by Leo Barron
29 “After the shooting was over… to check on our mess crew” (Smith, 1980).
30 “As the Germans began to make a move… and one getting in” (Cooper, unknown).
31 “Our machine gun section drove the captured tank near our positions…. Lyons looked him in the eye and replied, ‘You’re the prisoner, I’m not’” (Lyons, 2011, 260).
32 “In the first 15 minutes we had disabled 5 tanks… and parked it outside my HQ” (Cooper, unknown).
33 Seaton, Casualty Report for December 1944.
34 See ammunition expended in Garrett, S-3 Report from: 242400, Dec 1944, to: 252400, Dec 1944, Unit: 463 Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, No. 210, 1944).
35 “…there was a German tank burned to a crisp hanging upside down on the right side of the tank… until it hit a bank about 4 feet high at a 45 degree angle” (J. L. Martin, 1989).
36 “By this time, about 45 minutes had passed…. No American anti-tank guns and or tanks were involved in our battle” (Cooper, unknown).
37 Asay took an Iron Cross dated 1939 off of one of the Germans, which he still has to this day. “We (my squad and I) went after them…. We were clearing out house to house all day and taking prisoners” (Asay, Interview with Charles Asay, 2011).
38 “Well, I took a patrol up the Givry road, the last house up to Givry…. I was taken to the American field hospital and took me four months to mend” (Asay, Interview with Charles Asay, 2011).
39 “In an interesting action in Champs… when I brought a German officer from the church steeple area” (Koskimaki, 2011, 297).
40 “0805… Contact made with all by runners” (A Co Headquarters Section, 502nd Parachute Infantry, 1945).
41 “As the day continued on with fighting in and around Champs… and destroyed the tank crew by small arms fire by our men” (Koskimaki, 2011, 299); “I did talk to him [Swanson]… and they couldn’t move it” (Hatch, 1991).
42 “…I was telephoning with my back to the door, looking out of the window… but of course not doing any damage” (Koskimaki, 2011, 299).
43 “Well, you know we had that one German tank come up through Champs…. The other guys took care of the crew” (Fowler, second Interview with Corporal Willis Fowler, 2011).
44 “Food and bragging and post mortem of the battle were the order of the day now… his pants shot off and the radio gone” (Goldmann, Letter to Mrs. Ballard, 1945).
45 See A Company log (A Co Headquarters Section, 502nd Parachute Infantry, 1945).
46 “Suddenly, as if on signal, the fighting ended; and eerie calm broken only by the crackling of burning tanks, came over the field” (Hanlon, 1962).
47 “The attack by the enemy soldiers advancing under cover of darkness on the ‘A’ Company positions north and west of Champs… and were engaged with the enemy until dark” (Koskimaki, 2011, 301).
48 “A new line was laid to Company A and the 2d Battalion… but was stopped before it could materialize” (Phillips, 1948, 27–28); “The wire maintenance men had continued their work right through the fire fight…. Christmas Day closed with Cassidy and Chappuis eating a can of sardines and some crackers for their dinner” (Cassidy, 1945, 11–12).
49 “Information contained in captured documents showed the 115th Panzergrenadier Regiment (recently brought up from Italy) and two battalions of the 77th Volksgrenadier Regiment supported by the 26th Volksgrenadier Division Artillery had participated in the German attack” (Phillips, 1948, 28).
50 “Prisoners take during period: [FROM DEC 241800 TO DEC 251800] 117” (Abernathy, Journal of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, December 1944).
51 “1020—The attack upon Red (1st BN) along the RR turned out to be an enemy reconnaissance in force… 1500—PW’s from 1st Bn, 77th Regt state that their Regimental staff is at 513634” (S2 Section, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 1944, 9).
52 S1, 327th GIR, 1944; “Upon reaching the OP, the company commander [McDonald] without formality began orienting the platoon leader [Halloran]…. The massing of these enemy troops indicated a probable night attack” (O’Halloran, 1948, 9); “A little more than a hundred yards from the farm buildings… cautiously continued their advance” (O’Halloran, 1948, 13); “Near the farm buildings… The enemy fire appeared to come from one of the farmhouse’s basement windows” (Koskimaki, 2011, 244); “At this time the platoon leader directed… yet immobility would eventually spell annihilation” (O’Halloran, 1948, 13–14); “Signalling for increased rates of fire the squads were ordered to move forward…. Ammunition supply was more than adequate” (O’Halloran, 1948, 14); “The rest of us made a wild dash to the barn and stood there against a stone wall, out of the gunner’s sight” (Koskimaki, 2011, 244); “Two riflemen had taken up a position behind a small tree… unable to persist in the attack” (O’Halloran, 1948, 14); “Blimp and I became separated… hay hanging above my head” (Koskimaki, 2011, 244); “The platoon… and four men had received slight wounds” (O’Halloran, 1948, 11, 15, 18); “Lt. O’Halloran led a platoon backed up by TD in an attack on the buildings…. S/Sgt Joseph Sopcyzk was killed in the operation” (Koskimaki, 2011, 243); “Minutes later, as twilight faded into darkness… The squad leaders were ordered to prepare for withdrawal” (O’Halloran, 1948, 17); (S1, 327th GIR, 1944).
53 “Stationed with the 406th Fighter Group at Mourmelon-le-Grand in the French area of the installation was the 101st Airborne Division… there began the most intensive period of activity and destruction in the history of the organization” (Bastogne and the 101st Division, 1945).
54 “Intelligence informed us that about 700 four-barrel… And I had been on flak-busting missions before Bastogne” (Park, 1993, 1–2).
55 “Yes—I flew each of the days from 23rd thru 27th… conferring with crew chief on return, and debriefing” (Park, 1993); (Graves, 1944).
56 “…we attacked targets within 400 yards of our own perimeter… Despite skill, a lot of luck was needed to escape unscathed” (Park, 1993).
57 “Captain Parker of the Ninth Air Force stationed his radio-equipped jeep in the central courtyard, the better to operate as ground controller… that it was in fact an enemy ruse designed to get a body of armor past the aerial screen and into Bastogne” (MacKenzie, 1968, 230–31); “On December 19 Capt. James E. Parker…. were given to Captain Parker” (Rome, 199).
58 “406th Ftr. Grp. (OPREP only [25 December 1944] 115 sorties, all in battlefield. Supported by VIII Corps, according to OPREP… ‘At 151, 6 mi. E of Bastogne, “Roscoe” repeated request of Maestro to bomb Bastogne’” (XIX Tactical Air Force, 1950, 15–17).
59 “Such was the execution that one of the pilots later said to General McAuliffe, ‘This was better hunting than the Falaise pocket and that was the best I ever expected to see’” (Rome, 199).
60 “25 December—1st Lt. MYRON A. STONE failed to return from ground support… failed to return from ground support dive bomb mission to Bastogne” (Office of the Intelligence Officer, 1944).
61 “Actually we lost five of the 513th in three days… contributed to longevity in this instance” (Park,1993).
62 “All the pots and pans had holes in them. Sgt. Thomas Spivey [the mess sergeant] was mad as a wet hen” (C. D. Smith, 1980).
63 “On the morning of the 26th we were ordered to take a hill in front of us…. Can you believe it?” (Lott, 2011). A classic story to relate Towns’s courage is related in Karel Margry’s Operation Market-Garden, Then and Now. During the Holland drop, Towns’s glider tug, a C-47, was hit by flak and started to dive to the ground, dragging the Waco glider with it. Towns smashed the Plexiglas windshield of the glider and, reaching out with his combat knife, cut the tow rope, freeing the glider and allowing it to land safely complete with Towns and his men (Margry, 2011, 265).
64 “…the pilots of the 406th Fighter Group pressed home their attacks… and 13 ammunition and fuel dumps” (Weyland, 1945).
65 “According to Intelligence of the 101st… The Thunderbolts flew in above the tree tops
and tackled every target assigned to them” (C. J. Parker, 1945).
66 “We went out on the mission determined to help our ground forces…. Summing up, the Bastogne period was the most significant time in my combat experience of [the] 11½ months and two Purple Hearts” (Park, 1993).
67 “In the morning, dozens of wounded men filled the Féron house… eight families were left with nothing” (Heintz, 1984, 77).
68 “By early afternoon of 25 December, the division command… to bring the exhausted attacking forces to a ‘halt’” (G. H. Kokott, 1950, 134–35).
69 “Only one thing was certain: the 5th Parachute Division… attacking from the southwest” (G. H. Kokott, 1950, 136).
70 “In the afternoon, the division… Reconnaissance Battalion 26 and Rifle Regiment 39 stuck to their positions” (G. H. Kokott, 1950, 135).
71 “Around 0900 hours… and directed to dig in and hold the gained ground” (Maucke, 1949); “At first light… along the outskirts of Bastogne” (H. Kokott, Employment of the 26th Volksgrenadier Division from 16 to 31 Dec 1944, 1945).
72 The 463rd PFA BN conducted nine separate fire missions…. They fired exactly 208 shells” (Shell Report for the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 25 December 1944).
73 “The enemy reacted with very powerful and effective fire concentrations. Pursuits of the retreating German forces did not take place” (G. H. Kokott, 1950, 135).
74 “By afternoon, however, the troops had checked all enemy attacks along a line extending as follows: road fork 2 kilometers north of Nives–Remoiville-Hollange” (G. H. Kokott, 1950, 136).
75 “All efforts by ‘Baker’ Company to drive the Germans… converged on the target” (Koskimaki, 2011, 301–02); “On the Christmas Day attack… We did inflict several on the Jerries” (Wise, 1948).
76 “During this Christmas Day encounter with the enemy, the field artillery observer… firing into the enemy position even though close in contact with our men” (Koskimaki, 2011, 298).
77 “Yes, in December 1944 I thought it was a good idea to fight this battle and to win the war…. By Christmas Day I had less than 30 in my company” (Lindemann, Interview with Ludwig Lindemann concerning the Battle of Champs on 25 December 1944 [2011]).
78 “On 22 December… I was able to issue two K rations to every member of my staff and to each of the Belgian children” (Luettwitz, XLVII Panzer Corps (16 Dec–24 Dec 44), ETHINT 41, 1945, 5–6); “The advance detachment of the 2d Pz Division had no gasoline… in order to take it definitively” (Luettwitz, The Assignment of the XLVII Panzer Corps in the Ardennes MS A-939, 1950, 14); “In this offensive, Bastogne was the key point of communications behind our front lines, which we needed to be able to bring in supplies for the divisions” (Buechs, 1945, 4).
79 “Christmas Eve was rather melancholy for the Corps…. The Division continued to be in a critical situation. During the day CHAVANNE was lost” (Luettwitz, The Assignment of the XLVII Panzer Corps in the Ardennes, MS #A-939, 1950, 14–15); “On 24 December Rochefort was captured by Panzer Lehr…. Humain and Havrenne were taken on 25 December at noon” (Bayerlein, 2011, 98); “I [Luettwitz] knew that on 24 Dec 44, the advance detachment of the 2 Pz Div was attacked by the 2 US Armored Div” (Luettwitz, XXXXVII Panzer Corps in the Battle of the Ardennes, MS #A-940, 1946, 9).
80 “25 December: 0900. Humain taken by 902. Havrenne captured by Lehr Recon… Only a few escaped” (Bayerlein, 2011, 82).
81 “The situation had developed as expected… so that the available forces were not strong enough for the definite mopping up of BASTOGNE” (Luettwitz, The Assignment of the XLVII Panzer Corps in the Ardennes, MS #A-939, 1950, 15–16).
82 “The Chief of Staff emphasized the moment of surprise when the enemy was attacked during the early morning on the first day of Christmas…. Without objections, the courageous regiment prepared for an attack on Christmas Eve” (Maucke, 1949).
83 “The III./115 was designated the reserve… why the battalion was not committed to the difficult task in the front lines” (Maucke, 1949); “1535 Hours Colonel Maucke traveled to the III Battalion…. The III./115 was attached” (Operations Section, 1944). The AAR that Maucke wrote after the war was a day off. The artillery strike hit the 3rd Battalion—not the 2nd. Dyroff was injured. “1600 Hours Enemy assault troops with two tanks at the path-crossing… and deliver the new orders” (Operations Section, 1944).
84 “No reports from the I./115 were received until evening…. At the heights at Isle-La-Hesse I encountered strong enemy resistance” (Maucke, 1949).
85 “Estimated Enemy Casualties: PWs evacuated to PWE, 222. Total to date, 616. Tracked vehicles destroyed this date—Tanks, 27; half-tracks. 1. Total to date: Tanks, 144; half-tracks, 25” (Danahy, G-2 Periodic Reports No. 7 from: 250011 to 252400, December 1944).
86 “The kitchen of the Signal Company was strafed…. Friendly armor that had been attacking the Germans south of the town was 1,000 yards from the outer defense lines, he said” (MacKenzie, 1968, 231–32); (Unknown, 1944).
87 “With the massing of troops and tanks on Christmas Day…. He said, ‘Hell, I know that! I want to know where the 4th Armored is’” (Wright, n.d.).
88 “I saw a large pillbox ahead and ordered Dickerman to throw several rounds into it—it was demolished…. Time 1640, December 26, 1944” (Boggess, 1984, 7–8).
89 Koskimaki, 2011, 339.
90 Copy of letter from Templeton (Wick, 1999, 990–91).
91 “All 7 tanks stopped E of the woods…. They were burning before Love left them” (R. B. Miller, 1945, 2); “However, Sgt. Love (Co. B) got 2 MkIV’s with four shots as the enemy passed his position” (A. W. Johnson, 1945, 3); “Someone contacted the tank destroyers…. They jumped and went down into the woods” (Lamke, n.d., 974–75); “Instantly, the four tank destroyers raced into position behind the tanks and opened fire. Five of the tanks exploded as their thin, unprotected backsides took direct hits” (D. R. Martin, 2011, 58); “25 December 1944 HĖS COMPANY… The remaining two escaped temporarily to the woods to our north” (Turbiville, 1945, 4); Captain William J. Nancarrow; Privates Joe J. Berra, Stanley W. Wieczorek, Romer L. Williams, Joe H. Douglas, Jacques Levan, and Cort L. Paine; and Technician Fifth Grade William H. Hussey all received a Bronze Star for their action on 25 December 1944, Order 4, Dated 10 January 1945. See Awards and Decorations for the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 1945; “On 25 December a German force was approaching our area…. We all received the Bronze Star” (Berra, n.d.). From the accounts, it is more likely that Miller’s TD section (Love, et al.) and Nancarrow’s men stopped or disabled three tanks and possibly drove two more off.
92 “I wasn’t a member of your Battalion…. You may have heard from others from our outfit. If not here’s a tribute to you,” Copy of letter from Bob Johnston, Machine Gunner, Co. C., 327 Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. (Wick, 1999, 1011).
93 “I [Jackson] got the Silver Star for that one [shooting the tank on Christmas Day]” (Ferretti, 1984, 2).
Epilogue
1 This story comes courtesy of Bernard Maus, the grandson of Madame Maus de Rolle. Again, Mr. Cygan and Mr. Barron are in great debt to Mr. Maus for all of the help he has given the authors in researching the events during the battle at and around Rolle Château. On another note, Cygan and Maus were quite surprised to discover a live U.S. hand grenade while touring the Rolle Château outbuildings in July of 2011. The item was carefully disposed of by local Belgian military ordnance experts (Maus, 2011).
2 In July of 2011, author Don Cygan and Bernard Maus also discovered several stacks of what are most certainly the Winchester bedsheets in the attic of the Rolle Château. Evidently, there were several left over, as so many had been given to the residents of Hemroulle to make good their losses, that they didn’t know what to do with the remainder. As far as we know, they are still there today.
3 Parker, 2011, 22–25.
4 This information was provided in November of 2011 by Donna Humphrey, secretary at St.
Mary’s Church in Winchester, Massachusetts. The authors are greatly in her debt for providing the information and relating the story of the stations of the cross. “You may observe a painting…. The painting in St. Mary’s was restored in July 1998 under the pastorate of Rev. Richard Messina” (Stevens, 2011).
INDEX
Abernathy, William, 304
Adams, Jack, 231, 233–34, 238, 240, 242
Adorf, Anton, 220–21
Affler, Germany, 29, 31
Al’Caure woods, Belgium, 235
Allen, Ray C., 57–59, 81, 88, 92, 107, 122, 125, 126, 129, 136, 139, 141, 145–47, 157, 170–72, 174, 190, 234, 237–39, 242, 247–50, 257, 261, 268, 273, 302, 304, 305, 308, 320
Andrejewski, Joseph, 173–74
Andrews, Robert, 145, 267
Angus, Hershel E., 238, 248
Annevoie, Belgium, 25
Antwerp, Belgium, 13, 20, 22, 28, 41, 43, 149, 175
Ardennes Forest, 3–4, 12, 19–21, 23, 44, 46, 47, 50, 55
Asay, Charles Verne, 56–57, 76, 77, 166–67, 207–9, 215, 224–25, 297–98, 300, 322
Assenois, Belgium, 110, 307
B-17 Flying Fortresses, 68
Bader, Frederick W., 305
Ballard, John C., 76, 77, 224, 300–1
Ballenger, Gordon L., 292
Barnes, Henry, 255, 278
Barnes, Robert, 216
Barrière Hinck, Belgium, 78, 81
Basse, Belgium, 25
Bastogne, Belgium
American air bombardment and, 65, 128–30, 160–62, 168, 305–14, 321
American artillery power in, 79–81, 110, 266–67, 312–13
American liberation of (1944), 42, 83
Christmas Day (1944), 158, 190–93, 195–229, 232, 234–320
Christmas Eve (1944), 156–75, 177–90, 195, 231, 233–34
civilian population of, 42, 83, 85–87
curfew and power outage in, 85
German air bombardment of, 1–4, 177–84, 190, 193, 195, 197–99
