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Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge. Hitler’s Gamble. Where were we?. By December 1944: The Soviets had pushed to the German border on the Eastern Front. The Allies were threatening Germany from the south by fighting in Italy.

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Battle of the Bulge

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  1. Battle of the Bulge Hitler’s Gamble

  2. Where were we? • By December 1944: • The Soviets had pushed to the German border on the Eastern Front. • The Allies were threatening Germany from the south by fighting in Italy. • The Allies had invaded France on D-Day and had liberated Paris and much of France and Belgium. They had also attempted and failed to capture strategic bridges in Holland in Operation Market Garden preventing the war from ending in 1944. • The Allies were threatening Germany from all sides.

  3. I. Hitler’s Plan • Hitler wanted to launch a surprise counter-offensive on the Western Front • Was hoping to buy Germany some more time and possibly convince the Soviets to make peace • 4 German armies gathered outside the Ardennes Forest (Belgium) • German Goals: • break through Allied lines • capture Antwerp (key Allied port in Belgium) • cut off 4 British armies in North from rest of Allies

  4. For success, Germans needed: • Complete surprise • Poor weather • Rapid movement • Capture Allied fuel dumps (or else the Germans would run out of fuel) "It must be done because this offensive is the last chance to conclude the war favorably.“ - German Field Marshall Walter Model

  5. II. “Ghost Front” • Allies considered the Ardennes a quiet, non-threatening front • Intelligence suggested a German offensive was improbable • Divisions were sent there for a break from heavy fighting • Was a weak point in the Allied line

  6. III. Attack! • December 16, 1944 - Germans begin their attack through the Ardennes • Allies were pushed back in the center, but the Germans were slowed by snow and low fuel. • Fog and poor weather initially prevented air support for the Allies. U.S. POWs 101st Airborne picking up supplies

  7. December 19 - 101st Airborne trucked into Bastogne to secure key crossroads • They will defend the town, but Germans surround them until they are “rescued” by Patton on December 26 • Members of the 101st disagree with reports that they needed rescuing • German offensive was stopped cold in its tracks

  8. IV. Aftermath • Bloodiest battle for U.S. in WWII • Suffered between 89,500–108,000 casualties including 19,000 Americans killed • The British suffered 1400 casualties • Germans lost similar numbers, but they couldn’t recoup from their losses • Germany had no strategic reserve left • Luftwaffe was broken

  9. February 1945: Allies returned the lines to their December extent (border of Germany) Allies prepared to invade Germany

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