"Nuts!"

Non-naval discussions about the Second World War. Military leaders, campaigns, weapons, etc.
User avatar
Kyler
Senior Member
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:49 am
Location: Evansville, IN U.S.A.
Contact:

"Nuts!"

Post by Kyler »

On this day in 1944, General Anthony McAuliffe replied "Nuts!" to General Heinrich Freiherr von Luttwitz demand for surrender of the encircled American forces in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

One of the most famous albeit also funniest remarks made by a general during wartime.
"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
lwd
Senior Member
Posts: 3822
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:15 am
Location: Southfield, USA

Re: "Nuts!"

Post by lwd »

Also one disputed by some.
User avatar
Kyler
Senior Member
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:49 am
Location: Evansville, IN U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: "Nuts!"

Post by Kyler »

True,

Some historians believe a expletive was used instead, but McAuliffe's personal aid that was with him in Bastogne said McAuliffe said "Nuts!" since he wasn't a person prone to using foul language very much.

It is one of the those things that we will never know for sure, but it is still funny.
"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
User avatar
RF
Senior Member
Posts: 7759
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:15 pm
Location: Wolverhampton, ENGLAND

Re: "Nuts!"

Post by RF »

Not as rude as the name of one Waffen SS detachment, Gertz von Berlingen, or rather the quote that person is alleged to have made.......
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
User avatar
hammy
Senior Member
Posts: 288
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:52 pm
Location: by the Norfolk Broads , England .

Re: "Nuts!"

Post by hammy »

RF wrote:Not as rude as the name of one Waffen SS detachment, Gertz von Berlingen, or rather the quote that person is alleged to have made.......
It is actually Gotz von Berlichingen , who is a character in Goethe's play "Sturm und Drang" ( I think there's an umlaut-two dots-over the "O" ) in gotz which gives it an "oer/ uer" sound --- exactly like like Goering , the same situation .

When Hermann von Ruckteschell was arguing over the name of Hilfskreuzer Michel -- or was it Widder ? he is supposed to have lost his rag a bit and said "you can call her G v B for all I care! "

The character in the play makes a famously (in Germany) rude retort , which I couldn't possibly post on here as it is so coarse that it would reconfigure your hard drives !
" Relax ! No-one else is going to be fool enough to be sailing about in this fog ."
User avatar
RF
Senior Member
Posts: 7759
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:15 pm
Location: Wolverhampton, ENGLAND

Re: "Nuts!"

Post by RF »

Ruckteschell got his way over naming Michel on this one. I gather that Michel was actually named after Archangel St Michael, the protector of the Jewish nation, whereas the actual name Michel in German refers to a caricature in folklore who is rather short on intelligence, which was why Raeder was not impressed with the name.

The retort you refer to would be well known today - and perehaps more understandable than ''nuts.''
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
User avatar
aurora
Senior Member
Posts: 696
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:31 pm
Location: YORKSHIRE

Re: "Nuts!"

Post by aurora »

WHERE THE "NUTS" CAME FROM
The message was brought in to the Division Headquarters by Major Alvin Jones, the S-3, and Colonel Harper, the Regimental Commander. They brought the message to me, the G-3 and Paul Danahy, the G-2. My first reaction was that this was a German ruse, designed to get our men out of their fox holes. But be that as it might, we agreed that we needed to take the message up the line.
We took it first to the acting Chief of Staff of the Division, Lt. Col. Ned Moore. With him, we took the message to the acting Division Commander General Tony McAuliffe. Moore told General McAuliffe that we had a German surrender ultimatum. The General's first reaction was that the Germans wanted to surrender to us. Col. Moore quickly disabused him of that notion and explained that the German's demanded our surrender. When McAuliffe heard that he laughed and said: "Us surrender? Aw, nuts!" the date was December 22nd, 1944 McAuliffe's original retort was shortened to Nuts! and sent to the German commander
Quo Fata Vocant-Whither the Fates call

Jim
Post Reply