The 101st Airborne Division was completely surrounded and outnumbered. During the siege, General Anthony McAuliffe famously responded to a German demand for surrender with the one-word answer, “Nuts!”
The Siege of Bastogne lasted until December 26, when the American 4th Armored Division broke through German lines at Marvie and relieved the city. Although their position was desperate and their supplies were limited, the Allied forces managed to hold out against much larger German forces until reinforcements arrived. Following their victory in Bastogne, U.S. troops liberated Belgium from Nazi control by January 1945.
The Battle of Bastogne is remembered as a critical moment in World War II, demonstrating that even under difficult conditions, Allied forces could still hold back their German foes. It was also a significant turning point in the war, as the Allied victory at Bastogne helped to ensure an eventual Allied victory in Europe. The courage and tenacity of the American troops at Bastogne have been praised by historians and citizens alike. The Siege of Bastogne is seen as a crucial moment in World War II and as one of the most iconic moments of heroism during that conflict.
Prelude
In a triumphant sweep, the Allies stormed Normandy and pushed forward to stretch their front lines from Nijmegen in the North all the way down to peaceful Switzerland in the South. With each step they took through occupied land, Antwerp’s valuable port city was liberated, and by wintertime, even Aachen had fallen completely under Allied control.
Adolf Hitler hastily planned to take down the Allied lines located in Belgium and Luxembourg by launching a surprise attack with 25 divisions through the Ardennes, ultimately aiming to cross the Meuse river and reclaim Antwerp. His senior commanders, including Gerd von Rundstedt and Walther Model, had serious doubts regarding this strategy; however, no changes were made as December 16th was ultimately chosen for its execution date. Unbeknownst to them at that time was that the Allies deemed it almost impossible for any large-scale German invasion due to terrain issues observed within this area of land.
Furthermore, intelligence indicated that the German divisions in this region were exhausted, and no Allied commander foresaw a potential attack. Bastogne was guarded primarily by the 28th Infantry Division, who had fought continuously from July 22nd to November 19th before arriving at this seemingly peaceful area. They held control of multiple important roads that ran through the city, making it an essential hub for operations.
The Allies assumed that Bastogne was only guarded by an infantry division, expecting any attack to be relatively small. Retaining the seven roads leading in and out of Bastogne became even more critical because they facilitated the movement of German armor – it was paramount for the Allied forces to hold onto them.
The renowned General Hasso von Manteuffel, commanding the 5th Panzer Army, gave Colonel Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz’s XLVII Panzer Corps a task to seize Bastogne before advancing towards the Meuse near Namur. For this assault, three divisions – 26th Volksgrenadier and 2nd Panzers as leading forces, followed by the stunningly powerful Panzer-Lehr-Division were assigned for a 7-mile battlefront.
In defiance of this monumental force, two battalions from the 110th Infantry Regiment were assigned a 9-mile (14km) stretch along the Our River which serves as Germany’s border with Luxembourg. Allied troops were grouped together in formidable numbers at major villages throughout Luxembourg and had outposts situated nearby to keep watch during daylight hours. As their forces weren’t large enough to form an unbroken line of defense, they focused mainly on blocking off access through four key roads that crossed over the Our River.
The deluge that preceded the German attack left only one of the roads passable, and it ran through Dasburg to Clervaux (Klerf in German; Klierf in Luxembourgish) and Bastogne. This northernmost road was the Our River crossing point. Knowing the importance of Bastogne’s road network in order to expand further westward, General Lüttwitz assigned his 2nd Panzer Division to cross the river via this route. Meanwhile, he ordered his 26th Volksgrenadier Division to build a bridge near Gemünd so they could follow suit. Seizing control over Bastogne would be paramount before any other operations could commence and Lüttwitz was well aware of that fact.
Subsequently, he commanded the Panzer-Lehr Division’ to advance towards Bastogne once his remaining troops had crossed the Clerve River in Northern Luxembourg.
Events of December 21st
The 101st Airborne formed a strong perimeter, with the 502nd PIR positioned on the northwest shoulder to stop any 26th Volksgrenadier forces and the 506th PIR blocking access from Noville. The 501st PIR was tasked with defending against eastern approach attempts, while an engineer and artillery units were strategically dispersed along Marvie in the southeast to Champs in the west along southern boundary lines. This all worked together as one cohesive unit for optimal protection of the area. The night of the initial raid on the division service area west of Bastogne caused an unfortunate loss for almost its entire medical company. Numerous service troops had to be utilized as infantry replacements to bolster their thinning lines.
In dire straits due to the casualties of Team Desobry (Maj. William R. Desobry), Team Cherry (Lt. Col. Henry T. Cherry), and Team O’Hara’s (Lt. Col 10th Armored Division) in their attempts to slow down the German advance, CCB assembled a “fire brigade” of 40 light & medium tanks which included survivors from CCR 9th Armored Division as well as 8 more unassigned tanks discovered at Bastogne!
On December 20th, Col. Roberts of Combat Command B (CCB) took charge and coalesced three artillery battalions to create a temporary artillery group with twelve 155mm howitzers – supplying the division with an impressive amount of firepower within their limited ammo allotment. Additionally, he successfully rallied over 600 stragglers from VIII Corps under the banner of Team SNAFU to serve as an emergency force in case they faced an attack – even going so far as utilizing 2000 rounds for direct firing against enemy tanks!
The 57mm anti-tank guns were supplemented with antiaircraft batteries that were strategically placed on the frontline to fire upon enemy tanks. Furthermore, antitank batteries also occupied positions along the Main Line of Resistance (MLR).
Working seamlessly with the tank destroyer battalion’s larger vehicles, they created an immovable defensive line that was too costly to penetrate for the Germans. The anti-aircraft batteries could engage German tanks at maximum range, decreasing their velocity and giving more agile tank destroyers enough time to move on-site and demolish enemy armor. This approach proved its effectiveness by effectively combating any unexpected attacks from all directions.
In response to the unwavering American protection at Bastogne, General von Lüttwitz of the XLVII Panzer Corps decided to surround and attack from south and southwest on the evening of December 20th-21st (Ralph M. Mitchell 1986, 101st Airborne Division’s defense of Bastogne p. 38.
On 21st December, German Panzer reconnaissance units experienced initial triumphs, almost conquering the American artillery posts near Bastogne. However, they were soon hindered by an emergency force. Moreover, all seven roads to Bastogne and its neighboring towns had been blocked off before noon on the same day. By nightfall, both sides agreed: a conglomerate of airborne and armored infantry forces was completely encircled!
The American forces were massively outnumbered, 5 to 1. They had no cold-weather gear, ammunition, food, or medical supplies and their senior officers, including the commander of the 101st, Major General Maxwell Taylor, were absent from the battlefield due to other engagements. The inclement weather made it impossible for them to receive resupply by air; even tactical air support could not be availed due to cloudy conditions above the battlegrounds.
Taking advantage of their mobility, the two Panzer divisions from XLVII Panzer Corps bypassed Bastogne and continued towards the Meuse on 22 December. To assist in capturing the crossroads, only one regiment was left behind to support 26th Volksgrenadier Division’s mission.
The XLVII Panzer Corps tested the American defense along its southern and western lines of protection, where Bastogne’s safety fell to a single airborne regiment plus supplementary units acting as infantry. This became an advantage for the Americans due to their interior lines; they could transfer artillery fire and relocate their meager makeshift armored forces in order to fight each oncoming attack.
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