In January 1945, as Patton's 3rd Army moved nearly 90 degrees from south to north, aiding the American forces besieged in Bastogne heralded the beginning of the Allied counteroffensive at the Battle of the Ardennes. On the 25th, under the pursuit of the Allies, the Germans were all driven back to the initial position where the campaign was launched.
For the officers and men of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, this is both a matter of happiness and disappointment. Happy to finally "say goodbye" to the days of lack of food and clothing in Bastogne, the task can be completed and can rest for a while. Disappointed, however, Eisenhower had no such intentions and ordered the paratroopers to continue the attack.
<h1>The U.S. army wanted to take Berlin in a single shot. </h1>
First of all, the Battle of the Ardennes was the last large-scale German offensive, and arguably the last bit of Strength of the German Army was also exhausted. At this time, it is advisable to "chase the poor and the poor" and not give the opponent any chance to breathe at a time when the morale of the German army is declining and the war potential is exhausted.
Moreover, the situation in the United States is not optimistic. Since entering the war, domestic military production and military resources have also reached their limits. Eisenhower suffered from the lack of extra reserves at hand, so he had to use the airborne troops who performed special operations as infantry, although it was a bit "overkill", but there was no way to do it.
Second, Montgomery, who commanded the Allied 1st Army Group, was too cautious, even "indifferent," much to Eisenhower's disappointment and anxiety. In his heart, he no longer counted on the strength of the British, and he decided to rely on the American army, ordering Patton's 3rd Army and the American army on the Western Front to start a counterattack.
The battle was fierce, and although it ended in an Allied victory, the Americans paid the price of 100,000 casualties. In stark contrast to the Americans, the British suffered fewer than 2,000 casualties. This made Churchill himself feel overwhelmed, and he had to praise the heroism of the army in the Battle of the Ardennes, calling it "the greatest American battle in World War II."
Of course, the Battle of the Vistula River launched by the Soviets on the Eastern Front forced the Germans to transfer 6 panzer divisions to the Eastern Front, and also reduced the pressure on the Allies in the Ardennes and became the key to victory. But the problem was that the Soviet offensive was strong and had the momentum to control Western Europe, which was the last thing Britain and the United States wanted to see.
Despite the difficulties, Eisenhower ordered the Airborne Division to carry out a rapid assault. The results were brilliant, they fought all the way to Germany, and the losses were also heavy, and the E Company initially arrived in Belgium with 121 men, and only 61 men remained when they returned to France to rest. This was the worst Company E's losses in any of its battles.
<h1>The E Company veterans in recuperation hated and avoided the war. </h1>
Company E returned to Momion, but instead of staying in the barracks, it was placed in a military tent for 12 people. However, there are still many entertainment venues around, including bars, clubs and so on. This made the officers and soldiers very happy, they washed off the dirt on their bodies for 10 weeks, cut their hair, shaved their beards, changed into new military uniforms, and went to the "outside world" to vent.
However, the military did not seem to intend to give them a good rest, and the next day after arriving, Winters' 2nd Battalion was converted into a reserve of the 506th Regiment, with new recruits and weapons, and began intense combat training. Endless exercises and physical training filled all of their rest time. Discontent is growing, especially among veterans.
First, the veterans who have passed the test of life and death, the rest are "combat elites", and general training is useless in their eyes. They think they can come back alive and "control" everything on the battlefield. Of course, the officers also sympathized with the feelings of the veterans, and sometimes "opened one eye, closed one eye" and let them go.
Second, veterans have fought more battles and more dead people have seen more. The freshness, excitement and excitement of the first battle were also consumed by the brutal war, and they were more and more afraid of death while they were glad to come back alive. They wanted to go home, but the constant replenishment of recruits made them realize that the next battle could come at any time.
What annoyed them even more was that in the rear away from the battlefield, they saw piles of supplies in the port, wine, coffee, and cans were taken away by powerful people first, and even the car soldiers in charge of transportation wantonly embezzled materials sent to the front line, and even many people started a "black market trade", leaving bullets and dry food left in their hands.
Remembering the lack of food and clothing in Bastogne, they became even more disgusted with the "darkness" of the army. They are fighting desperately in the front, while the people in the rear are "devouring" the supplies they deserve, and this imbalance suddenly comes to mind, "Why do we shed our blood, is it worth it to fight so hard", they are not willing to pay for this war anymore.
<h1>The officers of Company E paid off. </h1>
Another benefit of rest is "reward for merit." After the great war, the battalion and company-level officers changed their stubble, and those who had previously acted as deputies were all "straightened out." On 8 March, Major Winters was appointed battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, Sergeant Major Lipton of Company E was promoted to platoon leader, and even Lieutenant Jones, a recent graduate of West Point, was promoted to lieutenant for a reconnaissance mission.
The only regret is Captain Nixon, who was demoted from regimental staff to battalion staff, mainly due to his alcoholism. Colonel Zink admired his talent, but unexpectedly, Nixon drank almost every day. He could not stand such a staff officer and transferred him back to the 2nd Battalion. Of course, Winters was very happy to hear the news, because they were good friends.
What made him even more "relieved" was that one day he met the former company commander, Captain Sobel, on the road. Just as the two were close at hand, Sobel actually bowed his head and did not salute. Winters shouted, "Captain Sobel, the salute is based on rank, not on people", and Sobel saluted him helplessly, and the non-commissioned officers next to him also smiled knowingly.
Some friends think he is not rude to do this, and some are "small belly chicken intestines". But understandably, Winters is also an ordinary person, he has the right to express his own ideas, and he has his own reasons for doing so. First, as a hierarchical army, Sobel had no commander, and Winters had a responsibility to help correct it.
Second, if it had been just the two of them at the time, Winters might not have been able to count. But there were many of his subordinates by his side, and many non-commissioned officers who resented him, and Sobel's actions were obviously "faceless" and deliberately made him ugly. Anyone with a "temper" would not tolerate such a thing.
Of course, Winters approved of Sobel's "rigorous" training, but hated his inaction, jealousy of his ability, and pressure on others. The two even almost got into court-martial. Even more infuriating is that Winters was also demoted from deputy company commander to platoon leader. This breath may have been something he had been holding back, and to rebuke him was to despise his past practices.
Do you think Winters is right? Comments and discussions are welcome.
References: The Complete History of World War II, World War II, Company of Brothers
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