Having accomplished his aim and mission of covering
the withdrawal of the 505th Regiment% elements from the
east of Trois-Ponts, Major Yates ordered Company C to
begin withdrawing from the town at 1930 on 21 December.
The withdrawal was completed by 2000, and the company
rejoined the battalion at 2330 at Marche.54
The Battle of Hotton
The most bitter and tactically important battle
fought by the remainder of the 51st Engineer Combat
Battalion was in defense of the vital Ourthe River bridge
at Hotton on 21 December.55
In the days preceding the battle of Hotton, the two
companies in the Marche area feverishly prepared bridges,
roadblocks, minefields, demolitions, and abatis along the
Ourthe River line from Durbuy to La Roche [Laroche]. They
had numerous minor brushes with enemy forces during the
With the departure of the 158th Engineer Combat
period.
Battalion for the Bastogne area, Colonel Fraser was
formally charged with the defense of the area at 1930 on
He had already prepared and started to
19 December.
execute plans; at 0500 that morning Companies A and B were
combat loaded and poised for action near Hargimont and
H o g n e , respectively.56
Confusion reigned in the towns and along the roads.
The local gendarmerie unsuccessfully attempted to check
evacuations and then tried to keep the roads clear.
Parachutists and rumors of parachutists kept everyone in
Colonel Fraser finally instituted a rigid
turmoil.
civilian check system that resulted in the capture and
execution of many enemy spies and agents in civilian
The largest such group was apprehended by
clothes.
Company B in Hotton; it consisted of 21 men in civilian
clothes whose baggage contained considerable supplies of
American cigarettes, rations, and uniforms.
The next
largest bag was made the following day when eight
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