In his own words, the general related the soon-to-be-famous story of how he had rejected German demands to surrender. It was a story that had grown and spread among the beleaguered troops in Bastogne, giving them a sense of pride at their ornery general. Just when the situation had been at its bleakest, the Germans had attempted to get the American defenders to surrender. Under a flag of truce, a German envoy had delivered the offer to General McCauliffe.
McCauliffe’s reply had been a single word: “Nuts!”
The response left the Germans scratching their heads. They didn’t understand what the unfamiliar term meant. Once they figured out that the American general was basically thumbing his nose at them, the firing recommenced. From the hills and forests surrounding Bastogne, more German shells fell like the snow.
The bold strike by Germany had originated in the mind of Adolf Hitler and had been a closely held secret, even as he’d gathered troops, trucks, tanks, and planes all through the autumn of 1944, moving them into position using the mental chessboard of his mind. When German troops finally surged into the Ardennes, it was a single-minded projection of Hitler’s will.
He had unveiled the plan at his secret lair, called Adlerhorst, German for “Eagle’s Aerie.” This hideout was located near Koblenz, a town on the Rhine riverfront, roughly fifty miles from the Belgian border.
Der Führer had summoned dozens of generals and other key officers there to reveal his plans. Under cover of darkness, in a cold rain, they had arrived, not knowing what to expect. Among these officers was Obersturmbannführer Ingo Bauer, a veteran of the monthslong struggle to halt the Allied push across Europe. Bauer spotted General Manteuffel and the chillingly blunt Sepp Dietrich, even Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, and felt out of place in such exalted company.
What in the world was he doing here?
Some officers, Bauer included, half expected to be shot. There was some precedent for that.
After all, it had been only six months before that Claus von Stauffenberg had tried to assassinate Der Führer by detonating a briefcase filled with explosives during a meeting. Hitler had survived and launched a savage purge of anyone even slightly connected with the plot. Rumors spread of basements with meat hooks, or buckets of water and electrical wires, as the Gestapo and SS dealt with the traitors.
The assembled officers were informed rather brusquely that they would soon be addressed by Der Führer himself.
The secrecy surrounding the meeting and the security efforts did little to alleviate their fears. They were relieved of their briefcases and any sidearms. The officers were then brought to a large room and seated by rank. And yet they were treated more like prisoners than Germany’s command staff.
Young SS guards with MP 40 submachine guns stood around the edges of the room, watching the officers with open disdain, as if hoping for some excuse to pull the trigger. They seemed to view the gathered officer corps not with respect, but with disgust for a group of balding fat men who seemed intent on losing the war.
Perhaps their thinking mirrored that of Der Führer.
“No one in the audience dared move or even take his handkerchief out of his pocket,” one general later recalled.
Bauer held himself stiffly at attention in his chair, scarcely breathing. Like the others, he hadn’t ruled out the possibility of mass execution.
However, he found himself excited about seeing Hitler. Although he was tired of the war and wondered how it could possibly go well for Germany in the end, he had always found the German leader inspiring.
Then a side door opened and the leader of the Third Reich appeared.
A barely audible collective gasp filled the room.
Hitler’s appearance shocked them. He looked stooped, pallid, and he dragged one foot as he walked. Even his voice was low and hesitant. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had rallied the German people and enthralled millions with his energy. Bauer had to admit that he had fallen under Hitler’s spell as much as anyone.
However, each military loss that Nazi Germany had suffered in the last few months must have been like a body blow against its supreme leader.
Only when he warmed to his subject and the possibility of victory did some of his old fire and confidence return.
