Battle of the Bulge, Animated - Part 4, Bastogne

The strategically important road junction of Bastogne is surrounded. The 101st Airborne, and elements of the 10th Armored Division and 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion must defend the town from attacks from all sides, to ensure that German armour and supply lines can't use the town to reach the frontlines. But soon, the weather will lift, and allied air power can help to turn the tide.

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[zmrd]

From wiki: "In the first edition of the book Band of Brothers, author Ambrose wrote that on 23 December 1944, Powers disobeyed a direct order from Lieutenant Edward Shames to go out on patrol because he was discouraged. Both Shames and Powers denied that had happened, with Powers calling the insinuation "a slap in the face." Upon request and verification, Ambrose deleted that story from the later edition of the book."

[jacobwade]

The anecdote about Shifty Powers refusing to go on patrol to Lt Shames isn't true. This story was in Stephen Ambrose's original Band of Brothers book, but both Shifty and Lt Shames denied it happened and Shifty was devastated at the implication. Ambrose verified this story and removed it from further printings of the book. Its an incredible book but people make mistakes.

[tmytyson]

15:58 was half expecting a new icon to appear to mark the brave cows that gave their lives in defense of Europe.

[timothydonlan]

I once did some electrical work for a 101st WW2 veteran. I got to listen to some incredible stories. While is Bastogne, he walked by a family that was sitting at a dining table, however, they were all dead due to concussion. He also told me he had an award (think it was a silver star) for taking out a machine gun nest. He remarked that he had gotten the award only because he was the only one that made it back. Incredible men. Thank you.

[stc]

Luckily the 101st Airborne were resupplied by Jimmy Fallon right before the siege.

[ODST_Parker]

I love these little (relatively) stories so much. The casual tank crew who might very well have saved many lives, the selfless nurses in Bastogne, the "Nuts!" reply to surrender, and the chaplain being awarded a Bronze Star for seemingly changing the weather. It's things like this which have always fascinated me, the smaller tales of heroism, courage and sacrifice, or simply random events which would seem like nonsense to all but those who were there.

[MrFishman]

My GOD, 335 tons in one day? Stalingrad rarely got over 60 tons. American logistics was just on another level.

[sailorgodkane]

As a Belgian, i went to Bastogne several times. The place is full of history and things to see. I recommend the Bastogne Barracks tour, the nuts liquor and the Airborne special beer. This series is absolutely amazing and i am learning lots of new things.

[alexius]

Decades after Bastogne I knew a dude who served in the 101st. He told me that in basic training they got a very moving briefing about the Battled Bastards of Bastogne. My friend, after he got his Screaming Eagle shoulder patch he noticed that, off base, how often he was stared at with respect & admiration. One might argue the 101st might be one of best know shoulder patches in the US Army.

[xwildcard]

It feels strange to be this excited about a story so full of tragedy.

[manuelacosta]

That tired and bored Sargent's response was worthy of the ancient Spartans and their laconic phrases along with Macauliffe's

[CrystalKingdomGeneral]

I was NOT expecting you to include Gen. Patton's weather prayer. Kudos to you and all you guys!

[ReadmanJ]

12:36 "Parrker has his .50 Caliber, quadruple -mount, Anti-Aircraft halftrack, train their guns on the approaching enemy" My Gods in heaven, that can only have been the most unimaiginable carnage...Crikes.

[xis]

You got guest speakers from top channels to collaborate on your content. It's like how Scorsese or Tarantino can attract an all star cast to their movies, or to use a military reference, how the Rangers or Special Forces attract only the best soldiers. I think this speaks wonders to the content you're creating.

I said it before and I'll say it again. Your videos will be played in the classrooms of military academies if they haven't already. This is top notch stuff

[reynauldc]

Your ability to take a huge campaign and break it down to individual, small heroic actions is amazing. Keeping the big-picture view while not neglecting the personal stories of common soldiers whose uncommon bravery made big impacts. Love your channel and these productions!

[infinitybeyond]

you are the reason I am re-watching,
"Band of Brothers"

Thank you.

[marcoguzzon]

Oh boy, crossoover between operations room and kings and generals is just ❤

[BlitzH]

I met a 2nd Panzer tank commander. He told of seeing the Meuse River, and a bridge just in sight. He said that British armor stopped them just shy of their objective.
Thank you for expanding upon this, and putting his story into perspective. Much appreciated. Keep up the good work!

[jdt]

Such an amazing series! Thanks to everyone at the ops room for putting in the time and effort to create such detailed content!

[tayday]

I'm a game developer currently working on a civilization simulator. The idea is to get as much humanity into it as I can and this episode right here is one of the most burning clear examples of who we are in extreme circumstances. If my game is worth anything it will eventually generate the story told here. This channel is an incredible resource, thank you for your work