Siegfried line

[ecompany]

I'M curious, What do you people think of Patton? and his third Army?
My opinion is that when he ran off to "Rescue" the 101st , that, by the way, didn't need rescuing, left the entire flank of what the 3rd Army was responsible for, exposed. If it wasn't for the 94th inf and there outstanding fighting, the Germans would have flanked Patton and kicked his ass. The 94th took on the responsibility that the entire 3rd Army had. But that is just an opinion.

[SuperScout]

It seems a bit strange that the 101st Airborne Division didn't need rescuing, although being surrounded, running low on ammunition, faced with overwhelming enemy and firepower - I think the question needs to be directed more toward expert military historians and more importantly, survivors of the Bastards of Bastonne, as these magnificent warriors came to be known.

In taking the forces necessary to conduct a breakthrough operation, Patton knew the risks, and probably was better at understanding the German war plan than the German war planners themselves. A bold move like his breakthrough operation was totally against all line of reasonable Wermacht thinking, so they never planned for any offensive operation if the Americans would have been so insane to even try it. But not only did Patton try it, it succeeded admirably, caught the Nazi with the leiderhosen around their collective ankles, and the rest is history.

[The Cooler King]

The 101st could have held out. The weather was clearing and they were starting to get supplies air dropped.

[Bill Farnie]

It wasn't just the 101st who defended Bastogne

[82Rigger]

Yeah, Bill, you're right.

Wasn't there also a combat unit of the 10th Armored also in Bastogne?

And wasn't Patton's movement to the North already well underway before the weather cleared and airdrops came in?

[Bill Farnie]

Steve,

There were a number of different units ranging from the 10th & 9th Armored to combat engineers. The 101st did make a stiff and determined defense of Bastogne, but they weren't alone. The 101st wasn't even envolved in the first few days of the German's Ardennes Offensive and were sent to defend Bastogne and the roads and small towns around the city. Here's an excellent page that starts with the 101st when they first left Bastogne to try and relieve and give support to the various units still hanging on to their outposts. It's a long but good read and mentions the other units involved in Bastogne's defense.

http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/wwii/7-8/7-8_19.htm

[82Rigger]

101st Airborne, 10th Armored, Combat Engineers, 2 batallions of Field Artillery with 155s.

Bastone may have been short on numbers, but they sure had the right stuff!