Battle of the Bulge – October 1944

When Americans captured the first German town, Aachen in October 1944, Germans responded with a desperate last offensive. Hitler ordered troops to break through allied lines and to recapture the Belgian port of Antwerp. This hopefully would disrupt the enemy’s supply lines. Though the Germans were well within striking distance, winter soon unleashed a harsh fury and their continued efforts were further hampered. By December, General George S. Patton was determined to push his troops through Bastogne, Belgium within a 24-hour time period – a feat doubted by most. Germany’s Panzer division, intending to siege Antwerp, was halted. On December 16, under cover of fog, eight German tank divisions broke through weak American defenses along an 80-mile front. Hitler hoped that victory would split American and British forces and disrupt supply lines. Tanks drove 60 miles into allied territory, creating a bulge in the lines that gave this offensive it’s nickname. As the Germans advanced they captured 120 American troops. German elite troops, the SS, herded prisoners into a field and mowed them down with machine guns and pistols. The battle raged for a month. With the air power assistance, the Allies were able to push the Germans back to their own lines. When it was over, the Germans had been pushed back, and little seemed to have changed. But in fact, events had taken a decisive turn. Germans had lost 120,000 troops, 600 tanks and assault guns, and 1600 planes – soldiers and weapons they could not replace. After that the Germans could only retreat.