The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Gen. Anthony McAuliffe at Bastonge - Dec. 22nd, 2002

http://www.thedropzone.org/europe/Bulge/kinnard.html ^ | Patrick O'Donnell

[MistyCA]

Goodnight, Jen. See you when you finish shopping. :) My husband delivered our gifts to California when he went last week. I am glad to have that done:) I will miss the kids and my brother and sister this year. :(

[MistyCA]

LMAO! Oh yes....for as long as I have known you! LOLOL!

[Light Speed]

Yes...it would seem their inability to improvise killed the offensive.
An American account of the first days, revealed that a U.S. tank regiment had driven by the Germans..only to appear miles away in the wrong place.
had the Germans reconned this..and acted..they could have busted inland quite aways.
This was mentioned as one of the key tactical mistakes early on...and led to things backing up on the germans in that sector..as you mentioned the road system.
Is it possible the Germans felt the U.S. was fleeing..and were waiting a bit so that the roads would be availble to them..with little contact in the process?.
another Bulge website commented about the lack of German artillery activity..tapering off dramatically after the opening of the offensive.

[SAMWolf]

Most of the German artillery was horse drawn and Armor had priorty on the road nets. Once the front line moved artillery had a hard time redeploying.

[SAMWolf]

Kampfgroup Pieper actually did breakthrough early in the battle, but bridges kept getting blown up in in face, his constant detours finally led to him being bottled up in the Ambleve valley in Stoumont and La Gleize, supplies weren't able to get through and he was forced to abandon his heavy equipment and breakout on foot.

The stand at St. Vith and the holding of the northern shoulder prevented any large scale followup of his breakthrough.

[PhilDragoo]

What an excellent tribute to the bravery that turned back the last counterattack of the Third Reich.

It has always seemed to have been an element of bold valor--witness the lone bazookaman digging the foxhole at the point where "this is as far as they get".

God Speed the Finest Fighting Force on Earth in its current mission.

Swift victory and safe return, with Saddam's head in a jar.

On behalf of Army vet Ted Maher and his friends at Free Republic, our thoughts, prayers and flag flying 24/7 lit dusk to dawn are for our men and women in uniform.

[Light Speed]

I guess we can only ponder on what might have been if Rommel had not been forced to commit suicide in October of that year.

[SAMWolf]

There was never any real chance of the Germans acheiving their objectives, the best they could hope for was to delay the inevitable. I doubt if even Rommel would have changed the outcome.

[SAMWolf]

Considering that the initial attacks feel on green untried units or units that had taken a beating in the Hurtgen Forest, the Americans did pretty well in slowing down the attack.

[Reo]

Earlier this week my wife and I had the privilege of sharing a meal with an older couple, friends of ours for many years. He fought both at the Battle of the Bulge and the taking of the bridge at Remagen. He is now in the early stages of Alzheimer's, but it is always an honor to be in his presence. He has the front page of the Stars & Stripes editon detailing the taking of the Remagen Bridge framed on his living room wall (the article carries Andy Rooney's byline).

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[MistyCA]

That man who said, "this is as far as they get" has the kind of spirit that we have come to admire so much of our heros. What a credit to humanity. That's the spirit that built this great country.

[Fiddlstix]

Be sure and
Click the Pics
J

[MistyCA]

OMG! Do you know how happy I am to see you????? Wow! Merry Christmas to all of us!!! YIPPEE! :)

[SAMWolf]

Next time you see him tell him I thank him for his service.

I'll have to do a Remagen Bridge thread.