Tuesday, December 16, 2014 This Day In American History On December 16, 1944, during World War II multiple German Armored divisions launched a daring early morning attack on Allied lines in the sparsely defended Ardennes Forest. With the Allies closing in on Germany from all directions, Hitler ordered one last massive counter-attack. The attack would come in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium, a heavily wooded area that was barely defended because it was thought that armor would not be able to operate in the woodland. The Allied men that were positioned in the Ardennes were veterans in need of a good rest and green troops who had never seen action. This essentially created a perfect storm which struck on December 16. Near total surprise was achieved and the allies were driven back nearly 60 miles creating a gigantic bulge in the line (hence the name). Hitlers final gamble seemed to be paying off in the first few days of the attack, as fog and mist covered their advance and hindered the Allies air superiority. Although they had been driven back and bloodied by the Germans startling attack, allied troops still managed to put up fierce resistance, particularly around the town of Bastogne, where the 101st Airborne was completely encircled by the Germans. When informed of the situation by the Germans and asked to surrender, General Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st, offered them a one word reply, Nuts! These men would eventually be relieved by the men of General George Pattons 3rd Army, who were part of a series of Allied counterattacks designed to reduce the bulge. By late January 1945, the Germans had been pushed back to their original line, after losing 120,000 men.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:32:43 +0000