The Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) In late 1944, in the wake of the allied forces successful D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, it seemed as if the Second World War was all but over. But on December 16, 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 Hitlers 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 great adversity. Nevertheless, the quality of his response ultimately meant the victory of freedom over tyranny. Battle of the Bulge Timeline 11 Dec 1944 Adolf Hitler held a meeting with top German military commanders at the Adlerhorst headquarters in Wetterau, Germany, stressing the importance of the upcoming Ardennes Offensive. 16 Dec 1944 German troops launched Operation Wacht am Rhein, crossing the German border toward Belgium, opening the Battle of the Bulge. 17 Dec 1944 150 prisoners of war of US 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion were massacred by Waffen-SS forces at Malmédy, Belgium. Only 43 survived. 18 Dec 1944 The German offensive in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium began to stall after Americans began to fight back. 19 Dec 1944 Germans captured 9,000 surrounded US troops in the Schnee Eifel region on the Belgian-German border. Meanwhile, the US 101st Airborne of the Allied reserves and 10th Armored Divisions of the US Third Army were sent to Bastogne to hold the vital road junction in Belgium. 20 Dec 1944 Armored elements of German 6.SS-Panzerarmee captured Stavelot, Belgium, capturing the US fuel supply stored there for their own use. 21 Dec 1944 US forces captured Stavelot, Belgium, while the Germans surrounded Bastogne and captured St. Vith. 22 Dec 1944 In Bastogne, Belgium, the German surrender demand is rebuffed by General McAuliffe with the famous response Nuts!; meanwhile, the US Third Army shifted its axis of advance in attempt to relieve Bastogne. In Germany, Rundstedt suggested a tactical withdrawal, but the suggestion was refused by Hitler. 25 Dec 1944 US 2nd Armored Division, with British help, stopped German 2.Panzer Division just 4 miles from the Meuse River in Belgium. 26 Dec 1944 US Third Army under George Patton relieved the besieged city of Bastogne, Belgium. 27 Dec 1944 US troops began pushing German troops back in the Ardennes region, thus ending the German offensive. 28 Dec 1944 American troops began gaining ground in their counteroffensive in the Battle of the Bulge. Adolf Hitler ordered renewed offensives in Alsace and Ardennes regions against the advice of his generals. 30 Dec 1944 Germans again attacked in the Bastogne corridor in Belgium. Meanwhile, British troops attacked Houffalize, Belgium, but they were stopped by fierce German defense. 31 Dec 1944 US troops re-captured Rochefort, Belgium, while the US Third Army began an offensive from Bastogne. 1 Jan 1945 German troops began a withdrawal from the Ardennes Forest in the Belgian-German border region. Meanwhile, in retaliation for the Malmedy massacre, US troops massacred 30 SS prisoners at Chenogne, Belgium. In the air, the German Luftwaffe launched Unternehmen Bodenplatte, which consisted of 800 aircraft conducting low-level strikes against snow-bound Allied airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium. They destroyed 220 aircraft, mainly on the ground, but lost 188 aircraft of their own, as well as many experienced pilots who could not be replaced. This operation failed to achieve its goal of wiping out Allied air power based in the region. 3 Jan 1945 US First Army launched an attack on the northern flank of the Ardennes bulge in Belgium. Meanwhile, 1,100 Allied bombers, escorted by 11 fighter groups, bombed railroad and communications centers in western Germany. 5 Jan 1945 The German attack on Bastogne, Belgium was called off. 9 Jan 1945 US Third Army attacked towards Houffalize, Belgium, on the southern flank of the Ardennes bulge. 11 Jan 1945 British forces captured La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium, northwest of Bastogne. 12 Jan 1945 The Operation Nordwind offensive into France was finally stopped just 13 miles from Strasbourg. In Belgium, north of Bastogne, US and British forces linked up near La Roche-en-Ardenne. 13 Jan 1945 US First Army attacked near Stavelot and Malmédy in Belgium. 16 Jan 1945 US First and Third Armies linked up near Houffalize, Belgium, while British Second Army attacked near Maas River. The Germans were pushed back to the line prior to the launch of the Ardennes Offensive. 28 Jan 1945 The Ardennes bulge was finally pushed back to its original lines, thus ending the Battle of the Bulge.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:15:14 +0000
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