{"id":683,"date":"2025-12-02T14:07:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T14:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/?p=683"},"modified":"2025-12-02T14:07:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T14:07:44","slug":"the-ardennes-forest-december-16-1944","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/?p=683","title":{"rendered":"The Ardennes Forest \u2014 December 16, 1944"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\nThe Ardennes Forest \u2014 December 16, 1944\r\nIt began with a sound the men of the 106th Infantry would never forget.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThunder.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nExcept it wasn\u2019t thunder.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe ground trembled as 1,600 German artillery guns opened fire in unison across an 80-mile front. The Ardennes, peaceful only hours before, exploded into chaos. Snow blasted from the trees like smoke. The sky turned gray with the dust of ruptured earth.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInside a foxhole near St. Vith, Private Andy Harper clutched his helmet as shells landed like falling planets.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cLie still!\u201d his sergeant yelled.\r\n\u201cIt feels like the end of the damn world!\u201d Andy shouted back.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe German offensive had begun.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Battle of the Bulge.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHitler\u2019s last gamble.\r\nThe operation meant to split the Allied armies in two.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd it was working.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSupreme Headquarters \u2014 December 19\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGeneral Dwight D. Eisenhower stood over a huge battlefield map, the red arrows of the German advance pushing deep into Allied lines. Officers crowded around him, faces pale, breath tight. The atmosphere was heavy with dread.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Ardennes was supposed to be quiet \u2014 a place for exhausted divisions to rest. Instead, tens of thousands were being swallowed by the fast-moving German spearheads.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEisenhower tapped the map with the back of his pencil.\r\n\u201cIf they reach Antwerp, the entire Western Front collapses.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nNo one spoke.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFinally, Eisenhower turned toward the man standing casually at the back of the room, hands behind his back, jaw clenched like he was holding back impatience.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLt. General George S. Patton.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis presence was electric \u2014 as if someone had plugged the room into a generator.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEisenhower asked the question everyone feared:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cGeorge\u2026 how long will it take you to disengage your army, turn north, and counterattack?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton didn\u2019t even blink.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cForty-eight hours, sir.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLaughter \u2014 nervous, disbelieving \u2014 broke out from the other generals.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMajor General Beetle Smith shook his head.\r\n\u201cImpossible. Third Army\u2019s facing east. Your supply lines\u2014\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton cut him off.\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve already issued three contingency plans to my corps commanders. They just don\u2019t know which one they\u2019re executing yet.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEisenhower lifted a brow.\r\n\u201cYou planned this before I asked?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cSir,\u201d Patton said, stepping forward, \u201cthe Germans didn\u2019t pick this moment because they\u2019re clever. They picked it because they think we\u2019re slow. They think we react like bureaucrats.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe leaned over the map.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cI intend to prove them wrong.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe room fell silent.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEisenhower studied him. He knew Patton\u2019s faults \u2014 his temper, his ego, his unpredictability. But he also knew this: Patton was the only commander in Europe who could move an army like it was a living creature.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cVery well,\u201d Eisenhower said quietly.\r\n\u201cDo it.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton saluted, spun on his heel, and strode out.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOne of the officers murmured,\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cIt can\u2019t be done.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut Eisenhower, watching Patton disappear down the hallway, said under his breath:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cIf anyone can\u2026 it\u2019s him.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThird Army Headquarters \u2014 December 19, 1944 \u2014 1:14 p.m.\r\nWhen Patton burst into the tactical room, officers snapped to attention before he even yelled.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe didn\u2019t sit. He didn\u2019t warm up. He went straight into the storm.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cGentlemen,\u201d he barked, \u201cwe are moving. Not tomorrow. Not tonight. Now.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nColonels and majors exchanged stunned looks.\r\nThey had expected new instructions \u2014 not a full inversion of the entire Third Army.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut Patton didn\u2019t slow for disbelief.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe pointed at a giant map pinned to the wall.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cTwelfth Army Group wants us to turn ninety degrees north. Through blizzards. Through ice. Through traffic jams. Through roads a damn mule wouldn\u2019t walk on.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe slammed a fist onto the table.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re doing it in forty-eight hours.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA murmur spread through the room; some faces drained of color.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMajor General Hugh Gaffey cleared his throat.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cSir\u2026 with respect\u2026 moving the III Corps that fast means\u2014\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cMeans miracles,\u201d Patton snapped. \u201cWhich is why I expect you all to become saints in the next two days.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnother officer, Colonel Harkins, spoke carefully:\r\n\u201cSir\u2026 the men are exhausted. They\u2019ve been advancing nonstop for weeks. They aren\u2019t equipped for Arctic temperatures.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton\u2019s gaze sharpened.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNeither are the Germans. But guess what?\u201d\r\nHe leaned in.\r\n\u201cWe are Americans. We improvise. We endure. We win.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe jabbed a finger toward the north.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cThe 101st Airborne is surrounded at Bastogne. If we don\u2019t reach them, they\u2019re dead. And if they\u2019re dead, this war gets a hell of a lot longer.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSilence.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEvery man in that room knew Patton wasn\u2019t exaggerating.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton\u2019s voice dropped to something almost reverent.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re going to save them. All of them.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA young captain swallowed hard. \u201cSir\u2026 then what\u2019s the plan?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton grinned \u2014 wolfish, electric.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cMove. Everything. Now.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Logistical Nightmare Begins\r\nOver the next six hours, the Third Army transformed from a machine of momentum into one of impossible mobility.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nConvoys of trucks screeched from staging areas.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nArtillery battalions wheeled around like choreographed dancers.\r\nFuel units scrambled to reroute tank resupplies on icy roads.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRadio operators barked orders so fast their voices cracked:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cTurn north at once\u2014priority red!\u201d\r\n\u201cAll supply lines rerouted\u2014expect bottlenecks!\u201d\r\n\u201cSnow conditions degrading\u2014chains required!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIn mess halls across eastern France, soldiers dropped spoons mid-bite as runners burst in shouting:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cOrders from Patton! Pack your gear! We move in one hour!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMen who hadn\u2019t slept in thirty-six hours scrambled to their feet.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nStaff Sergeant Bill Timmons slung his rifle and muttered to the private next to him:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cJesus Christ\u2026 what\u2019s he want now?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPrivate Leon Jacobs answered:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cTo prove he\u2019s Patton.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSnow thickened.\r\nWinds picked up.\r\nNight fell like steel.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDecember 20 \u2014 2:07 a.m. \u2014 Somewhere near Metz\r\nA column of Sherman tanks crawled along a narrow road barely wide enough for one vehicle.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInside the second tank, Lieutenant Adam Brewer held his hands near a small heater barely warmer than breath.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cHow long we goin\u2019 north?\u201d asked Corporal Dent.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cUntil Patton says stop.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cYou think he\u2019s crazy enough to pull this off?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBrewer hesitated \u2014 then shook his head.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNo. He\u2019s crazier. He thinks we can pull it off.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBehind them, troops marched through snow sometimes knee-deep. Wind cut through overcoats. Frost formed on eyebrows, eyelashes, boot buckles.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nNo one complained.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWar had taught them a truth:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhen Patton moved, it meant something big was coming.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton\u2019s Jeep \u2014 Racing the Blizzard\r\nPatton rode not in a heated staff car but in an open jeep \u2014 snow lashing his face, scarf whipping behind him like a general\u2019s banner.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe stood up in the seat, gripping the windshield frame, shouting at passing units:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cKeep moving, boys!\u201d\r\n\u201cThird Army\u2019s going to relieve Bastogne!\u201d\r\n\u201cFaster! The Krauts sure as hell won\u2019t wait!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSoldiers cheered back through chattering teeth.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis driver, PFC Bob Ferrell, yelled over the wind:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cSir! You\u2019ll freeze to death if you keep standing like that!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton didn\u2019t sit.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cFerrell, I didn\u2019t come this far in life to save my skin! Keep going!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe jeep swerved through snowdrifts as Patton scanned the endless convoys \u2014 so many that headlights turned the night white with motion.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Prayer Everyone Still Talks About\r\nBy dawn, the blizzard had thickened so much that air support was impossible. Patton knew his tanks couldn\u2019t break through without the skies clearing.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe stormed into the VIII Corps chaplain\u2019s tent, scattering snow from his coat.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cFather O\u2019Neill!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe chaplain leapt to attention.\r\n\u201cYes, General?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cI want you to write a prayer.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cA\u2026 prayer, sir?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cYes, a prayer!\u201d Patton snapped. \u201cFor good weather.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nO\u2019Neill blinked. \u201cYou\u2026 want me to pray for the weather?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cI want you to pray for a goddamn miracle.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe chaplain hesitated only a second.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cWhat should it say?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton leaned in, eyes wild with urgency.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cAsk for the skies to clear so that we may kill our enemy. Ask for weather that lets us finish this job.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cAnd you want your entire army to recite it, sir?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNo.\u201d\r\nPatton cracked a grin.\r\n\u201cI want them to believe it.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWithin hours, 250,000 prayer cards were printed and distributed across Third Army.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMen recited it in foxholes.\r\nTank crews muttered it over engines.\r\nOfficers whispered it like a secret pact with fate.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEven the nonbelievers spoke it \u2014 because if Patton believed, maybe God did too.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMiracle Over the Ardennes \u2014 December 22\r\nThe next morning, the clouds parted.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWidely. Abruptly. Impossible to explain.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSunlight glinted off the snow like polished armor.\r\nAmerican fighter planes roared into the sky.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIn the operations tent, Patton\u2019s chief of staff whispered:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cMy God. That prayer\u2026 it worked.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton lit a cigar.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cGod favors the side with the best commander.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe blew smoke toward the ceiling.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cAnd the best plan.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe skies were clear.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe roads were packed with Third Army convoys.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd Bastogne still held.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe race to the 101st Airborne was on.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDecember 22, 1944 \u2014 Bastogne, Belgium\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n101st Airborne Headquarters \u2014 the Siege Tightens\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLieutenant Colonel Harry Kinnard stood inside a dim cellar lit by a single lantern, listening to the pounding of German artillery outside. The earth trembled with each hit \u2014 like a drumbeat announcing the inevitable.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis men were tired. Frozen. Hungry.\r\nMedical supplies had run out. Ammunition was rationed.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBlood froze before it hit the ground.\r\nTourniquets were tightened with bare teeth.\r\nMedics prayed more than they stitched.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd still \u2014 the 101st Airborne held.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGeneral McAuliffe, the acting commander, reviewed a German message demanding surrender.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cThey want to negotiate,\u201d Kinnard said.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMcAuliffe coughed \u2014 exhaustion nearly doubling him over \u2014 and muttered the word that would enter history like a gunshot:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNUTS.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe reply went back, short and defiant.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGerman commanders were baffled.\r\nAmerican paratroopers?\r\nLaughing, while surrounded?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBecause despite the cold, the hunger, the death rotating through the lines like a carousel \u2014 they believed Patton was coming.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSomewhere in the frozen dark\u2026\r\nAmerican engines rumbled.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMeanwhile \u2014 Patton\u2019s Third Army\r\nDecember 23 \u2014 4:30 a.m. \u2014 South of Luxembourg\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe 4th Armored Division, led by the relentless Major General John S. Wood, had been pushing through blizzards and minefields for days.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nNow the skies were clear, revealing an army stretched like a living chain across snow.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSherman tank engines roared.\r\nHalftracks jolted over icy roads.\r\nInfantrymen marched past mile markers crusted in frost.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInside one tank, Private Leon Jacobs breathed into his hands.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cHow close are we?\u201d he asked.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLieutenant Adam Brewer checked the map under a flickering lamp.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cForty miles.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nJacobs groaned. \u201cFeels like four hundred.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBrewer laughed darkly. \u201cYou know what Patton said?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nJacobs rolled his eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cHe said\u2026 \u2018Thirty miles in two days is impossible \u2014 so we\u2019ll do it in one.\u2019\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nJacobs cursed into his scarf.\r\n\u201cAnd we followed this man voluntarily?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDecember 23 \u2014 Patton\u2019s Command Jeep\r\nSnow crackled under tires as Patton\u2019s jeep carved through the night.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe stood again \u2014 refusing to sit \u2014 gripping the windshield frame with a bare hand, knuckles white against the cold.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTroops cheered when they recognized him.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cGoddamn miracle worker!\u201d someone yelled.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton shouted back:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cI don\u2019t work miracles \u2014 I make them irrelevant!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis scarf snapped in the wind like a banner.\r\nHis pearl-handled pistols glinted under moonlight.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA colonel riding behind him muttered:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cHe\u2019s insane.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnother officer replied:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cYes. But he\u2019s our kind of insane.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nChristmas Eve \u2014 The German Trap Tightens\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInside Bastogne, conditions slipped from desperate to catastrophic.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe wounded lay shoulder-to-shoulder on freezing stone floors.\r\nCries for morphine went unanswered \u2014 there was none left.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBlood stained snow crimson around aid stations.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nStill, morale held.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBecause at night, when artillery paused and silence settled, paratroopers leaned close and whispered one phrase:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cPatton\u2019s coming.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOutside the lines, German armor prepared the finishing blow.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIf Patton failed\u2026\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBastogne would fall.\r\nAnd with it \u2014 the entire Western Front could collapse.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe stakes?\r\nNothing less than the war\u2019s outcome.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDecember 24 \u2014 11:50 p.m. \u2014 Near Chaumont\r\nPatton stood over a massive paper map anchored by coffee mugs and grenades. Officers huddled around, breath fogging the air.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRoads were clogged.\r\nFuel was running low.\r\nGerman resistance had increased dramatically.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGaffey spoke first.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cSir, the Krauts are expecting us\u2014\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton cut him off.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cOf course they are!\u201d\r\nHe slammed his fist on the table.\r\n\u201cBut they sure as hell aren\u2019t expecting us tonight.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA captain frowned. \u201cSir, it\u2019s Christmas Eve.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton stared him down.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cThen let\u2019s give Bastogne a present.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe looked at his staff.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cTomorrow, December 25th, Third Army breaks the German ring.\r\nThis is not a request.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOne by one, exhausted, frostbitten officers straightened.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThey believed.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nChristmas Morning \u2014 1944 \u2014 The Breakthrough Begins\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n8:45 a.m. \u2014 The 4th Armored Division Attacks\r\nFog rolled over snowy fields as American armor advanced.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nShermans fanned out across the white expanse, engines growling like beasts awakened.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLieutenant Brewer yelled over the radio:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cKeep formation! Watch those treelines! Mines likely!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGerman machine guns sliced through the fog, sending tracers sparking across tank hulls.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInfantrymen dove for cover, boots slipping on ice.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA sergeant hissed:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cFeels like the whole damn Reich is shooting at us!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut they kept moving.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEvery mile north meant one mile closer to Bastogne.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEvery step they took was purchased with blood.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInside Bastogne \u2014 Paratroopers Hold the Line\r\nIn a foxhole ringed with frozen roots, Private Sam Wilburn ate a Christmas \u201cdinner\u201d of cold beans and snow.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe heard distant artillery.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cSounds different,\u201d he muttered.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cMaybe the Krauts change their tune for Christmas?\u201d joked Corporal Henry Boyd.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWilburn shook his head slowly.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNo\u2026 that\u2019s tank fire.\r\nAmerican tank fire.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBoyd went still.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cPatton?\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWilburn grinned weakly.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cPatton.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAround them, paratroopers lifted their heads despite the cold.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThey could feel it \u2014 like warmth rising from beneath the earth.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRelief was coming.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDecember 26, 1944 \u2014 4:50 p.m. \u2014 The First Sherman Arrives\r\nThe battle reached its crescendo.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe 4th Armored Division slammed against German lines defending Bastogne.\r\nTanks erupted in fire.\r\nAnti-tank guns hammered the snow.\r\nInfantry crawled through freezing mud.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLieutenant Brewer\u2019s tank, battered but alive, pushed forward.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cJust one more village!\u201d Brewer shouted.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe radio crackled:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cLancaster Dog Two, Bastogne is less than two miles!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBrewer slammed his fist into the side of the turret.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cThen let\u2019s finish this!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nShermans burst into the outskirts of Bastogne.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGerman troops retreated in shock \u2014 they had believed Patton couldn\u2019t possibly arrive in time.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut American armor kept rolling.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSnowflakes hissed on hot engines.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd then\u2014\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nUp ahead, a group of ragged American paratroopers emerged from the smoke.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOne of them \u2014 Sergeant Ernest Premetz \u2014 stared in disbelief, then yelled:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cGoddamn! It\u2019s the 4th Armored!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInfantry cheered with cracked voices.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTears froze on cheeks.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nParatroopers pounded on tank hulls with gloved fists.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThey were saved.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThat Evening \u2014 Patton Gets the Report\r\nA junior officer rushed into Patton\u2019s headquarters tent.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cSir! The siege is broken! Bastogne is relieved!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton exhaled once \u2014 deeply.\r\nA rare, quiet moment.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThen he said:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cGood. Now let\u2019s drive the bastards back to Berlin.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTHE COST OF VICTORY\r\nDecember 25, 1944 \u2014 Christmas in Hell\r\nWhile American families back home carved turkeys and opened presents, the men of the 101st Airborne spent Christmas morning crouched in frozen foxholes, eating cold rations and firing at German artillery positions that hammered Bastogne like a drum of iron.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSnowflakes drifted through trees blackened by shellfire. Each explosion showered the men with dirt and pine needles. They fought frostbite, hunger, and exhaustion as fiercely as they fought the enemy.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPrivate Frank Horvath tore open a chocolate bar \u2014 stiff as a brick \u2014 and broke it with a combat knife to share with his friend.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cMerry damn Christmas,\u201d he muttered.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis friend managed a grim smile.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cBe merry when Patton gets here.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHorvath looked at the sky \u2014 gray, heavy, filled with the constant rumble of distant artillery.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cIf Patton doesn\u2019t get here soon,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cthere won\u2019t be anything left of us to save.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe German Ultimatum\r\nThat morning, German officers approached Bastogne with a white flag and a message.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA formal demand:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSurrender or be annihilated.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGeneral Anthony McAuliffe, acting commander of the 101st, read the letter, raised his eyebrows, and chuckled.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThen he scribbled his legendary reply:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNUTS.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhen the Germans asked what the message meant, the American messenger grinned.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cIt means you can go to hell.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nInside the shattered town, the men repeated the phrase like gospel.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNUTS!\u201d\r\n\u201cTo hell with \u2019em!\u201d\r\n\u201cWe ain\u2019t giving up a damn thing!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCourage. Defiance. A middle finger raised at impossible odds.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut courage alone wouldn\u2019t stop panzers.\r\nThey needed Patton.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFourth Armored Division \u2014 Racing Toward the Bulge\r\nOn icy roads south of Bastogne, the 4th Armored Division fought through villages turned to rubble, each one defended by German tanks with armor like steel monsters rising from the snow.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nLieutenant Colonel Creighton Abrams \u2014 yes, that Abrams \u2014 led the assault from the front, riding atop his Sherman tank with snow crusting his eyebrows.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe squinted at a distant crossroads.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cClear that intersection,\u201d he ordered. \u201cThat\u2019s the last choke point before we hit Bastogne!\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis men surged forward.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSherman tanks fired shells that lit up the night like brief molten suns.\r\nGerman artillery cracked back with terrifying precision.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSnow mixed with smoke.\r\nSmoke mixed with screams.\r\nAnd still Patton\u2019s men pushed on.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatton Refuses to Stop\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAt Third Army Headquarters, officers begged Patton to slow down, to regroup, to let units rest.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe didn\u2019t even look up from his maps.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cThe men in Bastogne aren\u2019t resting,\u201d he growled.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cBut sir\u2014\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cNO \u2018but\u2019! We reach them tomorrow.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe stabbed a finger at the map so hard it tore through the paper.\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ardennes Forest \u2014 December 16, 1944 It began with a sound the men of the 106th Infantry would never forget. Thunder. Except it wasn\u2019t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-viral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=683"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":685,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions\/685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisrubin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}