-
Allied Weakness
The Allied forces had been pushing and moving deep into the German lines quicker than had been predicted. Thus many of the Allied units were fatigued in conintous combat. These quick pushes into enemy held territory also weakened Allied supply lines. -
German Plan
The Peace Agreement between the Allies, America and Britian, would be on Germany's terms letting it come out on top. -
Period: to
German Plans
By the end of July, German commanders seeing the weakness in the Allied lines starts the create and finalize Operation Watch the Rhine to push the Allied forces back and to hopefully bring an end to the war on the Western Front so that Germany could get a peace agreement with Britain and American. Which would allow it to focus on the Eastern Front against Russia. Using radio silence and strict enforcement for people apart of it allowed the Germans to move supplies and troops for the Offensive. -
Operation Watch the Rhine
The Germans unleashed their Ardennes Offensive to split the Allied forces and destroy them in turn. The Ardennes Offensive is another name for the Battle of the Bulge where German forces invaded the Western front in the Ardennes forest and mountain range through out Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. About 75 miles of the Western Front. commons.wikimedia.org -
The Weather
Do to extremely poor weather the Allies could not use their superior air power to aid in the Battle of the Bulge. Because the weather was so poor it kept Allied planes from scouting out German positions and gathering intel to not aiding the fighting during the battle. The weather aloud Germany to move its forces for the Offensive without tipping off the Allies on the Western Front. -
Period: to
Battle of the Bulge
German Commander Joachim Peiper was in command of the German defensive. During the Battle of the Bulge Eisenhower commanded and organized the American forces. Patton and his Third Army were instrumental in pushing the Germans back. -
Elsenborn Ridge
The Elsenborn Ridge was a key defensive position for the American forces in the region. The Germans were not able to dislodge the Americans. the Ridge helped to protect the cities of Liège and Spa in Belgium which were major Allied depots. Elements of the V Corps of the First U.S. Army were the units stationed/defended the Ridge. -
Malmedy Massacre
Joachim Peiper, a German commander, encounter elemenst of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. The Germans quickly defeated them taking many prisoners. Soon after Peiper order the prisoners killed. The prisoners were marched into a field and shot. -
Joachim Peiper
German Commander Joachim Peiper was the leading officer in the Battle of the Bugle. He was in charge of the Ardennes Offensive and the units directly under his command were the units that pusged the farthest into Allied lines. -
German Advance Starts to Halt
The Germans were encountering heavy resistance this late into the battle. Also, the Germans were running out of fuel leading to retreat and/or bolder attacks. -
Siege of Bastogne
Bastogne was a key town becuase of the huge Allied depot there along with the network of roads that ran through it. Bastogne was defended by the 101st Airborne Division and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division. The American divisions stationed in the town were lead by General Anthony Clement McAuliffe.The town held out till reinforcements came in the form of George Patton and his Third Army defeating the Germans at Bastogne and causing the Germans to retreat. www.coachshotseat.com -
Battle for St. Vith
In the center the town of St. Vith was a vital road junction that the Germans need to capture. The defenders, led by the 7th Armored Division and including the remaining regiment of the 106th U.S. Infantry Division, with elements of the 9th Armored Division and 28th U.S. Infantry Division, all under the command of Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, successfully resisted the German attacks, significantly slowing the German advance. The Germans attacked directly and on the flanks causing a retreat. -
German Will
The Americans shelled Peiper and although the Germans had run out of food and had virtually no fuel, they continued to fight. -
The Meuse River bridges
To help stop and stall the German advance American units destroyed key bridges along the Meuse River causing a number of German units to retreat due to the lack of supplies. -
Reinforcements to Bastogne
US armored troops reached the beleaguered defenders of a vital road junction in the town of Bastogne. -
Start of the German Retreat
In the face of increasing Allied pressure, the Germans began to withdraw from the Ardennes region. -
Retaking of St. Vith
St. Vith recaptured by the Americans -
German Defensive
The Battle forever ended German Offensives on the Western Front and gives the momentum to the Allied forces for the rest of the war. The Germans were on the defensive for the rest of the war. Which ensures that Germany would fall and that it would just be a matter of time and lives. The Allies would not face any difficult resistance till from Germany till Allied forces were deep in Germany. -
Germans loses ground
By the end of January, American divisions had regained all territory lost. The German forces lost all gains that they had made by the end of January. Thus ending the last German offensive on the Western Front. -
Casualties of War
Allied- A total of 81,000 American casualties.
Axis- A total of 100,000 German casualties. -
Western Front
With the end of German offensive and clear Allied power in the Western Front it helped to bring an end to World War 2. Also, the German losses in the battle were critical in several respects: the last of the German reserves were now gone, the Luftwaffe had been shattered and the remaining German forces in the West were being pushed back to the defenses of the Siegfried Line. urbangrounds.com
