Why was Bastogne so important? Look at the map: Bastogne is the focal point of the roadnet in the southern Ardennes. By holding Bastogne, McAuliffe blocked the movement of German supplies over the entire southern portion of the battlefield. Because the American northern shoulder had held firm, the southern part of the Ardennes was the decisive sector. The Battle of the Bulge would be won or lost here -- and Bastogne was the key.

Hitler knew that. In the initial planning for the attack, he had insisted that two towns, Bastogne and St. Vith, had to be taken quickly. They were the primary objectives for the first 48 hours of the attack.

The Americans realized the same thing as soon as the attack started. Within 10 hours of the attack, the American corps commander, Troy Middleton, was gathering his forces around Bastogne. The shattered remnants of the 28th Infantry division retreated to Bastogne.

When Bastogne was not taken in the first two days, Hitler demanded its immediate fall. This may have been one reason for the German ultimatum to McAuliffe. Later in the battle, the Germans made desperate attempts to break the American defense and capture the town. They all failed. Ba.stogne was relieved by Patton's men on the 26th of December