1944 - 1945
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during WW2, and took place from the 16th December 1944 to the 25th January 1945. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region in Belgium and Luxembourg. The offensive was intended to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and to split the Allied lines, allowing the Germans to encircle and destroy four Allied armies and force the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis powers' favour.
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The Germans achieved a total surprise attack on the morning of the 16th December 1944. American forces bore the brunt of the attack and incurred their highest casualties of any operation during the war. The battle also severely depleted Germany's armoured forces, and they were largely unable to replace them.
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German personnel and, later, Luftwaffe aircraft also sustained heavy losses. The Germans had attacked a weakly defended section of the Allied line, taking advantage of heavily overcast weather conditions that grounded the Allies' superior air forces. Fierce resistance on the northern shoulder of the offensive, around Elsenborn Ridge, and in the south, around Bastogne, blocked German access to key roads that they counted on for success. Columns of tanks and infantry that were supposed to advance along parallel routes found themselves on the same roads. This, and terrain that favoured the defenders, threw the German advance behind schedule and allowed the Allies to reinforce the thinly placed troops.
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Improved weather conditions from the 24th December permitted air attacks on German forces and supply lines, which sealed the
A German machine gunner marching through the
Ardennes during the 'Battle of the Bulge'.
failure of the offensive. Although the offensive was effectively broken by the 27th December, when the trapped units of 2nd Panzer Division made two break out attempts, the battle continued for another month before the front line was effectively restored to its position prior to the attack. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as survivors retreated to the defences of the Siegfried Line.
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The Siege of Bastogne
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On December 22nd, 1944, the Germans had the US 101st Airborne Division trapped in the Belgian city of Bastogne. German General Walther Freiherr von Lüttwitz offered the Americans his terms of surrender.
"To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
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The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armoured units. More German armoured units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
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There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honourable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
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If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.
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All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
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The German Commander.
Shortly afterwards Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, Commander of the US foces replied.......
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To the German Commander.
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NUTS!
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The American Commander
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Von Lüttwitz was true to his word, he gave them everything he had. Some 6,000 Allies were captured outside Bastogne, while inside the city, supplies began to dwindle.
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The 333rd Field Artillery Battalion (the Black Battalion) retreated into Bastogne and were given carbines for the city’s defense; despite the rampant racism which prevented black people from serving on the front lines. Although provided with only ten artillery rounds per day, they held their sector and were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.
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Events changed on December 24th when the Allies dropped supplies into the city. Two days later, the US 4th Armoured Division broke through German lines to reinforce Bastogne. Later that day, more air drops included medical personnel and other supplies for the wounded, allowing the Allies to go on the offensive.
101st Airborne Division troops watch as Aircraft drop supplies over Bastogne, 26th December 1944
The Germans' initial attack involved 410,000 men; just over 1,400 tanks, tank destroyers, and assault guns; 2,600 artillery pieces; 1,600 anti-tank guns; and over 1,000 combat aircraft, as well as large numbers of other armoured fighting vehicles. These were reinforced a couple of weeks later, bringing the offensive's total strength to around 450,000 troops, and 1,500 tanks and assault guns. Between 63,222 and 98,000 of these men were killed, missing, wounded in action, or captured. For the Americans, out of a peak of 610,000 troops, 89,000 became casualties out of which some 19,000 were killed.
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The "Bulge" was the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States
in WW2 and the third deadliest campaign in American history.
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Source: Wikipedia / warhistoryonline.com
An American M36 tank destroyer moves forward during heavy fog to stem the
German attack near Werbomont, Belgium, 20th December 1944.
Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J28589 • Licensed for reuse under CC-BY-SA 3.0
American Prisoners of War, 22th December 1944
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