When you think of World War II, what’s the most significant event that comes to your mind? The bombing of Pearl Harbor? The capture of France? The Invasion of Russia? Or maybe the atomic bomb droppings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? While these are all major events in the war, to me, the most important and significant event was the Battle of Bulge, or the Battle of the Bastogne as it’s sometimes referred to. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the most critical and influential battles during World War II. The outcome of the battle, although unbeknownst to the combatants at the time, would cement the war in the Allies favor and change the course of history as we know it. This paper will guide you through the events of the battle. The Battle of the …show more content…
The allies were slowly pushing through the Ardennes Forest on the German/Belgium boarder, with a force of 600,000 American soldiers, and 55,000 British soldiers (Battle of the Bulge, HistoryNet). The allies pushed through this area because they felt this was the least likely place for the enemy to set up an attack; the Germans selected it because it was easy to conceal troops in the hills. Hitler hoped to catch the Allies off guard and quickly separate the army and finish them off easily because they were divided. (World War II Timeline: December 18, 1944-December 31, …show more content…
The main goal of the German offensive was to push through the Ardennes forest, retake Antwerp along with its harbor, and finally push through to the north to the sea. Doing so would separate the Allies stationed in Holland and Belgium from the rest of the armies and leave them trapped and isolated. The success of the mission depended on three things. Firstly was the speed of the operation. The Germans needed to advance quickly and concisely. Secondly, they needed to capture Allied fueling stations between St. Vith and Bastogne to help fuel their campaign. Thirdly, they needed to create a hole in the Allied defenses to allow the German army to march into the rest of
The Germans defeated the Polish and almost all of Western Europe. Although the British had no help when it came to Hitler and his army, the remains of Europe had been overturned already. The Battle of the Bulge also called Battle of the Ardennes as well, which began Dec. 16, 1944 and ended Jan. 16, 1945. This was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It was an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home territory . Winston Churchill made a promise that he would fight as long as it would take to overcome Hitler. The name Battle of the Bulge was appropriated from Winston Churchill he referred to “the bulge” as the wedge that the Germans drove into the Allied lines.
The Battle of the Bulge also known as “Ardennes Offensive”, started on December 16, 1944. The Battle of the bulge, is significantly known as what ruined the German army and brought about the end of the war. The battle got its name from poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest “bulge” that Germans made between its allies. Hitler used this area of 80-mile dense forest, believing that his forces would be able to surround and cut off
The object of the German offensive was to push through the Belgian Ardennes, cross the Mousse, retake Antwerp and its harbor facilities, thrust to the north and reach the sea which they almost succeed in doing. This would cut off the Allied troops in Holland and Belgium, making it impossible for them to withdraw. The success of the operation depended on three important
“The battle [is also] known by different names. The Germans [called it] ‘Operation Watch on the Rhine’, while the French [called] it ‘Battle of the Ardennes’. [American and Britain] called it the Ardennes Counteroffensive.” The main goal for the Germans for this offensive was to split the British and American forces in half and capture the port city of Antwerp. This would “cause an encirclement of four allied armies and [force] a peace negotiation” (Cirillo). The Germans almost had complete surprise when the offensive was launched on “December 16th, 1944, at 05:30” and the offensive start with “an artillery barrage of over 1,600 artillery pieces.” The assault took place across an “80 mile front [that] the 6th Panzer Army had to cover” (Quarrie 1). “The attack was led by one of the best equipped German divisions on the western front, the 1st SS Panzer Division.” This was the lead unit for the 6th Panzer Army and was the lead division for the assault. The 26th Infantry was covering the part of the front where the push started. They were caught completely by surprise. “Equipped with only 32 M4 tanks, 57 anti-tank guns and thousands of battle-weary men” (MacDonald 1). The initial assault went well for the Germans and they break through the thinly defended American lines. Just “20 hours in [from the start of the assault] German forces are just 55 miles out from their objective”. By this time the casualty rate is below from what the
The purpose of this invasion was to free Europe from the Nazis. It took place in Normandy and they were able to defeat the Nazis in about a week.
World War II World War II was a pivotal event of the 20th century and a defining
He complied, however, and sent the Canadian First Army. The British XII division was then sent in as reinforcements. The German defenders were comprised mainly of the 15th Army who had escaped advancing enemy by ferrying over the Schelde. By the end of the battle, Montgomery had lost thirteen thousand men. Antwerp, the prize of the assault, was still heavily defended by mines, and it took months to actually open the vitally important port (Goalrick 27).
The Germans were well equipped with state of the art weapons, had more troops than the allies. The allies were outnumbered and outgunned. Germans devised a plan that would use machineguns up front and artillery at the back. So constant fire from the enemies, the allies couldn’t fight back. Basically it was a death trap with one way in and no way out.
The Battle of the Bulge was a major battle during World War II (WWII) between the Nazi troops of Germany and American troops. The Battle of the Bulge took place in the Ardennes region, where Adolph Hitler planned for his troops to pull a surprise attack and then advance to Antwerp. The battle which started on December 16, 1944 and did not end until January 25, 1945. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the most iconic turning points of World War II claiming another victory for the United States despite the comparison of field artillery, soldiers, causalities, and supplies between American and German troops in the rough terrain of the Ardennes region. Setting the Stage After the successful landing on D-day, German troops had been pushed back into Germany.
Bodies flailing, ripped apart by machine guns. German Panzers destroying everything in their path. A blood soaked forest; the Ardennes. The Battle of the Bulge began on December 16, 1944. It was a hard fought allied victory that pitted American, British, Australian, and South African forces against the battle hardened Panzer and SS German divisions. In the heat of the battle, the American 101st division was surrounded by German forces at Bastogne. When asked to surrender, General Anthony McAuliffe only replied with one word; “Nuts!”. The 106th division was almost annihilated. This was a gallant allied victory, showing the force of the American soldiers. However, it came with great cost. Influenced by the beginning of the war and how the war turned against the Nazi’s, the Battle of the Bulge was a bloody battle, in which German defeat lead to their surrender soon after, proving to be an extremely significant event in WWII.
The most powerful/ anything els) Allied commander, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower rushed strengthening items/rewards/supplies to hold the shoulders of the German penetration. Within days, Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. had turned his Third U.S. Army to the north and was attacking (in response to an attack) against the German flank. But the story of the Battle of the Bulge is above all the story of American Soldiers. Often separated far from others and unaware of the overall picture, they did their part to slow the Nazi advance, whether by delaying (protected by metal or another covering) starts and leads with stubborn defenses of very important crossroads, moving or burning critical gasoline stocks to keep them from the fuel-hungry German tanks, or coming up with questions on not well known to stump possible Nazi
During the Battle of the Bulge, Adolf Hitler was caught off guard by the American forces. He was basically “sleeping” on the job. For the American forces, the general was Dwight D. Eisenhower. He is the same Dwight D. Eisenhower that led the D-Day Invasion, and a future president. George S. Patton moved his army to the “Third Army of Bastogne”, to move up. After this move, this “led to the neutralization of the German counteroffensive despite heavy casualties.” They had to change the game plan. During the Battle of the Bulge, three German armies led one of the deadliest and bloodiest attacks of the war in the west.it should be a day to be remembered. After this, the Germans drove deeper into the Ardennes allied forces.” While this fighting
The Battle of the Bulge also known as Ardennes Offensive was the largest battle fought on the Western Front in Europe during WW2. The Battle of the Bulge also known as Ardennes Offensive was the largest battle fought on the Western Front in Europe during WW2. The Battle of the Bulge also known as Ardennes Offensive was the largest battle fought on the Western Front in Europe during WW2.
The Battle of the Bulge is considered the United State Army’s greatest victory as American soldiers withstood the full force of the German War Machine. Allied Forces faced freezing temperatures, fog, threats of espionage and battle tested German units. This victory was not without shortcomings, most notably in intelligence and subpar battlefield performances.
One of the most significant encounters of World War II was the Battle of Normandy (the first day of which is commonly referred to as D-Day). Nearly three million soldiers were deployed for the invasion. Those deployed consisted mainly of American and British soldiers, however Canadian, French, Polish, Belgian, and Czech forces were represented as well (Jensen). The battle was fought in an effort to gain European ground and to reduce the German potential for overrunning Russia (Lucas). The Battle of Normandy was significant in that it was the turning point of World War II, incurred heavy casualties on each side, and was the greatest amphibious landing in history (Cohen).