The Prominent St-Vith' Battle overpasses the Bastogne' Legend

THE  PROMINENT ST-VITH BATTLE, AT LONG LAST OVERPASSES THE BASTOGNE LEGEND...

VOLUME XXVI NUMBER 3 THE ARDENNES CAMPAIGN AUGUST 2007

106TH NOT RECOGNIZED

[Editedslightly] I came across the article, on page 25, indicating a book Alamo in the Ardennes was soon to be published. The release date was supposed to be March 5, 2007.

Nowhere in the write-up, in bold print, did I see a reference to the 106th Infantry Division. ... Evidently he has not researched the maps and battle positions of all those outfits that participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

..., he would have noticed that the 106th Division, with three regiments of infantry spread over 26 miles of front each of St.Vith was hit by the major thrust of the German Fifth Panzer Army, in the center and southern flank and the Sixth SS Panzer Army north of center.

He would also have noticed that the 14th Cavalry, as well as the 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments of the 106thInfantry Division, while taking very heavy casualties delayed the Germans to such an extent that it was six days before the Germans were able to take St. Vith. That delay alone was a major factor in the final defeat of the Germans. That delay was a contributing factor in causing the Germans to run out of fuel for their tanks.

I am not detracting from the brave fighting and courage of the men in those other divisions and units who fought in the battle and I recognize that the stand of th(advisable) [as received], I refer you to the book 'St-Vith Lion in the Way' by Colonel R. Ernest Dupuy, published and copyrighted, in 1949, by Infantry Journal Press, Inc, Washingtcn, DC.

This is the history of the l06th Infantry Division, from its inception on November 29, 1942, to the decommissioning in 1945........

In my opinion, before any such book purporting to be an accounting of such a horrendous battle ought to have been reviewed at least by people who were familiar with the entire picture Not just som  incidents by a few.

I am sorry to say that this is just an other example of "the sign of the times." The 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, along with the advance of Patton ’s 3rd Army was the turning point"

However, I do strongly think that the 106th Division deserves at least a little credit for having held the Germans thos precious six days, at a cost of over 6,600 dead, wounded, missing and captured brave soldiers. We continued to fight and support the combat throughout the battle, albeit with only a minimum strength 424th Infantry Regiment and one battalion of artillery, the 589th (four 105 MM Howitzers), as well as eight engineers from our 81st Engineer Battalion. We were finally relieved in mid-March.

Also re: article "U.S. & German Field Artillery...." A glaring error concerns the infantry divisions on the front lines of December 16. 1944

First, the major thrust of the German offensive was in the region manned by the 106th Infantry Division-not the 2nd Infantry Division. The 2nd w a s relieved man for man and gun for gun on December 10, 11 and 12, 1944, by the 106th Infantry Division. We held our positions for five days while the divisions on either flank gave way within the first two days. Have you ever heard of St.Vith. Belgium? We lost over 6,000 casualties (killed captured and wounded) those first five days.

Second, the records show that we were expert in the use of both the 105MM and the 155MM Howitzers. One of the reasons the Germans were held up for those five d a y s .......

Robert S. Scherer

106 INFD ARTY HQ

FRENCH MEDAL OF HONOR

I was a member of the 307th Airborne Medical Company, 82nd Airborne Division, during WWII. A while back I received the highest and most prestigious award from the Republic of France.

Of only 14 Americans, I was awarded the French Medal of Honor, the first time given in the United State s Prior to this time (since Napoleon’s day) it was only given in France

Amelio Cucinelli

82 ABND 307 ABN MED CO

48 DAYS IN BASTOGNE

I was in the 101st Airborne Division with the 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, B Battery, Gun #3. We had the snub nose 105 mm.

We were in the encirclement in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. We were there for 48 days and had plenty of incoming artillery and they were 88’s not 105's. I don’t know where all the information about 105’s came from.

When yon heard the shell coming and you could fee! It and the ground it was not an 88 But let me tell you they were all 88’s that came in at us. The 88’s were smaller than the 105’s, but nearly twice as long.

If we were there now I could show you just where some are - they went into the ground and never went off In fact of all the artillery guns we captured, we never saw a German 105. Talk of resupply-all through France and Holland the Germans never had to move artillery shells.

They were stacked in piles all over the country. They just set up the gun by the shells and started shooting and those piles were all 88’s.

G. A. "Bud" Lauer

101 ABND 907 GIB B

THANKS TO MR. BIGGIO

I would like to elaborate on the excellent article on the organization and operation of the field artillery by Charles Biggio, Jr., that was in the November issue of The Bugle.

In addition to the artillery battalions that a repart of infantry divisions, there a reartillery battalions attached to corps that a resent in support of infantry divisions within the corps a re a that need added fire power.

My battalion artillery, the 955th Field Artillery 155 mm Battalion was part of the V Corps artillery organization.

Our battalion received a special letter of commendation from the CO of the 1st Infantry Division for our support of the 26th Infantry Regiment in the Bullingen-Monchau area during the Bulge. Our after action report of January 31, 1945, indicates that the 995th FA Bn had tired in combat 50,000 rounds since our arrival shortly after D-Day into Normandy.

Thanks for Mr Biggio's artillery article.

P.S. Our battalion at the end of the war was awarded five battle stars.

E. W. Mortensen

955 FA BN HQ

GEN. HASSO VON MANTEUFFEL 5th PANZER ARMY COMMANDER

Defense of St. Vith Area and Impact on German Offensive

Submitted by Ray Brassard

774th Tank Destroyer Battalion

[This is a speech prepared by a general for presentation to a group of former 106 'ers at the 23rd Annual Reunion of the 106th Infantry Division at St. Vith, Belgium, July 1969. He did not appear at the reunion, but his speech made its way to the 106th Infantry Division History archives.]

Whereas Bastogne had an honorable place in American military history, St.Vith is hardly mentioned . The heroic defense in the St.Vith area has suffered depreciation and a strange denigration at the hand of the popular media. The Battle of the Bulge was not fought ONLY or solely in Bastogne or by the admirable

coming into action of Patton’s Third Army. Around St.Vith were all elements of tragedy , or heroism, and self-sacrifice which make up the human experience at its most acute phase, when it is under the strain and stress of War!

The actions around St.Vith exerted a great influence on the result of the German intentions. A whole army corps was delayed by your defense around St.Vith, in spite o f the ill-fated elements of your division in the Schnee-Eifel, you held up the German 66th Army Corps five days longer than their time table allowed. You forced the detour of attacking forces so much more as the right neighbor, the 6th Panzer Army, had no success of the attack.

The 6th Panzer Army’s attack to the north was bogged down in the first few days of the offensive by the brave soldiers of the 106th Infantry Division that were left.

Under those circumstances the energy and momentum of the attack in this area was diminished decisively!

In this respect, the actions around St.Vith are in my opinion and from the Germ an side—equivalen t to the defense of Bastogne!

The fact that this area around St.Vith was obstinately and successfully defended, the result, as demonstrated by the gallant men of the 106th Infantry Division and the CCB 7th Armored.

The attack of the Germans on both sides of the Schnee-Eifel outflanked these units, parts of this "green division" (that means inexperienced soldiers without combat experience ), that "rest-camp" as the departing veterans quipped.

The units were encircled! While they marched and fought through that terrible terrain, in winter time, fire came from the left and fire came from the right, and from the rear also. These units suffered heavily. Further, they did not know what was happening on their flanks and in the rear, the sources of communication with the rear was destroyed.

The cavalry on their flank made no attempt to put up a fight and drew back. The visiting patrols were shot or captured. The ammunition was gone with except for a few rounds per gun for their machine guns. No help or assistance came by the artillery no supplies came in. Most of the men had not had a drop of water or a bite of food. These units were over whelmed , in a real sense of a word by powerful German forces, superior in numbers and arms with great intensity--the Germans fired into their massed ranks with every cannon they had. It was a rain of steel, no tank destroyers were available, there was confusion and temporary panic spread out. All of that with the blood, dirt, cruel weather, deep snow with fog, cold and confused was what happened in those days in Schnee-Eifel.

They did not weaken, they broke into small groups, they formed improvised perimeter defenses, even though they did not know what was happening on their flanks and in the rear their unbreakable will to fight, thus in destructible "esprit de corps."

These surviving elements of the 106th Infantry Division joined by the very brave men of the CCB, fell back to the crossroad east of St.Vith and stayed and fought until they were killed, wounded or captured.

….

VOLUME XXVII NUMBER 1 THE ARDENNES CAMPAIGN FEBRUARY2008

I am finally getting around to writing my story concerning John McAuliffe’s account of 'The Invisible Soldiers of WWII," which appeared in the November, 2006, issue of The Bulge Bugle.

I was in the 591st Field Artillery Battalion of the 106th Infantry Division. Battery B. 

105mm Howitzer.

I was a gunner in the third section 105 MM howitzers. We relieved the 2nd Division on December 10, 1944, at Steffeshausen, Belgium, and for five days had occasional fire missions day and night at targets who were directed by our FO and the targets never returned fire during this time.

There was a battery of 155MM howitzers behind us who would fire their 155’s over our position occasionally also These were black artillery men.

We were awakened at 5:30 a.m., December 16th, by the first returning fire of the enemy. A heavy barrage of artillery including screaming Meemies We were returning fire a s fast as possible, We could hear the incoming shells and also the returning fire from the 155 battery behind us.

We held our position for two days while we were being encircled by the enemy and our battery stayed and furnished supporting fire while our 424th Infantry Regiment pulled back at dusk on December 17th at which time our battery left one of our 105’s stuck in the mud and pulled back under cover of darkness and traveled in convoy on a secondary road which was the only open road out of there, moving slowly, towing our 105’s with a man

walking in front of each truck, guiding the driver with a small penlight.

The enemy was within 300 yards of this road. Sometime during the night we stopped and dug through the snow and spread our blankets on the ground no bedrolls as yet and waited for daybreak.

We joined A and B Batteries at Burg Reuland and then moved to Grufflingen and set up our guns and started firing although almost out of ammo. A truck made it through with a load of ammo.

Sgt Joe Gross, with a crew of six men, went back to our former position and retrieved our Number 2 gun which we had abandoned on the 17th. We were back In business full force.

I had forgotten about the men at Steffeshausen until reading John McAuliffe's story about them in the November issue I was surprised to learn that they had been captured and yet we came out safely because they had been behind us. They retreated toward Schonberg where two of our regiments were captured-the 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments. We went to Burg Reuland guess that is what saved us from capture. I am so glad that John wrote the story about the "Invisible Soldiers" and their 155 howitzers, it being the first that I had heard them mentioned but was sorry to hear that eleven of them had been, captured and slaughtered at Wereth.

John Scherer wrote about our 106th Infantry Division in the August Bulge Bugle and it is true that there was hardly mention of our four artillery battalions-589th, 590th, 591 s ta n d 592nd-left fighting in support of other outfits wherever needed.

We helped take back the ground that we lost earlier and stayed on the front until March 15, 1945. Our 591st Battalion stayed in support of 424th Infantry Regiment a s Combat team. Most writers never bothered to write about us but that’s okay as long as we ourselves know that we were there.

Eugene Morell

106 INFD 591 FA BN

THANK YOU ALL!

My father, Andy Semonco, served in the 5th Infantry Division, Company B, during World War II. He was one of many who fought and sacrificed themselves in the greatest American battle ever fought. My father was a machine gunner who ended up having his feet frozen while fighting in this great battle.

I listen to my father intently about his field experiences which I know were not exaggerated. I know the e experiences were true because I watched the tears that rolled down his cheeks or I would just simply catch him staring off at times and I knew what was on his mind.

I am an associate member of VBOB, but some issues have come up that I think need to be addressed. As a supporting member of VBOB, I hope that the following contents of this letter to the editor will bring ALL VBOB members a s ONE and not a separated group of anointed soldiers. The entire front of the German offensive was over 80 miles long with MANY individual divisions: infantry, artillery, radio, mortar, supply groups, armored, etc.

So now to the meat of this letter! It wasn’t JUST the 101st Airborne that took the brunt of the fight. (The very thought of that is absurd!) Every Infantryman, every medic; EVERYBODY on that front took the brunt, just like everyone else starting December 16, 1944. This is not to bring any disrespect to the brave defenders of Bastogne, but facts are true and we really know what these facts are after 60 years.

The 101st Airborne was where it was supposed to be at the time. This unit did not have it any harder or suffer any worse than anyone else. I do believe the fair credits should go where it belongs, and I know that every other subscriber of VBOB would agree. For this magazine as well as the entire VBOB to survive, I think that the over accreditation of the 101st needs to cease.

I have drilled it into my two sons about the sacrifice and importance of this war. The fact is that we must realize that in the first few days, the American Army got their a— kicked along the whole 80 mile front: Hence—"Bulge." Bastogne was not the main German objective. Antwerp was the objective because of its port and supplies. When I hear men of the 101st saying 'We were down to 8 rounds per man." Let’s face it! The Germans could have taken Bastogne anytime they wanted. If the Germans really knew the situation of the 101st Airborne in Bastogne, they would have taken it.

My father was part of Patton’s 3rd Army who went up to relieve Bastogne, and I’m sure the 101st was glad to see them, along with the air drops the air force supplied. Supply trucks moving again, and yes—replacements! And on that note the training that the 101st Airborne received was not any tougher than what the marines took, along with the army. I am also sure that the air force took a beating as well. Statistics show how many men were killed in the air force. 1, the son of a member of the VBOB, ask that ALL SERVICES that were engaged during the battle to please send in your stories and experiences. God bless the medics, the red ball express and ALL those who were Involved, because without you, there will not be a VBOB much longer! So, to the 101st Airborne! Thank you!

Andrew E. Semonco

Associate Member

[Thank you, Andrew, for the appeal for more stones. It is never our intent to praise any unit more than another We print what we receive. We often hear: "There's too much about Patton," "There's too much about the armored," "There’s too much about the infantry," I believe since the

inception of this newsletter there has been ONE story submitted about the Red Ball Express and we happily printed it. There are lots of the bigger units out there and they tend to submit more information. The words in these stories are not our words, they are the words of the person who wrote the story. If you were in a small group and have a story, please send it.]

WE GET ADDITIONAL CRITICISM

[Four or five members wrote in criticism of the tally of Military Veterans which appeared in November 2007 issue on page 21. We are not sure who supplied information and sincerely feel that the person simply thought the information might be found interesting with no other thought in mind. It was used simply as a filler. The information which appears in this newsletter is as was submitted by the members. We have no research staff.

We have no doubt that occasionally things we publish may not be historically correct.]

THE REAL STORY HAS BEEN LOST

St Vith and 106th Inf. Div.

"Patton"-"Bastogne"-"Nuts." 

These three words sum up the story of the "Battle of the Bulge" for the American public.

Unfortunately, over the years, the real story has been lost.

What Maurice Kunselman in the May issue (2007) wrote is exactly correct in his perceptive and concise letter about Bastogne. It is true that the city was not a strategic target for the German Fifth Panzer Army. Bastogne was off on the edge of their axis of attack and the order, by von Manteuffel, was "Forget Bastogne—go for the Meuse." They did not want to be delayed in any long-term siege action.

But the U.S. press, enamored of Patton a s they were, built up the story until now the three icons of-Patton, Bastogne, and Nuts are all that is left.

The real story will always be the fighting at St. Vith, Trois-Ponts, La Gleize, Manhay and Celles where the majority of the German armor was defeated by those U.S. Army divisions that were ignored back then by the press and are now forgotten. The fight in the northern section delayed, hindered, and destroyed (Kampfgruppe Peiper for example) the panzer columns that were tasked with the job of reaching Antwerp as fast a s possible.

Mr. Kunselman is also correct in his comments about the bravery and sacrifices of the men who were in Bastogne-fighting well and dying bravely. Combat is combat, and the action in and around Bastogne was just a s tough a s it was in the north. But still, Bastogne was not the whole fight, and Patton did not win the Battle of the Bulge.

James K. Cullen

3 ARMD 36 AIR

The Battle of the Bulge and the Hollywood' Legend..

Plot

In mid-December 1944 Pvt. Jim Layton (Marshall Thompson) and his buddy Pvt. William J. Hooper (Scotty Beckett) are fresh replacements assigned to separate companies in the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. As a newcomer Layton receives a chilly welcome from his squad. PFC Holley (Van Johnson) returns to the company after recuperating from a wound sustained from fighting in the Netherlands.

Instead of going on leave in Paris, the squad is trucked back to the front to help stop a surprise German breakthrough in the Ardennes. They stop that night in the town of Bastogne. The platoon is put up for the night in the apartment of a local young woman, Denise (Denise Darcel), with whom Holley hopes to fraternize. Jarvess (John Hodiak) is informed by Denise that she is taking care of two orphaned French girls. Jarvess later goes on guard in the village, where he runs into a group of battle weary soldiers. The soldiers inform Jarvess that they are making a "strategic withdrawal". The next morning, led by Platoon Sgt. Kinnie (James Whitmore), the men are ordered to dig in on the outskirts of town . Just as they are nearly done, they are ordered to a new location and have to dig in again.

Holley, Layton and Kippton (Douglas Fowley) stand guard that night at a roadblock. A patrol of German soldiers, disguised as American soldiers, infiltrates their position and later blows up a nearby bridge. In the morning the squad awakes to a heavy winter storm. Roderigues (Ricardo Montalbán), a Latino from Los Angeles, is delighted by the novelty of snow, but his foxhole mate Pop Stazak (George Murphy), awaiting a "dependency discharge" that will send him home, is unimpressed. Layton goes over to see his friend Hooper, only to find that he had been killed hours before, and that no one in his company knew his name.

Kinnie informs the squad about the infiltration and sends out a patrol—Holley, Roderigues and Jarvess to move through the woods. Just before they start out, the platoon is shelled by German artillery, causing Bettis (Richard Jaeckel) to panic and desert. During the barrage Layton reminds his squad leader, Sgt. Wolowicz (Bruce Cowling), of his name and finds for the first time that he has been accepted as a part of the squad. Holley's patrol briefly skirmishes with the infiltrators. Roderigues is wounded by machine-gun fire from an enemy tank. He is unable to walk, so Holley hastily conceals him under a disabled jeep half-buried in snow, promising to return for him. Unfortunately, by the time they can get back to him, Roderigues has died due to the exposure of the elements (freezing to death).

Wolowicz, who has been wounded by shellfire, and a sick Cpl. Standiferd (Don Taylor) are sent back to a field hospital. Not too long after, Doc (Thomas E. Breen) informs the 3rd Squad that the field hospital had been captured. Holley is appointed the new squad leader, and partnered with Layton, while Pop Stazak is paired with Hansan (Herbert Anderson). When Pop's discharge comes in they find out from Kippton that the 101st is surrounded forcing Pop to stay with the men.

Moved again and again, 3rd Platoon is attacked at dawn. Garby (James Arness) is killed by machine gun fire. Hansan demonstrates bravery by crawling out of his foxhole and being the first to fire on the Germans. Just when it appears that the platoon will be overrun, Hansan is wounded and Holley loses his nerve and runs away. Layton follows Holley. Ashamed of his cowardice, Holley leads a flanking counterattack that defeats the German attack. The platoon leader, Lt. Teiss (Brett King), announces that he will recommend Hansan for a Silver Star. Jarvess's foxhole partner, country boy Abner Spudler (Jerome Courtland), is killed while trying to put on his wet boots.

After they get Hanson to the aid station, the squad runs into Bettis, who is doing K.P. duty in the rear and gives them a hot meal. Holley discovers that Layton is a quick learner, finding him being entertained by Denise. Later, while on guard duty, they encounter a party of Germans who have come under a flag of truce to offer Brig. Gen. McAuliffe (Ian MacDonald) surrender terms, resulting in his famous reply of "Nuts!" to the puzzled Germans.

In the bitter, foggy weather, the squad is short of supplies – supply transport aircraft are grounded. Several men attend impromptu outdoor Christmas services held by a chaplain (Leon Ames). That night the Luftwaffe bombs Bastogne. Denise is killed. Bettis, slowed by his fear of going back to the lines, is killed by a collapsing house. The "walking wounded", including Hansan and mess sergeant he befriended (George Chandler), are recalled up to duty for a last-ditch defense of the town.

As the platoon is down to its last few rounds of ammunition, the weather clears, allowing the Allied fighters to attack the Germans and C-47 transports to drop supplies, enabling the 101st to hold. Afterward, the siege lifted, Kinnie leads the survivors of the platoon toward the rear for a well-earned rest. As they move out, they spot a relief column of clean, well-equipped soldiers marching toward Bastogne. Kinnie begins calling "Jody cadence" and the veterans pull themselves together, proudly chanting the refrain as they pass the other GIs.

Cast

Van Johnson as Private First Class Holley

John Hodiak as Donald Jarvess

Ricardo Montalban as "Johnny" Roderigues

George Murphy as Ernst J. "Pop" Stazak

Marshall Thompson as Jim Layton

Jerome Courtland as Abner Spudler

Don Taylor as Cpl. Standiferd

Bruce Cowling as Sgt. Wolowicz

James Whitmore as Sgt. 1st Class Kinnie

Douglas Fowley as "Kipp" Kippton

Leon Ames as the Chaplain

Herbert Anderson as Hansan

Thomas E. Breen as Doc

Denise Darcel as Denise

Richard Jaeckel as Bettis

James Arness as Sgt. Garby

Scotty Beckett as William J. Hooper

Brett King as Lt. Teiss

Ian MacDonald as Army Colonel (uncredited)

Dickie Jones as Tanker (uncredited)

Dewey Martin as G.I. Straggler (uncredited)

George Chandler as Mess Sergeant (uncredited)

Production.

Battleground was originally an RKO property, which was called "Prelude to Love" to hide its subject matter,[5] but was shelved when production head Dore Schary resigned, despite $100,000 having been put into the property to that point. When Schary went to MGM, he purchased the rights to the script from RKO, over the objections of Louis B. Mayer, who believed that the public was tired of war films. At MGM, Robert Taylor and Keenan Wynn were reported to be penciled in for the film, along with Van Johnson and John Hodiak, and the project was budgeted at $2 million. Wellman put the cast through some military training with Robert Taylor, a former navy officer dropping out for not feeling the role was right for him. He was replaced by Van Johnson.

Robert Pirosh had based the script on his own experiences during the Battle of the Bulge,[8] although he did not serve with the 101st Airborne. Many of the incidents in the film were based on actual events, including the rejection of a German demand for surrender on December 22, 1944, with the one word response "Nuts!" by Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe. Twenty veterans of the 101st were hired to train the actors and appeared in the film as extras. Lt ColHarry Kinnard, who had been the 101st's deputy divisional commander at Bastogne, was the film's technical advisor.

The film was in production from April 5 to June 3, 1949, with location shooting in northern California, Oregon and Washington state. Fort Lewis, Washington was used for the tank sequence showing the relief of the 101st Airborne by Patton's Third Army. Shooting took 20 days less than was scheduled, due in part to innovative measures taken by Schary such as processing film as it was shot, then dubbing and cutting it so that scenes could be previewed within two days of being shot.[6] The film came in almost $100,000 under budget.

Battleground received a number of premieres before its general release. A private showing for President Harry S. Truman was arranged even before the premiere in Washington D.C. on November 9, 1949, which was attended by McAuliffe, who commanded the 101st during the siege. Two days later, the film premiered in New York City, and then on December 1 in Los Angeles. The film's general American release was on January 20, 1950.

Response.

Battleground was MGM's largest grossing film in five years.[6] According to studio records it earned $4,722,000 in the US and Canada and $1,547,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $2,388,000, making it the studio's most profitable picture of the year. It was rated by Photoplay as the best picture of the year.

MGM released a similar film in 1951, Go for Broke!, also starring Van Johnson and directed by Pirosh.

Awards and honors.

Battleground won two Academy Awards: for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Paul C. Vogel) and for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay (Robert Pirosh). It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (William A. Wellman), Best Film Editing (John D. Dunning), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (James Whitmore). James Whitmore won a 1950 Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor, and Robert Pirosh's script won Best Screenplay. Pirosh was also nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Best Written American Drama.

Accuracy.

Although the film is a fictionalized version of the siege of Bastogne, it is highly accurate with one major exception. There were no Germans disguised as Americans around Bastogne. Operation Greif, as it was known, only operated in front of the 6th SS Panzer Army, many miles to the north. However the scene depicting the quizzing of each other by G.I.s to verify their identity as Americans did occur across the battlefield after rumors of the operation became widely known.

A minor inaccuracy is that, at the time of the Battle of Bastogne, the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment did not have an Item Company. When the airborne divisions were conceived early in World War II, the Army's senior commanders decided that the glider regiments would have only two battalions each. The first battalion would be made up of Able, Baker, Charlie, and Dog Companies, while the second would have Easy, Fox, George, and How Companies. When by 1944 it became evident that these two-battalion regiments were not suited to combat operations, certain glider regiments were broken up and their battalions attached to others. The 327th was assigned the First Battalion of the 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, getting "doubles" on Able, Baker, Charlie, and Dog Companies. Thus "the 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon of Item Company, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division," did not exist at the time of the Ardennes campaign. The producers did not want to have someone complain that he was in Item Company during the fighting around Bastogne, and that no such thing happened.

An interesting explanation of  "„Hey, Kinnie - what ever happened to Jody?“

Duckworth Chant

"