World War II: Battle of the Bulge

World War II: Battle of the Bulge. Belgium and Luxembourg, Dec. 16, 1944 - Jan. 25, 1945. , At dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, three powerful German armies plunged headlong into the rugged hills and dense forests of the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg. Sheltered from Allied air attacks by dense fog and bad weather, they attacked the weakest part of the American line along a 6, mile front. Bidding for an eleventh-hour victory, their bold plan was to capture Antwerp on the North Sea, split the Allies, and force a negotiated peace on the Western Front., The Germans achieved complete surprise. Although initially overrun by superior numbers tenacious American resistance slowed and eventually stopped the German advance. By blowing up bridges and destroying crucial fuel supplies, they denied the enemy key road junctions and upset their timetable while buying time for reinforcements to arrive., Major towns like St. Vith and Bastogne with their important road networks were scenes of violent fighting. Cut off and surrounded, both towns were islands of resistance, slowing the German advance westward. During the siege of Bastogne, one of the most famous incidents of World War II occurred. Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, commanding the troops within the Bastogne perimeter was sent a demand to surrender or be annihilated. He replied with one word: nuts., The Tide Turns , Dec. 25, Christmas Day, brought clearing skies. Allied Air Forces welcomed this special gift and returned to pound enemy railyards and supply points as well as enemy tanks and ground forces., By Dec. 26, after penetrating as far as Celles, creating a bulge of some 60 miles into Allied territory, the German ground advance ground to a halt. By now out of gas, they found themselves on the defensive. Fighting in bitter cold and deep snow, American and Allied forces counterattacked along the entire perimeter of the bulge in an all-out effort to regain lost ground. By Jan. 25, 1945, 41 days after the start of the battle, most of the original line was restored. The decimated enemy had lost its gamble and was fighting a stubborn rear guard action back to Germany., The Ardennes Campaign was crucial to winning the war in Europe. American and Allied Forces had met and defeated an equally large number of the enemy, both in the air and on the ground. Germany’s last great offensive had failed. The road now led to total victory and Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945., Soldiers , More than 1,000,000 men participated in total, including: 500,000 Germans , 600,000 Americans , 55,000 British with Canadian, Belgian, and French contingents, Casualties , (Killed, wounded, and missing) 100,000 Germans, including 24,000 killed , 81,000 Americans, including 19,000 killed , 1,400 British, including 200 killed, Equipment , 800 tanks on both sides , 900 aircraft on both sides