What did General McAuliffe really say at Bastogne?
‘ to Germans. Gen. McAuliffe, the commander of encircled American forces who sent the famous and defiant reply “Nuts!” to a German ultimatum that he surrender in the Battle of the Bulge, died Monday of leukemia, his family announced yesterday. …
Why did the general say nuts?
“NUTS,” an official military response to a German commander. The response was to a German letter threatening to annihilate over 100,000 US troops in what was to be known as The Battle of the Bulge.
Who said nuts Bastogne?
Anthony McAuliffe (2 July 1898 – 11 August 1975) was the United States Army general who was the acting division commander of the 101st Airborne Division troops defending Bastogne, Belgium, during World War II’s Battle of the Bulge, famous for his single-word reply of “Nuts!” in response to a German surrender ultimatum.
How long did the siege of Bastogne last?
Outnumbered and surrounded for five days, a U.S. Army combined arms force of airborne infantry, armor, engineers, tank destroyers, and artillery conducted a successful defense of the Belgian crossroads town of Bastogne in late December 1944.
Where was the Battle of the Bulge?
Ardennes
BelgiumLuxembourgNazi Germany
Battle of the Bulge/Locations
Called “the greatest American battle of the war” by Winston Churchill, the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes region of Belgium was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in World War II against the Western Front. Hitler’s aim was to split the Allies in their drive toward Germany.
How cold was it at Bastogne?
It was waged in harsh, wintry conditions — about 8 inches of snow on the ground and an average temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit (about minus 7 C.) U.S. forces and their allies spent that Christmas fighting the Nazis during a battle that would last until mid-January.
Where did Aw nuts come from?
When Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe first heard that the Germans had demanded his surrender, he said “Aw, nuts!” His formal written response to the German commander was shortened to just plain: “NUTS!”
Where was the battle of the bulge?
What American units fought at Bastogne?
Bastogne, a hub city that commanded several important roads in the area, was defended mainly by the 28th Infantry Division, which had seen continuous fighting from 22 July to 19 November, before being assigned to this relatively quiet area.
How many German soldiers died in the battle of the bulge?
The Americans suffered some 75,000 casualties in the Battle of the Bulge, but the Germans lost 80,000 to l00,000. German strength had been irredeemably impaired.
Who was involved in the Battle of Bastogne?
This story retraces the events of December 22nd, 1944 at Bastogne, Belgium; the day we received German surrender ultimatum and issued the subsequent “Nuts!”. Its author, Kenneth J. McAuliffe, Jr., is the nephew of Brig. Gen. Anthony ‘Tony’ McAuliffe who commanded the Division during the defense of Bastogne.
Where was the nuts cave in World War 2?
Gen. Anthony McAuliffe and his staff gathered inside Bastogne’s Heintz Barracks for Christmas dinner Dec. 25th, 1944. This military barracks served as the Division Main Command Post during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium during WWII. The facility is now a museum known as the “Nuts Cave”.
What did brig.gen.mcauliffe say about the nuts?
Moore recalled that Brig. Gen. McAuliffe, still half asleep, said “Nuts!” and started to climb out of his sleeping bag. Moore then went back out into the Communications Center where he briefed the rest of the Division staff of the on-going situation, including telling them of McAulliffe’s remark of “Nuts!”.
What was the reply to McAulliffe’s letter to Higgins?
The reply was typed up, centered on a full sheet of paper. It read: N U T S ! McAulliffe dismissed the staff and asked that Harper come in. McAulliffe initially toyed with him by having him stand in front of Higgins and himself.