There is an old documentary where they interview a German officer. He states that he had three armoured cars and 9 men in his group, and he was tasked with routiing the enemy from 5 towns in advance of the main thrust. One of those towns was Bastogne. He also said that he didn't listen to new officers coming in to his unit, because he and the other old veterans knew they would be dead in days. He was 21 at the time.
Battle of the Bulge - 16 December 1944
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We Signal Corps Dispatch Riders, c,1950's 1960's still had those coats issued.
Very bulky and, like cold weather operations, it takes you 4 or 5 times longer to perform tasks.
However, we were young and invincible, impervious to cold, weren't we?
Very bulky and, like cold weather operations, it takes you 4 or 5 times longer to perform tasks.
However, we were young and invincible, impervious to cold, weren't we?
Should be made into a poster and hung at every high school. It's a cryin' shame what we've turned this latest generation into.
"We did not go light-heartedly to war and there was not one general who would not have advocated peace. The older officers, and many thousands of men, had been through the First World War. They knew what war would mean if it were not simply confined to a campaign against the Poles. There was every reason to fear that this would not be the case, since after the creation of the Bohemian Protectorate the British had guaranteed Poland's integrity. Each of us thought of the mothers and wives of our German soldiers and of the heavy sacrifices that they must be called upon to bear even if the outcome of the war were a successful one. Our own sons were on active service."
- Heinz Guderian - Panzer Leader
edit: and later on:
"They returned from this conference and reported to me: when they spread out a map of Russia before me I could scarcely believe my eyes. Was something which I had held to be utterly impossible now to become a fact? Hitler had criticised the leaders of German policy of 1914 in the strongest possible words for their failure to avoid a war on two fronts; was he now, on his own initiative and before the war with England had been decided, to open this second-front war against the Russians? All his soldiers had warned him repeatedly and urgently against this very error, and he had himself agreed with them. I made no attempt to conceal my disappointment and disgust."
Ardennes:
"Heavy congestion on the narrow, ice- bound roads, belated switching of the rearward, blocked units to Fifth Panzer Army's sector, and insufficiently rapid exploitation of initial success caused this army to lose mobility, that prime requisite for all large-scale operations. Since Seventh Army also ran into difficulties, parts of Manteuffel's armour had soon to be moved south to strengthen the threatened left flank. From that point on a break-through in the grand manner was no longer possible. Even by December 22nd it was plain that a less ambitious objective would have to be chosen. A sensible commander would on this day have remembered the looming dangers on the Eastern Front which could only be countered by a timely breaking-off of the operation in the West that was already, from the long view, a failure. However, not only Hitler, but also the OKW and particularly the Armed Forces Command Staff could, during these fateful days, think of nothing save their own Western Front. The whole tragedy of our military leadership was revealed once again towards the end of the war in this unsuccessful Ardennes Offensive."
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The Bulge. As stated a quick thrust in bad weather to reach the coast,200 miles away, cutting though 500,000 local Allies by 250,000 Axis. 5 million German gallons of gas available but about 2 million made it to the battle. And the north flank blitzed past 1 million US Army gallons at Stavelot, where it was really needed. As German army drove deeper it was checked much of the time by US Army blowing bridges over the many rivers encountered, or stubborn resistance by pockets of US soldiers. Patton braged he would be there in 48 hrs, but really took 5 days for his armor to break through German defenses. Some German soldiers achieved great victory like Sgt Barkmann, who took out 3 Shermans with his Panther, crushed an MP's jeep who had ordered him to halt. Sped past hundreds of soldiers untouched, then came to 9 Shermans in a row. He knocked out one, and the remaining crews abandoned their tanks for the woods.German Grenadeirs took care of the rest. Speeding deeper he found more Shermans parked unattended but drove on past, took out 3 more Shermans then hid in the woods. But other German soldiers surrendered without a fight. German airborne of 1,200 were dropped all over the front. 150 assembled at the highway north of Melmedy, as ordered, and did nothing while 3 US divisions rolled past for 3 days. The US army did rally quickly, and hundreds of Panzers ran out of gas.
Could the battle been a German victory? Yes with enough gas,but everyone agrees these 25 weak divisions would have been later crushed over time by the remaining US 75 divisions followed by 30 Brit/Canadian divisions, and 14,000 fighter bombers in the air.
In the 6 weeks, US Army 108,000 casualties, Brits 3,000, German army 100,000. However Battle of the Bulge was total American victory as they stopped a penetration of about 30 miles and no deeper than 70. Then pushed the enemy back beyond it's starting line. It was America's Battle, and they did well.
Could the battle been a German victory? Yes with enough gas,but everyone agrees these 25 weak divisions would have been later crushed over time by the remaining US 75 divisions followed by 30 Brit/Canadian divisions, and 14,000 fighter bombers in the air.
In the 6 weeks, US Army 108,000 casualties, Brits 3,000, German army 100,000. However Battle of the Bulge was total American victory as they stopped a penetration of about 30 miles and no deeper than 70. Then pushed the enemy back beyond it's starting line. It was America's Battle, and they did well.
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Agreed, and it was also Stalin's Battle, it allowed him to get to Berlin first, changing the nature of the postwar years. As you say, the Germans weren't likely to win the campaign, and they had already lost the war, it was just a matter of rearranging the inevitable.
highlander
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Not sure where you got this information on Patton, but's it's not correct.
The whole Battle of the Bulge only took 10 days, from 16 - 25 Dec. 1944.
When Patton's intelligence officer told him of the new German attack, Patton correctly deducted what the German's were attempting, and what the Allies would have to do to counter it. Based on this, Patton established 3 operational plans to cover likely counterattacks and had them ready to be implemented.
Patton was called to a meeting with Eisenhower, Bradley, and others on 19 Dec, at which time Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take him to counterattack. Patton advised him he could have his Army attacking in 48 hours, (by 21 Dec), as he already had the plans in place and his Army ready to deploy. Eisenhower ordered him to attack with at least 3 Divisions on 22 Dec.
Patton's 3rd Army engaged in the Battle of the Bulge on 22 Dec, and officially relieved Bastogne on 26 Dec 1944, a total of 5 days; not the 7 days you suggest just to break through the German lines.
Patton's action to disengage from fighting on one front, and then travel to and engage the enemy on another front, and in such a short period of time, was considered by military historians to be one of the most outstanding accomplishments of the entire war.
They aren't referred to as "The Greatest Generation" for nothing.
If the Germans had reached Antwerp, I suspect that the allies would have closed in behind them and bottled them up in Antwerp.
The pocketing of Germans was happening all along the Baltic coast by the Russians, Memel for example..
The pocketing of Germans was happening all along the Baltic coast by the Russians, Memel for example..
The stand of the 101st Airborne in encircled Bastogne and Patton's attack from the south to relieve Bastogne has captured a lot of the glory and publicity over the years, but the action of the US 2nd and 99th Divs in holding the northern shoulder of the bulge at Elsenborn Ridge and blunting the main German effort by Dietrich's Sixth Panzer Army is often overlooked.
The performance of the 7th Armored Div and the 10th Armored Div at Bastogne during the early phases of the fighting also proved to be critical by blunting the initial German penetrations while the bulge was being shaped and contained.
The initial US deployment in the Ardennes saw 4 Infantry Divisions and a Cavalry Group holding a front of 85 miles of broken terrain which was a hell of a risky proposition. The US Division that came out the worst was the green 106th Division which saw the mass surrender of 2 of its 3 regiments after they were penetrated and bypassed on the high terrain of the Schnee Eiffel.
The performance of the 7th Armored Div and the 10th Armored Div at Bastogne during the early phases of the fighting also proved to be critical by blunting the initial German penetrations while the bulge was being shaped and contained.
The initial US deployment in the Ardennes saw 4 Infantry Divisions and a Cavalry Group holding a front of 85 miles of broken terrain which was a hell of a risky proposition. The US Division that came out the worst was the green 106th Division which saw the mass surrender of 2 of its 3 regiments after they were penetrated and bypassed on the high terrain of the Schnee Eiffel.
RememberTheSomme
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You can only imagine the pucker factor for those 106th guys seeing the enemy maybe for the first time and the enemy being winter warfare clad SS panzer-grenadiers, armed to the teeth by the hundreds or thousands walking or many riding Panthers and Tigers emerging right in front of those untested troops when they are not expecting it. I can shudder at the thought, and I'm a veteran internet commando from way back lol.
My Grand Father commanded panzer grenadier unit there. He was already veteran of the Polish and Eastern Front campaigns as well as minor engagement with British in Normandy. He always said if not shortage of fuel the Ardennes offensive was the easiest he ever fought. Till he died in mid 80s he always spoke with high respect of British, Soviet and Polish soldiers he fought against. However when it came to what he faced in the Ardennes he always said I wish it was Americans we fought in Russia not the Russians then we would be in Vladivostok in 4 months.
One interesting fact about Ardennes offensive is the fact that time only 50% of their units spoke German and they still fought very well. My Grand Father said normal mix for many sections was 4 Germans, 1 or 2 Silesians or Pomeranians since in that part of Germany almost everyone was bilingual and 3 Poles and 1 Czech. Silesians and Pomeranians were needed for giving orders
One interesting fact about Ardennes offensive is the fact that time only 50% of their units spoke German and they still fought very well. My Grand Father said normal mix for many sections was 4 Germans, 1 or 2 Silesians or Pomeranians since in that part of Germany almost everyone was bilingual and 3 Poles and 1 Czech. Silesians and Pomeranians were needed for giving orders
I heard the same testimony from all the German veterans I spoke to (some survived Stalingrad), they didn't speak with much respect about the Americans.
Among others, my dad spoke with the highest respect about British and Canadian soldiers, and the least about the Americans and French.
First time he faced British Volley fire was in Dunkirk, he said it felt like they were surrounded by machineguns.
Americans always had the luxury of material means, none of the other combatants did. Something to be said for being economical with human life. Zhukov once told Eisenhower, we regard mine field casualties as just equivalent to what we would have lost to artillery.
Zhukov also had the "advantage" of "political battalions" that were often driven in front of the Soviet combat troops in order to "clear" minefields or force German troops to open machine gun fire on them, thus revealing their positions.
American troops with a few notable exceptions(Airborne, Rangers) didn't have a good reputation when you asked the enemy for an opinion. A few Canadian and British units has a similarly bad reputation but often more due to poor leadership than troop quality. A problem post war was American films and propaganda which seemed to portray that U.S. soldiers won WW2. If anyone "won WW2" it was the Soviet Union. Even in Normandy post war critics (American) of British/Canadian efforts fails to acknowledge that Commonwealth and British units face nearly 3/4 of the German armour in Normandy. The big American "breakout" from Normandy was greased with English and Canadian blood. Patton's relentless complaining about Monty "dragging his feet" in Normandy might have turned out different if he had faced the opposition that Monty had. I suspect the Germans would have handed Patton his ass.
Patton's well known shifting manoevre wouldn't be so impressive if the allies knew about the Bulge ahead of time (I'm thinking due to Ultra).
I seem to recall Montgomery saying something to the effect of "the less people know about the Bulge the better" which implied that they knew what was coming, at least on a higher level, but didn't warn local Allied units.
The Germans would've been better off hiding behind the Rhine with some of that armour--the rest being sent to fight the Russians IMHO
I seem to recall Montgomery saying something to the effect of "the less people know about the Bulge the better" which implied that they knew what was coming, at least on a higher level, but didn't warn local Allied units.
The Germans would've been better off hiding behind the Rhine with some of that armour--the rest being sent to fight the Russians IMHO
