Battle of the Bulge

by

 Tyler Gibboney &

Marcin Rybarski 

...is called also Ardennes Offensive, from Ardennes Mountains in

Belgium, northern France and Luxembourg.  

 ...was the largest land battle of World War II in which the United States participated.

 ...was the last major battle for Nazi Germany on the west front.

...it was also "Beginning of the End of the War".

Battle of the Bulge

  

Began on December 16th, 1944

and last until January 25th, 1945

During those 40 days German army fought against allied armies of United States of America and Great Britain...

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

     In December '44 Adolph Hitler come up with the plan of counteroffensive in the west. 

    Despite fact that nazi generals this idea, Germany attacked Allied on December 16th

German attack strength is approximate to 200 thousand men,5 divisions of tanks (approximately 1800)

and about 1900 artillery units

U.S. Forces got about 80 000 men, about 300 tanks and 350 artillery units.

 

Battle of the Bulge

During whole time of this battle, more than a MILLION men fought in this battle including some 600,000 Germans,

500,000 Americans, and 55,000 British. 

American forces were leaded by General Dwight D. Eisenhower Courtney Hodges (1st U.S. Army)George S. Patton (3rd U.S Army)

 Germans were leaded by

Walther ModelGerd von Rundstedt

with major control of Adolph Hittler

Battle of the Bulge

Began with a German attack on the morning of December 16, 1944. Under cover of fog the German army managed

to push American forces back

nearly to the River and surround the town of

Bastogne in Belgium. When germans surrounded allied

troops, British general McAuliff sent one word reply

"Nuts."

Battle of the BulgeBattle was very often affected by the weather. Snow and freeze caused that trucks had to be run every half hour to

keep the oil in them from freezing. Weapons froze and became impossible to shoot.

The temperature during January1945 was the coldest on record, and casualties from exposure to the cold grew as large as the losses from fighting.

But on the other hand snow also helped Germans, who attacked in white uniforms, so they blended in with the snow.

Battle of the Bulge - the Malmedy Massacre

On December 17 in 1944 SS force captured an American battalion  About 150 Prisoners of war were disarmed and sent to stand in a field. About 80 men were killed by gunfire, and

their bodies were left where they fell. Some prisoners escaped into nearby woods.

News spread quickly among Allied soldiers, and an order went out that all SS officers and paratroopers should be shot on

sight.

The Malmedy Massacre is regarded as the worst atrocity committed against American troops during the course of the

war in Europe.

Battle of the Bulge                                        On December 23, American forces                               began  counterattack on the                                                southern flank of the Bulge. On the                                         beginning of 1945 Germans                                                    launched two new operations to                                            keep the offensive going and                                                create second fronts in Holland                                            and northern France.

German air force started campaign against Allied airfields. They succeeded more than 460 aircraft got damaged or destroyed. The Luftwaffe- German Air force sustained though big number of losses about 280 planes. Allied recovered fast from German offensive.

Battle of the Bulge

In second week of January of 1945 Hitler agreed to pull back most of his forces from the Ardennes.

On January 8, German troops withdrew from the tip of the Bulge. Their losses were critical. The last of the German

reserves were gone, big part of air forces had been broken, and the German army in the west was being pushed back.

Also on east front Nazi Germany lost their positions and Soviet Union took the initiative.

 Germany's final defeat was only few months ahead.

Battle of the BulgeIn this battle about 19 000 U.S., 200 British

and 15 000 German soldiers died. 

 The Americans suffered some 75,000 casualties in the Battle of the Bulge, but the Germans lost 80,000 to

100,000. (died, wounded, missing, captured)

German strength had been irredeemably impaired. 

                                   Also about 3000 civil people died                              during offensive in Ardennes

Citations

"Battle of the Bulge." World War II History Info. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.                             <http://www.worldwar2history.info/Bulge/>. 

 "Overview - Battle of the Bulge - The United States Army." The United                         States Army Homepage. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.                                                 <http://www.army.mil                /botb/overview.html>.

 World War II Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association The Ardennes                   Offensive. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.                                                                      <http://www.battleofthebulge.org/>.  Boyer, Paul S., and Sterling Stuckey. American Nation. Austin, Tex.: Holt,                      Rinehart, and Winston, 2005. Print.