Re: Did they really need a rescue?
The answer is yes. The 101 was not alone in Bastogne. There were substancial reminants of the 28th Division and the 9th Armored Division there along with numerous corps and army level units of various sorts that had collected in the vicinity as the US fell back during the initial German advance. Of these, there were several battalions of artillery including 155mm howitzers and guns that were among the corps level units that got pocketted.
These guns were able to fire on virtually any point on the defense perimeter and, as US artillery usually was able to do when well coordinated it smashed attack after attack. Once the US was able to supply the surrounded units by air the Germans were finished.
A big difference in the air supply situation between Bastogne and Arnheim was that the 101 had few difficulties with their communications equipment and in particular their all-important Rebecca transmitters. These allowed C-47 aircraft to pinpoint drop sites with incredible accuracy ensuring that almost everything dropped ended up in Allied hands. At Arnheim the British lost 5 of 6 drop sites when they were either overrun or the Rebecca transmitters failed to operate.
Even if the weather was poor with this equipment air drops were still possible if the airfields the aircraft were flying out of had reasonable weather at them.
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