@Wondernature 27 December 2021 more from that month

On December 23, 1944, the defenders of Bastogne were seriously short of food. But they nevertheless seemed to be better fed than the German Volksgrenadiers, whose supplies were so bad that "half a loaf" had to be divided among as many as ten men. The American paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division suffered from the extreme cold because they lacked winter uniforms, but at least they had villages nearby where they could get warm. The heaviest German attacks on this day to break the ring around Bastogne were aimed in the Flamierge sector in the northwest, followed by another attack on Marvie on the southeast side. A breakthrough on the road to Bastogne was only just prevented when General McAuliffe threw in his last reserves and ordered the artillery to keep firing, even though it had only a risky small supply of shells. The defense was so effective that it inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. Because the weather had improved enormously, it was possible to drop supplies for the surrounded paratroopers. The 241 C-47 transport planes of the IX Troop Carrier Command that arrived in waves dropped 334 tons of ammunition, fuel, rations and medical supplies. As soon as the transport planes took off, the 82 Thunderbolts that had escorted them turned their attention to ground targets. They followed the trail of tanks to the point where the Germans had tried to hide their Panzers and attacked artillery positions. #photography #noisecash