The Battle of the Bulge

In late 1944, the roughly 120 kilometer frontline in The Ardennes was guarded by four US Infantry Divisions and two cavalry units, which another infantry division and an armoured division in reserve. The Ardennes front was considered a quiet one and subsequently most American units were either green or had been badly mauled in the Hurtgen Forest a few weeks before. On 16 December 1944, the German Army launched twelve Infantry Divisions and five Panzer Divisions against them. Their goal was to break through the Ardennes, as the German had done before in 1914 and in 1940, and recapture Antwerp. This would trap the British and Canadian armies. Hitler hoped that this would force a surrender by the British, which in turn would convince the Americans to make peace with Germany and withdraw from Europe. Though initially successful, the Americans quickly recuperated from the initial shock. Fighting a delaying fight where possible, they bought time for other American and allied units to come in to successfully stop and beat back the German race for the Meuse and beyond. Before the battle ended by 28 January 1945, no less than 29 German, 31 American and three British divisions would become involved, totalling almost 1.5 million men, of which an estimated 155,000 to 190,000 became casualties. The Battle of the Bulge became and the largest and toughest land battle the US Armed Forces fought in their history, a ‘record’ that still stands today.