Report for the 327th GIR—from December 181800 to December 191800, 1944); “19 December… 2245—a negro supply convoy has been ambushed… area occupied by Div. Ordnance and the 326th Medical Co” (S2 Section, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 1944).
