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    "localId": "12113405",
    "label": "Letter, Major General J. Lawton Collins to Major General James L. Collins",
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    "title": "Letter, Major General J. Lawton Collins to Major General James L. Collins",
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            "day": 16,
            "logicalDate": "1945-01-16",
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    "ocrText": "16 January 1945\nMajor General James L. Collins\nHeadquarters Fifth Service Command\nFort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio\nDear James:\nYour letter of the 8th of November reached me shortly before Von\nRundstedt launched his attack into the Ardennes. We were just winding up\nour drive to the Roer, and it looked as if we might have a relatively quiet\nChristmas.\nHowever, when it became apparent that the German attack was a\nmajor effort, my headquarters and corps troops were quickly shifted to the\nsouth where I took over a couple of divisions which had already been thrown\ninto action and some additional troops. As indicated in the attached news-\npaper interview by Marshal Montgomery, it was originally intended that we\nbe kept out of the defensive fighting and used only for counter-offensive\npurposes. But it became necessary for part of my forces to hold defensively\nand for a while it appeared as if the Germans would be able to completely\noutflank the First Army before we were fully concentrated. On Christmas Eve\nI was faced with the decision as to whether to counterattack or to \"roll\nback with the punch\" while covering the Army flank. I decided to counter-\nattack with one of our fine armored divisions, and on Christmas day we not\nonly stopped the point of Von Rundstedt's spearhead, but broke it off com-\npletely. Our armor destroyed practically all of the tanks of the German 2d\nPanzer Division, and the whole Allied north flank was saved. Some day I\nwill give you the details of the situation as it was put up to me, but I\ncan't right now although much of this has already been made public and I am\nletting out no secrets. Unquestionably this was the major decision I have\nhad to make thus far. As usual, in retrospect it might appear that there\nwas nothing else to do, but with a lack of definite enemy information at the\ntime and a threat on our left flank as well, it was not as simple as it now\nseems.\nMonty's story is not altogether complete inasmuch as we, and not\nany other force, went back to the counter-offensive role as soon as we had\ndefinitely stopped the German drive. Since the 3d of January we have been\nattacking along the north face of the salient. The weather and terrain have\nbeen our greatest enemies. It began to snow the morning of our attack, and\nfor the next five days we had almost constant snow and icy wind to contend\nwith. Our men have again proved their remarkable adaptability and their\nwillingness to take anything that is thrown against them. Last night we made\na link with the forces coming up from the south at Houffalize, and it is only\na question of time before the entire German salient will have been liquidated.\nWe have destroyed a great quantity of German equipment and have taken close\nto eight thousand prisoners. The only reason that the Germans managed to get\nElseahemer\n- 1 -\n13\nout at all, was that the weather prevented our air from operating and made\nartillery observation extremely difficult.\nI have seen quite a good deal of Monty since this operation began\nand I am impressed again with his ability. However, off the record, I don't\nthink he is nearly as able a tactician as Omar Bradley. He never makes a\nmove without an eye to what the enemy might do to him, and he will normally\nnot attack unless he has quite overwhelming superiority. The Germans are\nnot likely ever to defeat him, but he also is not likely ever to win a deci-\nsive victory. Personally, he is a very attractive man and we get along with\nhim fine. There has been first-rate cooperation between the British and our-\nselves throughout this show, and the British have been high in their praise\nof the stand that our people made in the face of the great superiority of\nthe Germans in the initial phases of the attack. Incidentally, I know very\nwell General Tony McAuliffe who made the epic reply of \"Nuts\" to the German\ndemand for the surrender of Bastogne. There is no question but that his\nretention of this key center was a major contribution to the defeat of Rund-\nstedt's drive.\nMany thanks for the dope that you sent on the stock market. I read\nmost of the principle articles, but have taken no action nor advised Gladys\nto take any up to date. We are simply too far away and I'm too much absorbed\nin the constant fighting we have had to be able to give any time to the ques-\ntion of investments. Actually with two girls at college, we will probably\nhave to spend our current savings on tuition and other expenses. I have paid\nno income tax since the war started, having been advised by some of my friends\nin civilian life, now in the army, that there was a possibility of a bill\nbeing passed someday exempting from income tax, members of the armed services\nduring the period that they were actually in the combat zone overseas. There\nappears to be little likelihood now of such a bill being passed, so that I\nhave a considerable backlog of income tax that we will be able to meet only\nby cashing in a large share of the War Bonds which we have bought. I feel as\nyou do, that there will be a drop in the stock market once the European war\nis definitely over, and it will probably be wise to keep in the savings account\nany current funds we have that are not needed for the children's college\nexpenses.\nLawton came in to see me ten days or so ago to extend his greetings\nfor the new year. He was just passing by and had no time to stop. His bat-\ntalion supported the division that made our counterattack southeast of Dinant\nand again gave a fine account of itself. I thought Lawton looked better and\nmore rested than he had at any time since D-day. He appeared to have put on\na little weight, which he needs, though I may have gotten this impression from\nthe fact that he was bundled up in a coat.\nOur youngsters were all home for Christmas and apparently had a\nwonderful time. Jerry got by in calculus on the skin of his teeth, but he\nhas studied very hard this year. Of course, the amount of calculus that he\nlearns is of little or no importance, but he has gained a great deal of self-\nconfidence and a determination not to let his academic difficulties get him\ndown. I think he will make a fine officer if he decides to stay in the army.\n- 2 -\nout Elsenhowal STRIETY\nGladdie is thoroughly enjoying Vassar, and Nancy is anticipating entering\nthere next year if she can sufficiently impress the college entrance board.\nLike Jerry, she has no natural aptitude for book learning, but I am sure\nthat she will do well at Vassar as well as in life.\nClear sky and bright sunshine outside is offering our first oppor-\ntunity to use fighter-bombers in some time, so I am hoping that we can wind\nup the current phase of our operations before dark tonight. But I must get\nout to check up on a couple of our divisions, so will say \"adios\".\nLove to you all,\nLibrary PUT\n- 3 -"
}