In December 1944, Hitler his Nazi forces were doing what they could to win WWII.
December 16th, 1944
On this snowy, dreary day, the Nazi forces launched a counter-offensive in a last ditch effort to try and defeat the Allied invasion. Sending more than 200,000 troops and nearly 1,000 tanks to the western front, they drove a wedge into the Allied forces. This attack created a bulge in the Allied forces, thus the title Battle of the Bulge.
The battle took place in the Ardennes Forest, 75 miles of dense woods where four battle-worn American forces were resting. Hitler’s plan would divide the Allied troops, making them easier to combat and thus ensuring a win.
In below freezing temperatures, Allied and German troops fought hand to hand in the forest, with the Germans gaining the upper hand. Nazi troops disguised as Americans were parachuted behind enemy lines to infiltrate and capture crucial roads and bridges.
But General Dwight D. Eisenhower rushed reinforcements in, not willing to give in to Hitler’s advancements.
American soldiers were often left without communication, without knowing where the tide was turning. Fighting in extreme weather, these soldiers did their jobs amidst the isolation from other Allied forces.
Burning gasoline stockpiles to slow the German tanks, American soldiers also interrogated each other to find the infiltrated Nazi spies.
For six weeks, the Americans fought and died defending their positions, although weak, sick or injured.
Of the some 500,000 Americans that fought in the Battle of the Bulge, around 20,000 were killed in action, 47,500 wounded, and over 23,000 missing in action. It is the largest Army loss to date.
For more information on the Ardennes Campaign, click here.
