Historical information
The Battle of the
Bulge started on December 16th 1944, the German goal was to capture
the harbor of Antwerp and isolate British from American troops in order
to negotiate a peace treaty or at least a cease-fire. Their extreme
advance point was Celles near Dinant. The whole German occupation zone
was clear of Allied troops except Bastogne which was still resisting.
They were ultimately rescued by paratroopers coming from Arlon. However
before their rescue they were surrounded and the Germans asked their
surrender,
General Mc Auliffe replied "nuts" meaning "go to Hell" despite the
initial absence of any medical unit to take care of the wounded.
Germans lost valuable
troops who would have been more useful to the defense of the western
part of Gerrmany,
this explains why the Allied advance in Germany after the Battle
of the
Bulge was far easier than the one of the Soviets in the eastern part
of Germany.
THEME FLIGHT
Information from the website of Air Loisirs organising such event:
(min. 2 pers.)
We offer you the below mentioned theme flights.
Each theme flight goes as follows :
A. On the ground.
* Reception with drinks.
* A visually animated presentation of the theme.
* You will receive a map with the route and the most important points of the
flight. These will be explained then.
* - You will also receive a brief presentation of the airplane.
B. In the air.
* Commentary regarding the points flown over.
* Possibility to take aerial photographs yourself.
The different themes :
* The Battle
of the Bulge: the Battle of the Ardennes: “The battle
in and around Bastogne”
* Time goes by
* Stones and castles
* The valley of the river Semois
* Flight of the Ardennes
You can choose for :
* the entire concept consisting of the presentation and the flight
(between 1 and 2 hours depending on the flight).
* the flight only (between 30 minutes and 1 hour depending on the flight).
* the presentation only (duration from 15 to 30 minutes)..
* Different airplanes.
We fly with at least two and at a maximum 3 persons per airplane.
THE BATTLE OF THE
BULGE : "The battle in and around Bastogne"
When flying for about an hour, you will fly over a dozen historic places.
The battle of Bastogne seen from another point of view and appreciating
nature at the same time.
|
Locations |
Comments |
1. |
Renuamont |
Place where the Sherman
tank of 11th Armored Division (displayed today on "Mc Auliffe Place")
was stopped by Germans. |
2. |
Sibret and Assenois |
Sibret
The route from Neufchâteau that Patton’s troops used
to rejoin Bastogne.
Assenois
First contact point between the surrounded American troops and Patton’s
troops. There is a small bunker visible by plane. |
3. |
Kessler Farm |
Place where
the German negotiators asked for surrender of the surrounded American
troops. General Mc Auliffe replied verbally his
famous "nuts". |
4. |
Bastogne |
Lemaire House
Place where a civilian nurse died, the house
where US wounded soldiers was hit by German artillery
Mc Auliffe Place
Bastogne’s town centre, this includes a statue of General
Mc Auliffe who refused to surrender and a Sherman tank. Near
the Sherman stands the last bollet of the liberty path starting
on the Normandy beaches.
Heintz barracks
Place where the 101st Airborne’s HQ was set up in the basements.
From there Mc Auliffe send a written message ("nuts")
in reply to the American surrender asked by the Germans.
|
5.
|
“Mémorial du Mardasson” and "Bastogne
Historical Centre" |
Mardasson Memorial
represents the extreme defense zone of Bastogne by US troops. Building
of the monument strated in 1946 and ended
in 1950. The BHC soon followed. The M10 Wolverine was standing in
a US base and General Desobry decided to move it to the museum, a
street is bearing his name in remembrance. |
6. |
Bois de la Paix |
The Forest includes trees bearing the names of US veterans in remembrance
of their struggle to defend the city of Bastogne, the forest shows
up from the sky the emblem of UNICEF (Mother and child). |
7.
|
Bois Jacques |
Easy Company’s
position, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne
(From the film: « Band Of Brothers »).
The forest was occupied by US paratroopers but under artillery fire
of Germans. Germans occupied a railroad coming from Gouvy and leading
to the forest, they used tanks attempting to enter the forest.
Then Americans
left
the
forest to rejoin the village of Foy but they had to walk during 400
meters in the open ground unproteted and suffered heavy losses. |
8.
|
German Cemetery of Recogne |
It was also nearby the location of a temporary American cemetery
before the transfer to USA or to US military cemeteries in Belgium
(Neuville-en-Condroz or Henri-Chapelle) |
9.
|
Rolley’s castle |
PC of the 501st PIR of the 101st Airborne and location of German
attacks with bayonets in front of the castle. There was also a destruction
of German tanks in the adjacent road. |
10. |
Hinck Barrier |
place where the 326th Medical Bn, 101st Airborne Field Hospital
was captured on December 20, 1944. It was (and is still today) a
crossroad, Americans headed to Bastogne because of traffic jam in
the main road
to the
East (La
Roche) and precisely on their way to Bastogne an entire medical unit
was captured. This explains why gliders were then used to send medics
to city of Bastogne during its encirclement by the Germans (paradropping
them would have been too unsafe). |
11. |
Pironpre |
This was the place where young American soldiers (average age was
seventien) of 87th US infantry Division sacrificed themselves to
allow the organisation of the resistance of other American troops
in Bastogne. The 87th Infantry Division was greatly helped
by an Afro-American unit, the 701th Armored Division. |
.
The official website
of the organiser stands here.
Air Loisirs public relations staff can be contacted here.
Underlying Philosophy
| Memory of the
past must not be lost otherwise same errors will be made |
| War has not
to be idealised, war must be avoided as long as possible unless
democracy is jeopardized |
| Detailed information
are given to History fans such as the presence of Hitler in Bastogne
in 1940, the use of gliders in Bastogne during the battle to get
new medical personnel, ... |
| General information
easily identified is given to tourists |
| There is a message
of anti-racism and tolrance illustrated by the role of Afro-Americans
during WW2
(presence on the front line and not only in unit belonging to logistics
and also existence of massacres perpetrated by SS units like the
one in Werther near Saint Vith) |
Location information
The airfield is located
at:
Aérodrome de St-Hubert, 5 bte 10
B 6870 ST-HUBERT
Tél : 00 32 497 67 03 67
The air trip must
be booked in advance.
RATES
ADULT (individual) : 200 €
Personal note
At first a movie
about the Battle of the Bulge is presented to the audience and a question/answers
session takes place,
then the air trip occurs with explanations -via
headphones- of main flown zones
. Afterwards people receive a small video on CD in remembrance
of the event.
Personnally my trip
was different because I requested a specific trip devoted to aerial
photography, we were at an average altitude of 150 meters
and flew at 200 KM. There were
extreme conditions to make photos and extreme flight conditions (the
aircraft was close to stall but I had a highly skilled pilot I fully
trusted), It was a positive
experience. I hope you will appreciate the photos.
