Hitler's Last Days by Bill O'Reilly Read Free Book Online

bedsheet. They walk into the American lines fearlessly, even strolling past a bazooka team on the outer perimeter without hesitation. The men of F Company shoulder their M-1 carbines, but the Germans keep coming. “This doesn’t make sense,” says one American, wondering why the Germans appear to be surrendering.
    Three American soldiers walk cautiously up the road to greet the Germans. They soon stand face-to-face with two officers and two enlisted men. The officers wear polished black boots and long, warm overcoats. One of them, the short, stocky lieutenant, carries a briefcase.
    The Americans never take their fingers off the triggers of their M-1 rifles, unsure if this is a trick.
    It is not.
    In fact, it is a gesture on the part of German General Heinrich L ü ttwitz, commander of the forces surrounding Bastogne, that is both gallant and arrogant. He thinks it absurd to slaughter so many brave American soldiers. Instead, L ü ttwitz is offering Tony McAuliffe and the 101st a chance to save their own lives by surrendering. War being war, however, should the Americans refuse to throw down their weapons, L ü ttwitz will order that Bastogne be leveled and every American soldier annihilated. There will be no prisoners.

    An SS patrol in the Ardennes, 1945. [Mary Evans Picture Library]
    Soon enough, news of the note is passed up the chain of command. Within an hour, Tony McAuliffe is being awakened to the news that a German surrender demand is making its way to headquarters.
    â€œNuts,” he mutters, still half asleep.
    â€œThey want to surrender?” McAuliffe asks, taking the note from Lieutenant Colonel Ned Moore, his chief of staff.
    â€œNo, sir,” Moore corrects him. “They want us to surrender.”
    McAuliffe laughs and begins to read.
    The letter is dated December 22, 1944.
    To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
    The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
    If this proposal should be rejected, one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A.A. battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours’ term.
    All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity.
    The German Commander
    McAuliffe looks at his staff. “Well, I don’t know what to tell them.”
    â€œThat first remark of yours would be hard to beat,” replies Lieutenant Colonel Harry Kinnard, in his Texas twang.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” McAuliffe responds.
    â€œSir, you said, ‘nuts,’” answers his chief of operations.
    McAuliffe mulls it over. He knows his history and suspects this moment will become famous. One French general refused to surrender at the Battle of Waterloo with the far more crass response of “merde.”
    And so the message is quickly typed: “To the German Commander, Nuts! The American Commander.”
    When the letter is presented to the German emissaries, they don’t understand. “What is this, ‘nuts’?”
    Colonel Joseph Harper, regimental commander of the 327th, who delivered McAuliffe’s response, illuminates them. “It means you can go to hell.” He adds, “And I’ll tell you something else. If you continue to attack, we will kill every goddamn German that tries to break into this city.”
    The Germans snap to