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Critical to Allied plans to prevent the Germans from reaching that point- was the defense of the road center of St. Vith and, farther west, Bastogne.With the help of the 82nd Airborne Division, the Americans slowed the advance of Peiper’s move toward St. Vith. ‘All was not well in Bastogne on. Dec. 20, however, when the 47th.-/ Panzer corps surrounded American troops and sent emmisaries to demand surrender.' That brought ithe now-celebrated response of “Nuts!” from the acting commander of the airborne division, Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe.Lt. Gen. George Patton’s ‘troops .broke off an engagement m the south and sped toward Bastogne with relief- His 4th Armoured 'Division rolled into the city on Christmas. J *' \“No other general would have attempted that,” Ferguson said “They marched a hundred miles all night; they had no hot food or rest.” Fighting in Bastogne was William Ewen, now comptroller for the Gar zette. One of the “Tough Ombres” of the 90th Infantry Division’s 357th Regiment, the New Jersey native was stationed in Dillingen, Germany, south of the Bulge invasion, and escaped the initial German onslaught.But his regiment soon became involved, halting its activity along the Siegfried line to relieve a number of troops in Bastogne the first week of January.Although combat was intense — he dodged machine gun fire while running throngh open fields — “living in the elements was the worst part,” Ewen said. “It was so cold ... and all snow—a foot or so.”Ewen later crossed into Germany and Czechoslovakia, where he was injured, and recovered in a hospital in Paris.The situation had deteriorated in St. Vith. Americans held tough until Dec. 19, when the Germans broke •through and were again on their wayto the Meuse.
Newspaper Details
Indiana Gazette
Indiana, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Jan 26, 1985
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 17 Apr 2019
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