What did the general at Bastogne say that made him famous?
What did the general at Bastogne say that made him famous?
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.
Why is the Battle of the Bulge famous?
The Battle of the Bulge marked the last German offense on the Western Front. The catastrophic losses on the German side prevented Germany from resisting the advance of Allied forces following the Normandy Invasion.
What did Nuts mean in the Battle of the Bulge?
Two German officers did not quite understand the message and Harper told him, “If you don’t understand what ‘Nuts’ means, in plain English it is the same as ‘Go to hell. ‘ A German major and captain saluted very stiffly. The captain said, “We will kill many Americans.
What did nuts mean?
Go to hell
Anthony McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne to answer the German call for surrender at Bastogne with the one-word interjection, “Nuts!” (Asked by the puzzled German emissaries what it meant, an aide to McAuliffe reportedly replied, “It means, ‘Go to hell.
Who was the general that said nuts?
Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe
That was what Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe reportedly said 35 years ago when a German commander demanded he surrender to a Nazi tank brigade that had surrounded his forces during the Battle of the Bulge.
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.
Did the 101st need to be rescued?
On Dec. 26 , Patton’s Army, led by elements of the Fourth Armored Division , broke through the German lines and reached Bastogne. While claims have been made that veterans of the 101st said they were in no need of rescue, this was not the case with Potach. “We were willing for anyone we could welcome,” he said.
Why did the general say NUTS?
Who won Battle of the Bulge?
The Allies
The Allies won the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans suffered more than 100,000 casualties; the Americans approximately 81,000.
Why was it called the Battle of the Bulge?
The Battle of the Bulge, so-called because the Germans created a “bulge” around the area of the Ardennes forest in pushing through the American defensive line, was the largest fought on the Western front.