Battle of the Bulge
Two weather conditions that gave Hitler an advantage
-Low clouds and fog so that the Allies could not use their good airforce -Hard ground suitable for the movement of trucks and Hitlers envisioned armored attack
German Casualties
100,000 men (killed and wounded but numbers are hard to estimate)
Americans Killed
19,000 men
How many American troops in it?
600,000
How did the Germans begin the battle?
A two hour bombardment of the Allied lines followed by a huge armored offensive
Where?
Ardennes Forest
Patton's 3rd Army
Armored division that finally came to the rescue of the warriors holding off the Germans near Bastogne
Bastogne
Belgian city that was surrounded by Germans in the middle of the Bulge
Fighters
Canadians, British, US VS Germany
What was the weather like in the long battle?
Cold, foggy and rainy; difficult for soldiers on foot
When?
December 16, 1944
Malmedy Massacre
German SS soldiers slaughtered about 100 Americans soldiers near Malmedy, Belgium during the Bulge
Questionable Strategy
Germany had been in retreat since D-Day and their military was depleted of supplies while facing the might of the Allies at the same time
Easy Company at the Bulge
Held out against the Germans for weeks in the Ardennes outside of Bastogne
What was the significance of this battle?
It was the last huge German offensive which showed that the Germans were truly defeated
Could Germany have won?
NO
Battling Bastards of Bastogne
Name given the men who held off the Germans during the Bulge
Purpose
Primarily American forces were attacked because Hitler thought that the alliances in Western Europe were weak and they could easily be broken apart by an attack and defeated by the Germans
Nuts!
Response from American General Anthony McAuliffe when asked by Germany to surrender at Bastogne.
Another Name for the Bulge
The Ardennes Offensive
Why was it called "Battle of the Bulge"
The German attack created a 60 mile bulge in the allied front lines
What happened mid January 1945
The Germans lacked fuel and had to walk back to Germany on foot
What was wrong with the German position after December 18th?
They were in a position of stalemate after advancing 60 miles and faced the possibility of being surrounded