-
The Battle Begins
In December 1944, the Germans exploited the thinly defended Ardennes Forest front, where the Allies had withdrawn battle divisions for rest. Maneuvering tanks and artillery under cover of darkness, they launched a surprise offensive on December 16th, aiming to break through, capture Antwerp, and split the Allied forces. -
The Malmedy Massacre
In the early days of the Battle of the Bulge, German forces, advanced rapidly, capturing key towns and causing chaos among the unprepared Allied forces. On December 17, 1944, they seized Malmedy and executed 84 of the 113 captured U.S. troops from the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. -
Germans Siege Bastogne
After the Malmedy Massacre, improved weather allowed Allied air forces to target German supply lines and ground troops to strengthen defenses. Despite this, German forces surrounded Bastogne, a critical road junction, on December 22, 1944, trapping the 101st Airborne and creating the "bulge" in the front line. -
Allied Reinforcements Arrive
For the first nine days of the battle, foggy winter weather slowed down Allied air support. On Christmas Day, improved conditions allowed Allied air forces to conduct supply drops and bomb German positions, boosting the morale and resolve of American troops holding out in Bastogne. -
German Lines are Broken
On Christmas Day, General Patton's Fourth Armored Division undertook a 19-hour, 150-mile journey to relieve the surrounded 101st Airborne in Bastogne, launching their assault immediately upon arrival and breaking the siege within 24 hours with the help of Patton’s Third Army reinforcements. Despite this significant Allied victory, Hitler ordered renewed offensives along the front, demanding no retreat from his forces. -
Germans Launch Operation Bodenplatte
Improved weather, aerial support, and troop reinforcements enabled the Allies to launch a coordinated offensive against the Germans. However, on January 1, 1945, the Germans initiated Operation Bodenplatte, successfully bombing Allied airfields to regain air superiority, but the Allies replaced the destroyed planes within a week. -
Germans Begin Withdrawal
The Allied offensives gained momentum as Hitler halted supply chains and reinforcements for the German troops. Consequently, the Germans began a slow, calculated withdrawal from the region. -
The Allied Armies Reconnect
On January 16, 1945, the US First and Third Armies, along with the British Second Army, reunited for the first time since the battle began. They successfully attacked the Germans near the Maas River, driving them further back. -
The Allies Win
By January 25, 1945, the Germans were pushed out of the region, restoring the frontline to its pre-battle position, though with heavy losses on both sides, including 19,000 U.S. soldiers killed and 100,000 German casualties. The Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s last major offensive in World War II, was won by the Allies due to their courage and resilience.