Interesting read on one of the small units that played an important part in the American efforts at the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. ( )

“The Longest Winter” was brought to my attention by a friend. It chronicles the exploits of World War II’s most decorated American platoon. As the German offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge launched in December 1944, a platoon of 18 Americans, commanded by Lt. Lyle Bouck, held their ground, killing hundreds of German soldiers while defending a strategically vital hill until ammunition ran out. With surrender they began their brutal captivity.

The Americans’ tale begins with assembly of their platoon at Camp Maxey, Texas. Shipped to Europe, as an intelligence platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment, Bouck and his men took their place in a quiet sector of the Ardennes Forest. Quiet until the morning of December 16, 1944 when Bouck and his men stood in the way of the last-ditch German offensive attacked their position. When resistance was no longer feasible, Bouck and his men began their captivity.

The captivity of Bouck and his men was often brutal until their liberation in a bizarre attempt ordered by Gen. Patton to rescue his son-in-law who was held in the same camp. Upon liberation, Bouck and his men were returned home. This account continues with their return stateside and the legal proceedings against their captors.

The finale chronicles the inquiry into the unit’s actions, culminating in the approval of the Presidential Unit Citation by President Jimmy Carter on January 15, 1981.

Author Alex Kershaw has crafted an excellent chronicle of what I term as “history through the gunsights”. While skillfully shifting between American and German scenes, he tells history as seen by the participants and with the bigger picture referenced in support of the story line. It is an inspiring tale of tenacity, hardship and triumph. I recommend this as a history of an heroic platoon and an inspiring tale.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CI4aOVWhain/ ( )

Very well done. I got choked up reading about the liberation of the POWs. ( )

The Longest Winter

Alex Kershaw sets out to follow the experiences of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 394th Infantry during and following the Battle of the Bulge which he described as: "Hitler's brilliant campaign of deception -- and plain old incompetency had combined to create the most fatal ignorance in the U.S. Army's history. On the eve of the battle, not a single Allied soldier or general knew what the Germans were really up to."
Kershaw does as he sets out to and includes a general coverage to the campaign that followed. Along the way he provides details and color. After a highly detailed description of the assassination attempt at The Wolf's Lair, he opines that Count Klaus von Stauffenberg's snobbery led to its failure.
General Patton is also included in Kershaw's research. He details Operation Baum in which Patton sacrifices a unit in a failed attempt to rescue his POW son-in-law.