Crack of the lightning splitting the ground Thunder is sounding, artillery pounding Wrath of the Nazis cast on Bastogne Facing their forces alone ALONE! Sent from the skies jumped into the unknown The march to Berlin has begun Spearhead the charge surrounded by foes Eagles are leading the way France is still under enemy rule Push, axis retreat Thrown towards Arnhem a bitter defeat They’re stretched out just one bridge to far Turn of the tide, it’s breaking away Losing momentum, retreat Go to Bastogne, the crossroads must hold Stand, alone in the cold Dig your own foxholes or dig your own grave The storm is about to begin The siege has begun, there’s nowhere to run Panzerkampfwagen emerge Tanks and mortars are shaking the ground Prey of man and machine Chill of the winter bite to the bone and Christmas is drawing near Soldiers are freezing, the death toll increasing They’re dying in their holes There’s no surrender, there’s no retreat, the Wehrmacht is drawing near There’s no reinforcements, they’re fighting alone Sent from the skies ended up in Bastogne As easy, as hard as they get Nazi command request and demand Offered surrender – declined Nuts! the generals word echo clear Nuts! the Nazis shall hear
The 101st Airborne Division (nicknamed “Screaming Eagles”) is an elite modular specialized light infantry division of the United States Army trained for air assault operations. During WW2 they fought in several major campaigns and battles, including the Battle of the Bulge, around the city of Bastogne. The Siege of Bastogne was an engagement in December 1944 between American and German forces. The goal of the German offensive was to take control of Antwerp’s harbour. In order to reach it before the Allies had a chance to regroup and bring their aerial support, German mechanized forces had to seize the roadways through eastern Belgium, because they all converged on Bastogne. The American soldiers in the city were outnumbered 5 to 1 and were lacking cold-weather gear, ammunition, food, medical supplies and senior leadership. Due to the bad winter weather, the U.S. forces could not be resupplied by air and air support wasn’t available. On the 22nd of December, General von Lüttwitz submitted a demand for surrender to his Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, who was commanding the U.S. forces in Bastogne “To the U.S.A Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne. The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircles by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note. If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term. All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity. The German Commander.” Shortly after McAuliffe sent the following communication to von Lüttwitz: “To the German Commander. NUTS! The American Commander.” The besieged American forces were relieved by elements of General Patton’s Third Army on the 27th of December. (Text credits: Gregory Sandoz)