fired several shots at these spectators and dropped one
of them before they dispersed, while the boy and his
tormentor disappeared behind the buildings.
Enemy patrols attempted to probe across the river
throughout the period, but were all repulsed by rifle and
machine gun fire and grenades.
The enemy had no way to
bring armor across to Company C's positions without
building a bridge. They did not give signs of desiring to
build a bridge or make an assault crossing of the river.46
On the night of 19 December, Lieutenant Walters'
squad from the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion blew the
bridge that they were defending at (683977).
Just as
enemy infantry coming up from the south started to cross
the bridge, Sergeant Jean B. Miller touched off the
charge, and the squad worked its way back to join Company
C in the defense of Trois-Ponts.47
Another welcome addition to the small force at Trois-
Ponts arrived at 2000 on 19 December, when a patrol from
arrived on Highway N23 from
men and three M8 assault
Not realizing that they were friendly
Basse-Bodeux.
troops, Company C's rear guard fired on them, but
identification was quickly made. The next day the three
guns were set up on the outskirts of town on high ground
where the patrol could observe and still keep its guns in
defiladed positions.
Although the assault guns remained
in position outside of Trois-Ponts, the patrol never
actually engaged the enemy.48
On 20 December, elements of the 505th Parachute
Infantry Regiment of the 82d Airborne Division learned of
the presence of the force defending Trois-Ponts, and the
regimental commander, Colonel William E. Ekman, ordered
his 2d and 3d Battalions to send three bazooka teams each
to the beleaguered town. The rest of the regiment then
started to move into Trois-Ponts and the 505th's CP was
established at 1300 on 20 December.49
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