by Leo Barron
54 “The losses of the division for 22 December amounted to about 400 men killed, wounded and missing…. Up to ten men temporarily had to share a loaf of bread per day” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 110).
55 “In the course of the morning… displayed by the defending forces” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 98).
56 “The battles between Assenois—Villeroux—Senonchamps were fluctuating all through the morning… was making steady progress towards Bastogne” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 97–98).
57 “During the late evening of 22 December the following picture of the situation was arrived at:… announced by the XXXXVII Panzer Corps, had come up” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 103).
58 “Throughout the day the enemy forces in the northern and eastern sectors had again been entirely passive…. There were indic[a]tions which seemed to confirm such an assumption” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040 1950, 103–05).
59 “Civilian refugees from Bastogne mentioned excitement… was questionable” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040 1950, 105).
60 “The intention of the division for 23 December was to close… for the attack against Flamierge from the west” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 106).
61 “The corps still seemed to be of the opinion that the enemy inside Bastogne could not be very strong… to assemble then for an attack on Bastogne as well” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 106–07).
62 “The losses of the division for 22 December amounted to about 400 men killed, wounded and missing…. Up to ten men temporarily had to share a loaf of bread per day” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 110); “In the course of the morning, news arrived from corps to the effect that the commander in charge of the Bastogne forces had a declined a surrender with remarkable brevity. This response was fully in accord with the stubborn tenacity displayed by the defending forces” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 98); “The battles between Assenois—Villeroux—Senonchamps were fluctuating… was making steady progress towards Bastogne” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040 1950, 97–98); “During the late evening of 22 December… announced by the XXXXVII Panzer Corps, had come up” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 103); “Throughout the day the enemy forces in the northern and eastern sectors had again been entirely passive…. There were indic[a]tions which seemed to confirm such an assumption” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 103–05); “Civilian refugees from Bastogne mentioned excitement… by the enemy forces in the south, was questionable” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 105). In essence, Kokott was assuming a similar withdrawal might occur from Bastogne as the Americans had executed the day before from the town of St. Vith. “The intention of the division for 23 December… for the attack against Flamierge from the west” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 106); “The corps still seemed to be of the opinion… to assemble then for an attack on Bastogne as well” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 106–07).
Chapter Five
1 Brooks, 1904, 94.
2 “Prowling about Bastogne, the Civil Affairs Officer, Captain Robert S. Smith… to wrap around their feet where they lacked arctic overshoes.” (S. Marshall, 1946, 140). If the Americans defending Bastogne had been fighting more of an offensive battle, perhaps there would have been fewer cases of frostbite, fatigue, and “trench foot.” Obviously, if a human is able to get up and move around, he is more apt to keep healthy, improve circulation, and stay somewhat warmer. Unfortunately, the majority of the men were emplaced in soaking wet or freezing cold holes and trenches. The vast majority of the men sat, day after day, hour after hour, with only the occasional break to some warming barn or farmhouse behind their lines.
3 “Steve Chappuis gave an order… to set up company kitchens in their buildings and were eating first class” (Koskimaki, 2005, 198). McAuliffe had already directed the men to forage from the farms, and give any farmer a receipt to be paid back for the food and livestock. For the remainder of the siege, some GIs lived pretty well off of stocks of mutton, potatoes, and white beans secured from nearby farmers.
4 “All around I could hear the sounds of fighting, sometimes muffled…. I checked my squad several times during the night, mainly to keep warm” (Bowen, Fighting with the Screaming Eagles: With the 101st Airborne Division from Normandy to Bastogne, 2005, 166).
5 “When we left [Germany] we were pretty much fully supplied with ammo, gas, rations, clothes… like it must be Christmas” (S. A. D’Angelo, Interview with Sergeant Anthony “Tony” D’Angelo, March 4, 2009).
6 The 502nd’s regimental symbol was a skull with bat wings, earning their nickname “Widowmakers.” What had started out as a fearsome name in training back in the States started to take on a darker meaning when the regiment suffered many casualties after D-day and Holland. Within no time, troopers of the 502nd preferred the nicknames “Deuce,” “Oh-Deuce,” or “Five-Oh-Deuce” over “Widowmakers.”
7 “One evening before Christmas an American sentinel… said old man Raviola” (Cercle d’Histoire de Bastogne, 1994, Chapter 14). Perhaps this was not a recon patrol…. Enemy patrol action. Cpl Nicolai shot” (A Co Headquarters Section, 502nd Parachute Infantry, 1945); “This note will attempt to correct several errors… and myself so no one knows their first names or hometowns” (Goldmann, Letter to George Koskimaki, 1993); “That night a six-man patrol from our platoon went out with Givry… with a tommy gun and wounded one which caused them to retire” (Goldmann, Letter to Mrs. Ballard, 1945).
8 “IN NOVILLE… But to the eastward where 506th stood guard, the boys who had prayed for morning soon wondered why” (S. Marshall, 1946, 87).
9 “The sounds of war were muffled and far off, but growing closer and closer in the east. We were waiting” (Black, The Last First Sergeant, 1998, 235).
10 “When I woke up in the morning in a slit-trench foxhole, water was already settling in…. Same Germans, same noise of war, the same dirty foxhole for a home. We were back in combat” (Black, The Last First Sergeant, 1998, 233–34).
11 Information provided by Bernard Maus, grandson of Dame Maus de Rolle. Only a small part of the Dreve de Mande can still be seen on the southern part of this intersection today. These are just a few of the surviving elm trees. Most of the pines died off from disease after the war.
12 “I don’t know how many personnel realize… until we came to a road stop later in the night” (Koskimaki, 2005, 35).
13 After the war, for some unknown reason, the name of the château was changed from Rolle to Rolley (Maus, 2010).
14 “Just now, I am in a beautiful 17th century castle which also serves as my home… makes everything look like a Xmas postcard” (Koskimaki, 2005, 92–93). A kitchen has been added to the forward landing of the château, and the thick stone walls, easily three feet thick, are easy to see today where the room was carved into the facade.
15 “From our vantage point… I seem to recall at least one 6X6 truck parked just outside the main gates and under it one or two deep foxholes had been dug” (Koskimaki, 2005, 92–93).
16 Maus, 2010.
17 “In the morning, Captain Mac summoned our squad to the CP…. This meant being prepared to fight” (Koskimaki, 2005, 168); (Bostwick, 1946, 7); “Col. Allen ordered the platoon to retake Flamierge at 1000. A five minute artillery and mortar barrage would precede the attack” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 3); “The Germans began to infiltrate early on the morning of the 23rd.… One mg from a jeep was used for the security of the M8” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 3); “23 December 1944 During the early
daylight hours of 23 December… were repelled with heavy fighting” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 110–11).
18 “After we got back to our regular positions… We rode on the tanks and other vehicles up there” (C. Gisi, Questionnaire for Carmen Gisi, 2009); “A light tank was assigned to us…. I suspect it was WWI surplus” (Koskimaki, 2005, 168); (Bostwick, 1946, 7); “Col. Allen ordered the platoon to retake FLAMIERGE at 1000… followed by four more jeeps, the 2 M8s and then the AG” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 3); “On arrival at the 3rd battalion’s line at Flamizoulle… Also please note, we have no medical support” (Walsh, Letter to George Koskimaki: The 705 Tank Destroyer Battalion to Bastogne, Belgium, unknown).
19 “Time… 0915… Source… FO 5 B… Location… 475-615… Remarks Ey personnel and half-tracks, effect very good… Time… 0955… Source FO 5 B… Location… 4756-6165… Remarks… Ey MG, not completed effects” (T. Moran, No. 208, S-2 Report for the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion from: 2400, 22 December 1944 to: 2400, 23 December 1944); (S-3 Report, 1944).
20 “When Gunderson and Chernak arrived at FLAMIERGE… the other was to the rear of the last building on the S side of town” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 2); “Rcn. Co. Atchd 327 Gli Inf” (Harris, S-3 Report from 212400, December 1944, to 222400, December 1944, No. 113, 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944); “On 22 Dec. 44 the 3rd battalion of the 327th Glider Inf. Regt…. Two of the roads into Flamierge came from the Bastogne-Marche Rd. [main road], 1 km, and the other road was from the Marche-Bertgone Rd., 4 km thru Salle, Tronie, Flamierge” (Walsh, Letter to George Koskimaki: The 705 Tank Destroyer Battalion to Bastogne, Belgium, unknown); “Each patrol [in the case of a three-car patrol] marches with a radio car in the rear…. The commander may order the patrol either to by-pass the obstacle or to await reinforcement” (Military Intelligence Division, 1944, 11); “There was no action in FLAMIERGE until 1600, Dec 22…. Then one shot destroyed the truck that was parked by the building…” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 2); “22 December cont’d 1720—Blue reports they knocked out a German jeep at their road block, killing three Germans. One of them escaped. This occurred at 1600 hours” (S2 Section, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 1944, 6); “The company stayed in reserve until the next morning when we were ordered to defend strong points in the vicinity of Flamizoulle… by being with him I was well abreast with the situation at all times” (R. J. MacDonald, Another Von Rundstedt Blunder—Bastogne, 1948, 17); “During the shooting a 60 mm mortar… That night, with 6 infantry reinforcements, the platoon with exception of the men in the M8 dug in” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 2–3); “German troops moved into a woods just off the Marche-Bastogne Rd. between 2 roads in Flamierge…. We spent in the night in these positions, waiting for them to move” (Walsh, Letter to George Koskimaki: The 705 Tank Destroyer Battalion to Bastogne, Belgium, unknown).
21 “Just as we entered the outskirts of the village… blasting away at every building in sight” (Koskimaki, 2005, 168–69); (Bostwick, 1946, 8); “We no sooner got there and the Germans opened up on us… We thought that it would get hit by a machine gun bullet and hit both of us” (C. Gisi, Questionnaire for Carmen Gisi, 2009); “As the column reached the outskirts of town… the armored vehicles drove up the street to the positions held previous to the first withdrawal” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 3); “On the move to reenter the town… we drove back to Flamizoulle, and the 3rd Bn” (Walsh, Letter to George Koskimaki: The 705 Tank Destroyer Battalion to Bastogne, Belgium, unknown).
22 “When the machine gun stopped… with statues of saints in them” (C. Gisi, Questionnaire for Carmen Gisi, 2009).
23 “As we passed in front of the house… The prisoners were herded outside without incident” (Koskimaki, 2005, 169–70); (Bostwick, 1946, 8–9); “When the foot elements could no longer move… after several rounds of 37 were sent into the basement” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 3).
24 “23 December 1050—Division reports 6 horse-drawn vehicles at 503630…. It came from the direction of SIBRET (495545)” (S2 Section, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment 1944, 6); “On 23 Dec at 0945 pathfinders jumped in the vicinity of Bastogne… Company ‘B’ was not in this action” (Harper, 327th Regiment at Bastogne, 1945, 10).
25 “The drop was successful… because the Germans would have ‘honed in’ on us and blasted us to bits” (Koskimaki, 2005, 224–25); “On 23 Dec at 0945 pathfinders jumped in the vicinity… by parachute and ammunition and food were the bulk of the cargo” (Harper, 327th Regiment at Bastogne, 1945, 10–11); “3. Early in the morning of 23rd December 1944… 23 December 1944 241 planes were used between the hours of 1150 and 1606” (Robbins, 11 January 1945, 1–2).
26 “The situation at Flamierge was at first still uncertain… anti-aircraft forces located close by were firing rapidly at the planes” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040 1950, 111–12); See the maps for Kokott’s work in Wilhelm Weiss’s book Ardennen 44 (Weiss, 2011).
27 “The 514th Sq with 8 P-47 a/c TO 1206 from Site A-80 on an area cover mission for 36 C-47’s in vicinity of Bastogne. RV at 1230 over P-545585… Lt-wk-acc flak at P5454. Weather: CAVU. TD 1430 at Site A-80” (Brown, Oprep A No. D23D (4th of 4 missions) for 24 hours ending sunset, 23 December 1944. Mission No. 292. IX Fighter Command Operations Order No. W51-2, 1944).
28 “Enemy fighter bombers swooped down on Hompre and pushed their thrusts of fire into the fluctuating and congested mass… but ammunition and ration containers!” (H. Kokott, Ardennes Offensive—Battle of Bastogne, MS #B-040, 1950, 112–14).
29 “The parachutes, cargo, dropping, are known as types G-2, G-3, G-4, and G-5…. For instance, blue canopies might designate water, red canopies, ammunition, green canopies, rations, etc” (Raymond C. Altermatt, 1945).
30 “Meanwhile, across the road near the entrance to the cellar command post… exulted a little soldier dancing by” (MacKenzie, 1968, 180–82).
31 “Lt. General Harry W. O. Kinnard, General McAuliffe’s Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 during the siege of Bastogne… Many thanks and all the best, Harry Kinnard” (Kinnard, Letter to Thomas Potter, 2005).
32 “On 22 December 1944… The remainder of the 1st Battalion constituted the Regimental reserve at Hemroulle (coordinates -534602)” (S. A. Chappuis, Historical Record 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, December 1944, 3–4); “In the morning were told to pack up our gear and prepare to move out as the division’s reserve… we stood outside our foxholes watching those brightly colored parachutes fall softly to the ground” (Black, The Last First Sergeant, 1998, 238–40); “23 December 1944 241 planes were used between the hours of 1150 and 1606… Rations Type ‘K’ 16488” (Robbins, 11 January 1945, 2).
33 “On the 23rd of Dec. after the weather cleared… we were yelling and screaming with joy” (C. Gisi, Questionnaire for Carmen Gisi, 2009).
34 “We had been in the village for several hours…. A phosphorous bomb was placed in the tank’s engine to immobilize it” (Koskimaki, 2005, 170); “The tank suddenly ceased moving. The motor was again out of commission” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 3–4).
35 “Blimp had returned inside the house and had gone upstairs when he called…but the turret had frozen solid” (Koskimaki, 2005, 170); (Bostwick, 1946, 10); “Datz took the armored car… 1 German sniper in the church steeple was eliminated with the 37mm” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 4); “Gunderson, trying to get to the roadblock had been killed by mg fire. Datz attempted three times to recover his body but the fire was too intense” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 4).
36 “Meanwhile heavy enemy mortar fire was crashing into the town…. Although German snipers in windows made any movement hazardous” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 4); “And then return back down to Flamierge… and move right back to Flamizoulle” (Walsh, Francis Walsh Collection (AFC/2005/005/64192), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, 2008); “I left him there, and returned to Flamierge… Casualties this venture, 2 dead, 1 wounded” (Walsh, Letter to George Koskimaki: The 705 Tank Destroyer B
attalion to Bastogne, Belgium, unknown).
37 “Datz returned to the garrison with gasoline for the AG which failed to respond to treatment… and to take positions with the AB roadblock” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 4); “Our tank had run out of gas and had used up its ammunition. A phosphorous bomb was placed in the tank’s engine to immobilize it” (Koskimaki, 2005, 170); (Bostwick, 1946, 10).
38 “Watson ordered the armored car to shuttle as many men as it would hold back to our lines… we literally stumbled into the company area” (Koskimaki, 2005, 170–71); (Bostwick, 1946, 10–11); “The wounded went first and 8 men were taken from the town… and 4 other men reinforced the AT defenses” (Wasil Chernak, 1945, 4); “At 1600 the 3rd Battalion was forced to give up Flamierge” (S3—Operations Section, 327th GIR, 1944, 3); “In Flamierge there was heavy fighting and some of the guys captured a few Germans…. We could have been captured” (C. Gisi, Questionnaire for Carmen Gisi, 2009); “1600—3rd Platoon, Rcn. Co. established road block 500 yards west of Flamierge” (Harris, S-3 Report from 222400, December 1944, to 232400, December 1944, No. 114, 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1944).
