The Battle Of The Bulge

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 (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. It was launched, in the dense forest of Ardennes Wallonia in eastern part of Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg. This battle was one of the largest fought by the United States Army, on the Western Front in Europe, during World War II. This fierce battle, was between the German Nazi’s, the American Army, Canadian Army, and the British Army, was one of Hitler’s last attempt to split the Allies driving them towards Germany and destroy their ability to supply themselves. Were the Germans able to stop the Americans and the British from getting their supplies? Was the weather a factor and if so, who did it assist in the battle? Was the American Army able to counter attack in a timely manner and stop the German Nazi’s invasion?

It was the place were they had great success against the French people in the beginning of the war. The Germans also selected it because it was easy to hide troops in the hills which they did at the first major offensive. Hitler code-named this attack as the “watch am Rein” The Americans the area were in a thin line because they wanted to give support to the flank were the attack was expected so they thought.

“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

In the late 1944, during the wake of the Allied forces’ successful D-Day Invasion of Normandy, it seemed as if the Second World War was over. On December sixteenth, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler’s favor. The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge. The courage and fortitude of the American Soldier was tested against

This was to be a joint operation between British, French and American forces. Though it was not the actual boundaries, the Meuse River and the Argonne Forrest restricted much of the U.S. 1st Army’s maneuverability between them. This area was comprised of a very dense and thick vegetation with few roads for heavy equipment and supplies to flow forth once the offensive began; therefore this was to be used to the Allied Powers advantage. The Germans would be attacked all along the front from British, French, and American forces simultaneously.

In one of the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army, with just over 600,000 Soldiers involved, it was very difficult to place any location or unit ahead of another in order of importance. The reality is that two crucial stands on the front line are what doomed the German attacks to complete

On the German side, Hitler was running out of options. Russia has destroyed twenty-five German divisions, the worst defeat ever inflicted on them. On the western front, the Allies had captured Rome and were attacking 155 miles north. The D-Day invaders had destroyed another two German armies while they pushed through France. He was being surrounded on all sides and needed to make a drastic move. He reasoned that since Allies had come so far so fast, they would have to halt eventually to allow their supplies to catch up with them. During

The battle wasn't taken place in a few locations. A few sites were Ardennes, Belgium, Nazi Germany, and Luxembourg. These locations were the front lines were. As the days went on the front line keep expanding farther and farther out. Which created the “Bulge”. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the biggest battles that America has ever fought in. The total death count from the battle was 1 million total men.

On December 16, 1944 in Germany the Nazi’s mounted a surprise attack against the Allies it was the last offensive of the Nazi’s. Who was involved in the Battle of the Bulge? The war was Allied against the Axis powers Allied powers were made up of Great Britain, The Soviet Union, and The United States of America. The Axis powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Of those countries only The United States and Great Britain for the Allies and Germany and Italy fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

Although US troops assumed mainly a support role in this action, the battle came to be known as the beginning of the end for Germany. 85,000 US troops participated, with 12,000 casualties, gaining the praise of not only their own officers, but the French and British commanders as well. "During this time a single regiment of the 3rd Division rewrote one of the most luminous pages in our military history, it prevented the crossing at certain points on its front, while on either flank the Germans who had gained a footing pressed

Many historical Battles shaped, contributed, and evolved U.S. Military Operations within the Field Artillery Branch, The Battle of the Bulge held one of the most significant roles. During World War II (December 16, 1944-January 25, 1945), The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive campaign on the 80 mile Western Front stretching along Luxembourg, Eastern Belgium and the Ardennes. Germany and Adolf Hitler’s goal was to cut the Allied forces in half and utilize a divide and conquer method because he felt like this was their most optimal chance to win the war. There were many key factors and issues for Allied Forces during the Battle that were unaccounted for which consisted of; torturous weather, terrain, intelligence, communications, resources and a desperate German forces.

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.

The strategic setting of the Battle of the Bulge showed the American forces were comprised of four and two-thirds divisions with an effective strength of about 83,000 men. The heavy weapons then available numbered 242 medium tanks, 182 tank destroyers, and 394 pieces of corps and divisional artillery. These troops and weapons were deploying on a roundabout front of around 80 miles. Another 20 infantry divisions, nine armored divisions including 4,100 additional artillery pieces reinforced the Americans after the battle began. The Germans began their offensive with over 200,000 men, 340 tanks, and 1,600 artillery pieces. These forces grew by another 12 infantry

WWII was a very brutal war, but The Battle of Normandy changed it for us. This was the turning point in the war. To prepare for this fight the Allies decided to increase the air strikes and bombings to slow down the German army, who had been trying to take over France at the time. This battle was set for June 5th, but actually took place on June 6, 1944 at exactly 6:30 a.m, when the weather was supposed to be the calmest, and ended on June 30, 1944. The Allies wanted to “end Hitler’s dream of Nazi denomination”(www.dday.org). This invasion is known as “one of the largest and amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning.”(www.history.com). The Allies decided that they wanted to “trick” the Germans into thinking that they were going to land somewhere else north of Normandy, which made it a surprise attack. Hitler decided to put his troops more up North because that’s where he believed the Allies were going to land. Not only were the beaches raided, but concentration camps as well.