Preparation
After D-Day, in late 1944, it was clear that Germany was losing the war. The Red Army of the Russians was closing in on the Eastern front while German cities were being turned to rubble by the very successful American bombing campaign. The Italian peninsula had been captured and the Allied armies were moving rapidly through France and the other European countries. Hitler knew end was near if he could not do something to slow the Allied advance. He and his generals soon came up with a plan to do this.
In September of 1944 Alfred Jodle attended a meeting at Hitler�s headquarters in East Prussia. Hitler was giving a status of Germany�s current military position. During this meeting Hitler presented Jodle with the task of thinking of a plan for a major offensive on the Western Front. Hitler assigned him to plan the attack somewhere around the southern Luxembourg-France boundary. This location was favorable because there was only one armored and four U.S. infantry divisions at this location. Sixth Panzer (Armored) army would set out from a small town twenty miles southeast of Aachan. Fifth Panzer Army would launch from Schee Eifel plateau. Lastly the Seventh army would launch from south near the Siegfried Line. 6th and 5th Armies would drive to Antwerp, with the 7th and other protecting the flank. At this meeting, Hitler planned the offensive to launch between November 20th to November 30th. He was confident the allies would not be able to react fast enough to stop his offensive. The plan was based on speed and accuracy. The terrain would provide speed and the thick woods of Ardennes would make cover. The major key to the plan was the weather. Hitler was hoping the weather would prevent the Allied Air forces being effective.
This plan was code named �Watch on the Rhine� with the strategy of driving on Antwerp while encircling the Allied armies west of the Meuse River. Hitler thought the name would confuse the allies into believing it was a defensive operation. The Ardennes was selected as the location for the offensive because of the cover for a massive buildup of troops. Hitler believed that by retaking Antwerp the Allies would become irritated with each other and would lead to disputes between the members of the allies. In doing so Hitler would buy some much need time to work on secret weapons and build up troops.
Breakout
At dawn on December 6th, 1944 eight German armored divisions and thirteen German infantry divisions launched an all out attack on five U.S. divisions of the 1st Army. At least 650 pieces of artillery and 340 multiple rocket launchers were fired on American positions. With eleven divisions they broke into the Ardennes through the Loshein Gap against the American divisions protecting the region. The 6th Panzer army then headed north while the 5th panzer army went south. 6th Panzer army attacked the two divisions of U.S. fifth corps at Elsborn Ridge. At the same time 5th Panzer army was attacking the U.S. eight corps some 100 miles to the south. This corps was one of the least experienced in Europe and was demoralized by the Germans. There were mass surrenders.
On December 17th, 7th U.S. armored division engaged 6th Panzer Army at Saint Vith. Saint Vith was a major road that led to the Meuse River and to Antwerp. The American division stopped the German advance and this caused the Germans to take a path that was out of their way. This halt changed the timing of the German attack plan. The same day some American prisoners at Baugnez were shot by Colonel Peiper's unit while on a road headed for Malmeddy. Of the 140 men taken prisoner 86 were shot and 43 managed to survive to tell the story of what had happened. Rumors of this event spread quickly through the American divisions causing the Americans to fight much harder and with more resolve.
Bastogne was a position that both the Germans and the Americans wanted to occupy. This lead to a race between the American 101st Airborne division and the Germans. The Americans got there first and occupied the city. Soon the Germans arrived and quickly surrounded and laid siege to the city. This city was important to Allies because the city could be used as a base to launch a counteroffensive. By the time Germans reached Bastogne, they had gone over 50 miles into Allied lines. They had made a �bulge�.
On December 22 German officers under the flag of truce delivered a message from the commander of the surrounding force. The message explained how greatly the Americans were outnumbered and many Americans would be killed if they did not surrender. After receiving the message Brigadier General McAuliffe said a brief but a meaningful reply �Aw, nuts�. Joseph Harper delivered this message to the Germans. Germans unfamiliar with American slang asked what it meant. He told the Germans it meant they could all go to Hell. Because the Americans were surrounded the only way they could get supplies was by airdrops. However because the weather was bad, the planes could not fly. The Americans had to survive the best they could until the weather finally cleared up. The Americans at Bastogne were relieved when the U.S. 7th Corps moved down and enlarged the U.S. Line. This allowed Patton�s 3rd Army to counterattack the Germans surrounding Bastogne. Bastogne was not out of danger however, and on December 29th troops from the 101st airborne division left Bastogne to fight the Germans. At this time the weather had cleared up which allowed Allied air support for the first time.
The allies launched a counter offensive two days before the New Year. This counter offensive involved the U.S. 3rd Army striking to the North while the U.S. 1st Army pushed to the south. They were supposed to meet at the village of Houffalize to trap all German forces. The Germans put up a fierce fight though. Day after day, soldiers fought in the snow. Newspapers were put under clothes to keep the soldiers warm.
On January 1st, Hitler launched a plan called �The Great Blow�. The goal of this plan was to eliminate allied air power. At 8 A.M. German fighter planes swarmed over Belgium, Holland and Northern France. For more than two hours Allied airfields were bombarded. By 10 A.M. more than 200 aircraft and many bases were in ruins. Hitler�s plan had a great deal of damage. However, the German losses were more devastating. The German air force had lost 300 planes and 250 pilots.
On January 8th, Hitler ordered his troops to withdraw from the tip of the bulge. This indicated that he had realized his offensive had failed. By January 16th, the 3rd and the 1st U.S. armies had joined at Houfflaize. The allies now controlled the original front. On January 23rd, Saint Vith was retaken. Finally, on January 28th the Battle of the Bulge was officially over.
Bibliography
Books:
100 Decisive Battles from Ancient Times to Present by Paul K. Davis
Oxford Publishing 1999
Reference Websites:
http://www.ehistory.com/world/library/books/wwii/army/bulge/0000.cfm
http://ardennes44.free.fr/page40.html
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/7-8/7-8_CONT.HTM
http://users.skynet.be/bulgecriba/battlebul.htm
http://www.mm.com/user/jpk/battle.htm
http://members.aol.com/dadswar/bulge/
Pictures:
http://ardennes44.free.fr
http://www.encarta.com
Maps:
http://www.ehistory.com/world/library/books/wwii/army/bulge/0042.cfm