18 Soldiers Trapped Among Tanks — 20 Hours of Pure Hell

Описание: On December 16, 1944, twenty-two American soldiers faced impossible odds on a frozen hilltop in Belgium. First Lieutenant Lyle Bouck Jr., just twenty years old, commanded the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. When the largest German offensive since 1940 launched with over 200,000 soldiers and nearly 1,000 tanks, these eighteen scouts and four artillery observers stood directly in the path of Hitler's elite First SS Panzer Division. Armed with only rifles and machine guns, they repulsed wave after wave of German paratroopers throughout the day, delaying the entire spearhead of the German Sixth Panzer Army for nearly twenty hours. Their stand at Lanzerath Ridge gave Allied commanders precious time to recognize the scope of the attack and organize defenses. Only one American was killed while German casualties totaled 92. After exhausting their ammunition, the survivors were captured at dusk. For decades, their heroism went unrecognized until 1981, when they became the most decorated American platoon for a single action in World War II history. This is the true story of ordinary young men who held the line when retreat would have been the safer choice, changing the course of the Battle of the Bulge and perhaps the entire war.

Written & Directed by
WW2 WAR STORIES

Based on archival military records and veteran testimonies

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