DAYTOUR ‘E’(Easy) - Bastogne 360°
“ Peter’s Battle of the Bulge Tour”, into the footsteps of Band of Brothers,
BEGINNING OF THE ARDENNES OFFENSIVE
During this Battle of the Bulge tour, I will take you back to the very beginning of the
Ardennes Offensive — to the moment when one of the fiercest battles of World War II began
to unfold. Together, we will step into both the civilian story and the military story — two
worlds forever intertwined by the events of the winter of 1944. I will guide you to places
where, more than eighty years ago, history was written in the snow and silence of these hills.
Our journey will circle 360° around the strategically vital town of Bastogne, following in the
footsteps of those who fought to hold it. Along the way, we will cross paths with the routes
and battle sites of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment — the men of Easy Company,
made famous by the acclaimed HBO series Band of Brothers.
TIMELINE
Here, you’ll find a timeline — a preview of the path our journey will follow :
➤ The massacre of … bloody reprisals !
➤ Mardasson Hill / Bastogne-Memorial: the dedication was on July 16, 1950.
➤ The Nurses ’Angels of Bastogne’: two Belgian nurses, Augusta Chiwy and Renée,
volunteered for the 10th American armored division.
➤ General von Rundstedt headquarters : Adolf Hitler visited the headquarters on 17
May 1940.
➤ The Walk to Bastogne : The 101st was ordered to move "truckborne" to Bastogne,
General McAuliffe ordered the move by regimental combat teams, the 501st was the
lead combat team in the division move. Paratroopers walking into Bastogne.
Explanation of positions of the 506 PIR upon arrival in Bastogne.
➤ The First Patrol : On our way to Halte Station we drive by the second 506th
Regimental CP in Luzery that was installed there by Col Robert Sink on December 25,
1944. Using aerial photo’s taken on Christmas day 1944, we explain the first
movements of E Co and the rest of the battalion. Easy Company Memorial. We walk
the first patrol that was performed by first platoon. The patrol in which John
Julian was killed. The sad death of Cpl Donald Hoobler and the 1000 Yard
Advance.
➤ Bois Jacques- Jack Woods : Cpt Richard Winters’ Command Post. Easy Co lines
overlooking the town of Foy. The Platoon leaders. We stand where these men were
dug in from Dec 20 1944 until-Jan 4 1945. The 24 December attack on the woods.
Smokey Gordon’s Machine Gun Nest!
➤ Bois Champay – Chemin des Dames : At the Bois Champay we visit Medic Barney
Ryan’s 3rd Bn Aid Station and LtCol Lloyd Patch’s CP. These locations will be
referred to while explaining the build-up and the 13 January 1945 attack on Foy. At
the Chemin Madame, assembly area for the attack, we share the latest movements of E
Co and other units.
➤ Foy : the attack on Foy and all the parties involved; such as F Co, H Co, I Co, 2nd BN
HQ Co, …. . Seen from three different angles we go over every detail of this 18 hour
long battle, Speirs’ incredible run (did it really happen?), the Aid Stations, Shifty’s
window, Lt Dike’s leadership, Doc Roe’s heroic dashes across the field… . More
details will also be provided about previous battles there by other units and some
civilian stories.
➤ Cobru -Noville – Rachamps: At Cobru/Noville we talk about E Co’s participation in
liberating the town. The execution of civilians. The day after Noville was liberated E
and F Co attacked towards the north east in order to liberate the town of Rachamps. & Lipton’s promotion & Earl Hale and the lucky cut. The pain sets in at the schoolhouse.
Easy Company Memorial tree planted by Babe and Wild Bill and the children of the
village.
VISIT LUXEMBOURG
➤ German war cemetery in Luxemburg, Sandweiler: Here, 10.913 German soldiers
rest — young men who once fought amid the forests and frozen fields of the
Ardennes. Of these, 5.599 were laid to rest by the American War Graves Service
during the war itself, when the echoes of battle still lingered in the air. Today, this quiet
ground speaks not of victory or defeat, but of humanity — of sons, fathers, and
brothers whose lives were claimed by the same war.
– “Villa Pauly” Gestapo-Headquarters Pauly Mansion : 1.300 killed Jewish
inhabitants in Luxembourg – documentation center about the resistance movement.
➤ Memorial Gëlle Fra (Golden Lady) : symbol of the Luxembourg resistance.
➤ National museum in Diekirch (European partner of the National World War II
Museum in New Orleans, in the United States)
➤ Vianden Castle in Luxembourg was the site of a significant WWII battle in
November 1944, known as the Battle of Vianden, where a small group of
Luxembourgish resistance fighters defended the castle against hundreds of Waffen-SS
troops, inflicting heavy German casualties despite being outnumbered, showcasing
fierce local resistance during the Battle of the Bulge period.
➤ The Kirchberg Plateau : location of the European Union institutions
➤ Clervaux Castle : December 16 to 18, 1944. German forces encircled numerically
inferior American forces, primarily from the 28th Infantry Division’s 110th Infantry
Regiment and the 109th Field Artillery Battalion, and quickly forced them to
surrender. The battle has been referred to as the Luxembourg “Alamo”. Clervaux was
the first tank battle of the Ardennes offensive and ended in defeat 4 ort he Americans,
who permanently lost nearly 60 tanks while the Germans lost four.
➤ The Mullerthal Trail (Luxembourg’s “Little Switzerland”) was a significant area
during World War II, especially during the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Offensive) in
late 1944/early 1945, with memorials and specific remembrance trails (like the R9 and
Remembrance Walk) marking fierce fighting, evacuations, and the liberation by
American troops, allowing hikers to explore sites like the Siegfried Line remnants and
local suffering.
➤ QuattroPole is 4 cities, 3 countries, one experience! Come and discover the
Luxembourg-Metz-Trier-Saarbrücken connection.
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