To Save Bastonge

The U.S. 9th Armored Division had never experienced a major battle, but the German offensive of December 16, 1944, saw it suddenly engaged with the veteran troops of two elite panzer divisions. By December 18, desperate American commanders deployed whatever …

1944-12-18

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The U.S. 9th Armored Division had never experienced a major battle, but the German offensive of December 16, 1944, saw it suddenly engaged with the veteran troops of two elite panzer divisions. By December 18, desperate American commanders deployed whatever they had available to try to stop or at least slow the German armored columns moving on the vital crossroads town of Bastogne. Task Force Rose was one of the unlucky units formed ad hoc to try to buy time to enable reinforcements to reach the town.

Bastogne, Belgium

The Siege of Bastogne was an engagement in December 1944 between American and German forces at the Belgian town of Bastogne, as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge. The goal of the German offensive was the harbor at Antwerp. In order to reach it before the Allies could regroup and bring their superior air power to bear, German mechanized forces had to seize the roadways through eastern Belgium. Because all seven main roads in the densely wooded Ardennes highlands converged on Bastogne, just a few miles away from the border with neighboring Luxembourg, control of its crossroads was vital to the German attack. The siege was from 20 to 27 December, until the besieged American forces were relieved by elements of General George Patton's Third Army.

Wikipedia: Siege of Bastogne

German

American