Bastogne

165-195

Hitler launched a major offensive near Christmas time of 1944. It was very unexpected of anybody. It didn't make much sense at all of why he was doing it. Eisenhower decided the city of Bastogne would be a city that the Allies had to keep in their possession. There were many reinforcements brought in to keep it. Easy company went in to Bastogne in a bad way. They were lacking almost everything you need to fight a war. They didn't have warm winter clothes, the K-rations were short, some of the men didn't even have weapons. The Allies were not shelling the area first either. There was no air support what so ever because of the low clouds. It was a death sentence pretty much. Easy was brought into Bastogne by trucks, and hundreds of them. They were all packed in like sardines. Very uncomfortable ride.

When they got to Bastogne, they marched in by rows of two, being handed weapons on their way in. Many of the men from both sides were getting lost easily. The American line was held so thin that a German soldier could walk between two American soldiers and never be seen by them. Then the German soldier would find themselves at the HQ of the Americans and either get shot or be taken prisoner.

The first night there, it started to snow. It didn't stop for a while. The temperatures really dipped down. With Easy Company not having warm clothes, they were freezing cold and their response time was slower. Some of the men were thinking about shooting themselves in the foot to get out. But then they realized that there would be nobody to hold the line. Some men when they died, had a look of peace in their face. It was a living cold hell in the woods of Bastogne.

The American guys were sitting in fox holes waiting and observing. After about a week of staring at the same thing, you start to get to know the terrain pretty good. One morning, while the men were climbing into their foxholes, Shifty Powers saw a tree that he thought was not there the day before. In the woods of Bastogne, all of the trees are planted in rows. They are all pine trees, so there is not much brush close to the ground. Shifty Powers looked and saw the new tree and told some people about it. It turned out to be a German 88mm Artillery gun that was brought in over night and camouflaged with fake trees.

There is a new CO for Easy Company now. Lieutenant Peacock. He is the replacement for Heyliger. Peacock does his job and gets promoted. There is another CO now. Liutenant Dike. This man is not a very good decision maker under pressure. To be a CO, you need to be able to do that. At the Attack at Foy right after Bastogne, Dike freezes up and does not do anything. Winters, the XO, has to take action now. He has no other choice. He replaces Dike with Lieutenant Speirs. He is the last CO for Easy Company. He is just like Winters.

This battle sounds like hell. They are sitting around looking, and the cold is chilling to the bone. They are pretty much frozen. They do not have proper clothes. I would not want to be in this situation. I give these guys props for doing this. I respect all of the veterans much more by reading this book.