On this Day – 16 Dec 1944 - Battle of the Bulge In December 1944, the end of World War II in Europe seemed close at hand, and Allied forces raced to the German frontier. But when a massive German counteroffensive began in the snowy Ardennes forest, it led to a bloody standstill. The Battle of the Bulge was Germanys last-ditch attempt to halt the Allied drive on Berlin, and a dismal reminder that the war would not end easily, or soon. The Battle of the Bulge was key engagement of World War II which lasted from December 16, 1944 until January 25, 1945 Allies • General Dwight D. Eisenhower • General Omar Bradley • Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery • 830,000 men • 424 tanks/armored vehicles & 394 guns Germany • Field Marshal Walter Model • Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt • General Sepp Dietrich • General Hasso von Manteuffel • 500,000 men • 500 tanks/armored vehicles & 1,900 guns Battle of the Bulge - Background: With the situation on the Western Front rapidly deteriorating in the fall of 1944, Adolf Hitler issued a directive for an offensive designed to stabilize the situation. His ultimate goal was to compel the United States and Britain to sign a separate peace so that Germany could focus its efforts against the Soviets in the East. Going to work, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Army High Command, OKW) developed several plans including one that called for a blitzkrieg-style attack through the thinly defended Ardennes, similar to the assault conducted during the 1940 Battle of France. In the center, the assault would be made by General Hasso von Manteuffels 5th Panzer Army, with the goal of taking Brussels, while General Erich Brandenbergers 7th Army would advance in the south with orders to protect the flank. Operating under radio silence and taking advantage of poor weather which hampered Allied scouting efforts, the Germans moved the necessary forces into place. Running low on fuel, a key element of the plan was the successful capture of Allied fuel depots as the Germans lacked sufficient fuel reserves to reach Antwerp under normal combat conditions. To support the offensive, a special unit led by Otto Skorzeny was formed to infiltrate the Allied lines dressed as American soldiers. Their mission was to spread confusion and disrupt Allied troop movements. On the Allied side, the high command, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, was essentially blind to German movements. Believing the Ardennes to be a quiet sector, it was used as a recovery and training area for units that had seen heavy action or were inexperienced. In addition, most indications were that the Germans were preparing for a defensive campaign. Battle of the Bulge - The Attack Begins: Commencing at 5:30 AM on December 16, 1944, the German offensive opened with a heavy barrage on the 6th Panzer Armys front. Pushing forward, Deitrichs men attacked American positions on Elsenborn Ridge and Losheim Gap in an attempt to break through to Liège. Meeting heavy resistance from the 2nd and 99th Infantry Divisions, he was forced to commit his tanks to the battle. In the center, von Manteuffels troops opened a gap through the 28th and 106th Infantry Divisions, capturing two US regiments in the process and increasing pressure on the town of St. Vith. Meeting increasing resistance, 5th Panzer Armys advance was slowed allowing the 101st Airborne to deploy by truck to the vital crossroads town of Bastogne. Fighting in snowstorms, the foul weather prevented Allied air power from dominating the battlefield. In the south, Brandenbergers infantry was essentially stopped by the US VIII Corps after a four-mile advance. On December 17, Eisenhower and his commanders concluded that the attack was an all-out offensive rather than a local assault and began rushing reinforcements to the area. At 3:00 AM on December 17, Colonel Friedrich August von der Heydte dropped with a German airborne force with the goal of capturing crossroads near Malmedy. Flying through foul weather, von der Heydtes command was scattered during the drop and forced to fight as guerillas for the remainder of the battle. Later that day, members of Colonel Joachim Peipers Kampfgruppe Peiper captured and executed around 150 American POWs near Malmedy. One of the spearheads of 6th Panzer Armys attack, Peipers men captured Stavelot the next day before pressing onto Stoumont. Encountering heavy resistance at Stoumont, Peiper became cut off when American troops retook Stavelot on December 19. After attempting to break through to German lines, Peipers men, out of fuel, were forced to abandon their vehicles and fight on foot. To the south, American troops under Brigadier General Bruce Clarke fought a critical holding action at St. Vith. Forced to fall back on the 21st, they were soon driven from their new lines by the 5th Panzer Army. This collapse led to the encirclement of the 101st Airborne and the 10th Armored Divisions Combat Command B at Bastogne. Battle of the Bulge - The Allies Respond: As the situation was developing at St. Vith and Bastogne, Eisenhower met with his commanders at Verdun on December 19. Seeing the German attack as an opportunity to destroy their forces in the open, he began issuing instructions for counterattacks. Turning to Lieutenant General George Patton, he asked how long it would take for Third Army to shift its advance north. Having anticipated this request, Patton had already begun issuing orders to this end and replied 48 hours. At Bastogne, the defenders beat off numerous German assaults while fighting in bitter cold weather. Short on supplies and ammunition, the 101sts commander, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe rebuffed a German demand to surrender with the famed reply Nuts! As the Germans were attacking at Bastogne, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery was shifting forces to hold the Germans at the Meuse. With Allied resistance increasing, clearing weather allowing Allied fighter-bombers to enter the battle, and dwindling fuel supplies, the German offensive began to sputter and the farthest advance was halted 10 miles short of the Meuse on December 24. With Allied counterattacks increasing and lacking fuel and ammunition, von Manteuffel asked for permission to withdraw on December 24. This was flatly denied by Hitler. Having completed their turn north, Pattons men broke through to Bastogne on December 26. Ordering Patton to press north in early January, Eisenhower directed Montgomery to attack south with the goal meeting at Houffalize and trapping German forces. While these attacks were successful, delays on Montgomerys part allowed many of the Germans to escape, though they were forced to abandon their equipment and vehicles. In effort to keep the campaign going, a major offensive was launched by the Luftwaffe on January 1, while a second German ground offensive began in Alsace. Falling back the Moder River, the US 7th Army was able to contain and halt this attack. By January 25, German offensive operations ceased. Battle of the Bulge – Aftermath During the Battle of the Bulge, 20,876 Allied soldiers were killed, while another 42,893 were wounded and 23,554 captured/missing. German losses numbered 15,652 killed, 41,600 wounded, and 27,582 captured/missing. Defeated in the campaign, German offensive capability in the West was destroyed and by early February the lines returned to their December 16 location.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 19:00:01 +0000
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