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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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Posted on 12/22/2002 12:03:28 AM PST by SAMWolf
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are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched their largest offensive of the war on the Western Front. The primary goals of the offensive were to capture the Belgian port of Antwerp and to drive a wedge between the British and American armies. This offensive is often referred to as the "Battle of the Bulge." It's failure was due largely to American resistance around St. Vith, on the northern shoulder of the Bulge, and by American forces holding Bastogne on the southern shoulder of the Bulge. The town of Bastogne is strategically located at the center of the road network of the Ardennes. The Germans referred to it as a "road octopus" since the majority of roads in that region of the Ardennes pass through the town. The town's strategic location made it vitally important to the outcome of the offensive. The Allies realized its importance and General Eisenhower dispatched the 101st Airborne Division to hold the town at all costs. This victory resulted in the first full Army Division Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation. This interview focuses on the story surrounding the German's request for the American forces at Bastogne to surrender and the American General's response as witnessed by Lt. General Harry Kinnard, at the time of the siege of Bastogne, a Lt. Col. and Division G-3. These are some of his personal recollections.  We got into Bastogne late on the night of 18 December, 1944. We were not well equipped, having just gotten out of combat in Holland. We were particularly short of winter clothing and footwear. On the 21st of December we became completely surrounded by Germans and our field hospital was overrun by a German attack. We had put the hospital in what would normally have been a safe place, but no place is safe when you are completely surrounded. At this time, we were not able to receive air resupply because the weather was absolutely frightful. It was very, very cold and snowy. Visibility was often measured in yards. Our lack of winter gear was partially offset by the citizens of Bastogne who gave us blankets and white linens that we used for camouflage. While we were still surrounded, on the morning of December 22, a German surrender party, consisting of two officers and two NCOs, and carrying a white flag, approached our perimeter in the area of our Glider Regiment, the 327th. The party was taken to a nearby platoon command post. While the enlisted men were detained the officers were blind folded and taken to the command post of the 327th where they presented their surrender ultimatum. The ultimatum in essence said the 101st's position was hopeless and that if we elected not to surrender a lot of bad things would happen.  The message was brought in to the Division Headquarters by Major Alvin Jones, the S-3, and Colonel Harper, the Regimental Commander. They brought the message to me, the G-3 and Paul Danahy, the G-2. My first reaction was that this was a German ruse, designed to get our men out of their fox holes. But be that as it might, we agreed that we needed to take the message up the line. We took it first to the acting Chief of Staff of the Division, Lt. Col. Ned Moore. With him, we took the message to the acting Division Commander General Tony McAuliffe. Moore told General McAuliffe that we had a German surrender ultimatum. The General's first reaction was that the Germans wanted to surrender to us. Col. Moore quickly disabused him of that notion and explained that the German's demanded our surrender. When McAuliffe heard that he laughed and said: "Us surrender? Aw, nuts!" the date was December 22nd, 1944 The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note. If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours' term. All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity. The German Commander. But then McAuliffe realized that some sort of reply was in order. He pondered for a few minutes and then told the staff, "Well I don't know what to tell them." He then asked the staff what they thought, and I spoke up, saying, "That first remark of yours would be hard to beat." McAuliffe said, "What do you mean?" I answered, "Sir, you said 'Nuts'." All members of the staff enthusiastically agreed, and McAuliffe decided to send that one word, "Nuts!" back to the Germans. McAuliffe then wrote down: "Nuts!" The American Commander." McAuliffe then asked Col. Harper to deliver the message to the Germans. Harper took the typed message back to the company command post where the two German officers were detained. Harper then told the Germans that he had the American commanders reply. The German captain then asked, "Is it written or verbal?" Harper responded that it was written and added, "I will place it in your hand." The German major then asked, "Is the reply negative or affirmative? If it is the latter I will negotiate further."  At this time the Germans were acting in an arrogant and patronizing manner and Harper, who was starting to lose his temper, responded, "The reply is decidedly not affirmative." He then added that, "If you continue your foolish attack your losses will be tremendous." Harper then put the German officers in a jeep and took them back to where the German enlisted men were detained. He then said to the German captain, "If you don't know what 'Nuts' means, in plain English it is the same as 'Go to Hell'. And I'll tell you something else, if you continue to attack we will kill every goddam German that tries to break into this city." The German major and captain saluted very stiffly. The captain said, "We will kill many Americans. This is war." Harper then responded, "On your way Bud," he then said, "and good luck to you." Harper later told me he always regretted wishing them good luck.
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they definitely could have used a little NGFS (Naval Gun Fire Support)!!
But I have all the respect in the world for "Mad Anthony" McAuliffe and George "Blood and Guts" Patton!!
Good morning, and Merry Christmas to you!
Hellinahandcart, does this patronizing tone sound familiar?
Thanks for the PING, Jen.
Today's classic warship, USS Orca (AVP-49)
Barnegat class small seaplane tender
Displacement 2,800
Length 310'9"
Beam 41'2"
Draw 13'6"
Speed 18.2 k
Complement 285
Armament 3 5", 8 40mm
USS Orca (AVP-49) was laid down 13 July 1942 by the Lake Washington SB Corp., Houghton, Wash., launched 4 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. J. W. Reeves, Jr., and commissioned 23 January 1944, Comdr. Morton K. Fleming, Jr., in command.
After shakedown off San Diego, Orca sailed for Pearl Harbor, escorting Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70). Reporting to ComNavAir 7th Fleet, she was ordered on to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea. where she commenced operations with her first squadron on 26 May 1944.
Orca's squadrons carried out "Black Cat" missions during the ensuing five months, for which they were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. Comdr. Fleming, Orca's skipper and CO of the task unit, was awarded the Legion of Merit. These missions, in which black-painted Mariner seaplanes conducted night bombing strikes against Japanese shipping, proved to be tremendously destructive to the enemy. The squadrons also carried out air-sea rescue missions in support of the 13th Army Air Force.
In early November, Orca moved into the Leyte Gulf area as that campaign was reaching the critical stage. She sent her planes into Ormoc Bay right under the noses of the Japanese on 3 December, and they taxied around the bay for nearly an hour picking up survivors of Cooper (DD-695), sunk the previous night. After the Japanese finally realized what was taking place, they threw up quite a fusillade. The pilots bore down on the throttles and headed for the open sea. Heavily loaded, the old Catalinas finally heaved themselves into the air, after about a three mile run. Making additional trips, they were able to rescue 167 Cooper survivors.
Orca was attacked by a lone plane on 27 August, but her guns drove it off. That next night, "Tokyo Rose" announced that "The volume of ack-ack which met the previous night's raid indicated that a battleship of the Wisconsin class had been sighted at Middleburg Island." Orca came under similar attack twice on 26 November and was credited with an assist on a plane which narrowly missed Oyster Bay.
On 2 January 1945, Kamikaze planes attacked Orca's convoy formation in which a minesweeper was destroyed and Orca was slightly damaged as a plane splashed close alongside, showering her with wreckage and bomb fragments: six of her gun crew were wounded. Tokyo Rose announced that their "special attack group" had sunk one battleship, one heavy cruiser, and seriously damaged three other cruisers in a large convoy moving north along the cost of Mindoro.
Orca continued to service air squadrons and carry out rescue missions until 15 August. She had also been commended along with her squadrons, by General Walter Kreuger, U. S. 6th Army commander, for landing scouts behind enemy lines, carrying supplies to guerilla forces, and evacuating wounded.
On 26 September, Orca arrived at Okinawa to assist in the occupation of the Japanese Islands. She was soon detached to proceed to the United States.
Orca's next big assignment was furnishing services for the Bikini A-Bomb tests. Orca then decommissioned 31 October 1947 and joined the reserve fleet in San Francisco.
Orca re-commissioned 15 December 1951 and operated out of San Diego through 1952, under command of Cmdr. A. K. Espenas. On 5 January 1953 she was underway for the Philippines.
On 2 August 1954, Orca relieved Walton (DE-361) at Hong Kong as station ship. By 25 February 1955 she was back in San Diego for leave and upkeep.
Orca deployed to WestPac on 11 July for another tour, in which she weathered two severe typhoons. She returned to the States again on 1 December and was able to spend her first Christmas in four years at home. Her leave period was extended to 15 January 1956.
Following extensive training during the early months of 1956, Orca deployed to the Western Pacific for a seven month tour on 24 April. During this deployment, she was awarded the yellow "E" for excellence in the Air Department for fiscal year 1956. She returned to San Diego on 19 November.
Orca made a subsequent WestPac cruise beginning 22 August and continued to provide a vital service to the Pacific Fleet until she decommissioned in March 1960 and went into reserve at Columbia River, Oregon.
She was transferred to Ethiopia in January 1962 and served under the name Ethopia as that nation's largest naval ship for almost 30 years. In 1991 during the Eritrean revolution she escaped to Yemen with other units of the Ethiopian navy. By then in unserviceable condition, she was probably sold locally for scrap.
Orca earned three battle stars for service in World War II.
My wife agrees 100% with you. LOL
Even as our Government and some people are trying to rewrite our history, there are those of us who try to make sure the sacrifices of those before us are not forgotten.
At 3:26 PM on December 23rd, the "American Luftwaffe" carried out another bombing run. Six B-26s from the 322nd Bombardment Group, a unit of the Ninth Air Force, were nearing their secondary target. Despite the crystalline clarity of the day, the flight leader had somehow failed to locate their primary target, the town of Zulpich, Germany. After consulting his maps, though, he decided that he was close to Lammersum, another German town that was also a legitimate target. He decided to proceed with the bomb run on Lammersum.
From 12,000 feet, the six bombers dropped a total of 98 250-pound bombs, using their top-secret Norden bombsights for precise targeting. Twelve tons of high explosives whistled down and pulverized the small town. Another successful mission accomplished, the B-26s banked and returned to their base in England. Below, in Malmedy, Belgium, the survivors of their attack, Belgian civilians and GIs from the 30th Infantry Division, screamed futile imprecations at the departing bombers. 37 Americans and scores of Belgians died in the attack.
General Hobbs, commanding the 30th Infantry Division, telephoned an Air Force general to berate him for yet another fatal screwup. This was not the first time that the Ninth Air Force had bombed American ground forces. It wasn't even the first time that they'd bombed the 30th Infantry Division. The Air Force general apologized and promised that it wouldn't happen again. But his superiors later denied that any error had occurred. And over the next five days, there were four more mistaken bombings.
Made a big difference in the Normandy battles.
Excerpt from Shakespeare's St. Crispen's Day Speech-
Henry V
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