Gmünd—both ends of the mechanized engineer bridge were crowded with tanks from the 130th Panzer Lehr Division.
The massive King Tiger tanks caused the steel bridge to tremble slightly as they crossed, making people wonder if the bridge could really bear the weight of these behemoths.
But their worries were unnecessary. Soon, the limited number of King Tigers had successfully reached the far bank, followed by one Panther tank after another from the 5th Panzer Army, also crossing the Ulm River.
Now, the 130th Panzer Lehr Division was finally on the move.
"We'll take Bastogne tomorrow."
Division commander Major General Fritz Bayerlein turned to the officers beside him and said,
"This attack will have a decisive impact on the battle. I'll be at the head of the vanguard—whether I live or die doesn't matter. What matters is that we must attack, attack without pause!"
