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The Ardennes Offensive (called Unternehmen: Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine) by the German military, officially named the Battle of the Ardennes by the U.S. Army (and known to the general public as the Battle of the Bulge), started on December 16, 1944. Wacht am Rhein was supported by subordinate operations known as Bodenplatte, Greif, and Währung.
The goal of these operations as planned by the Germans was to split the British and American Allied line in half, capturing Antwerp and then proceeding to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis’s favor.
Most of the American casualties occurred within the first three days of battle, when two of the 106th Division’s three regiments were forced to surrender. In its entirety, the “Battle of the Bulge” was the most bloody of the comparatively few European battles American forces experienced in WWII, the 19,000 American dead unsurpassed by any other engagement. For the U.S. Army, the Battle of the Ardennes incorporated more American troops and engaged more enemy troops than any American conflict prior to WWII. Although the German objective was ultimately unrealised, the Allies’ own offensive timetable was set back by months. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as German survivors retreated to the defences of the Siegfried Line.
The Ardennes attack was planned in total secrecy in almost total radio silence. Even Ultra (the Allies’ reading of secret German radio messages) revealed nothing about the upcoming build-up and offensive. Moreover, the degree of surprise achieved was compounded by Allied overconfidence, preoccupation with their own offensive plans, poor aerial reconnaissance, and the relative lack of combat contact by the U.S. 1st Army. Allied intelligence failed completely to detect the upcoming offensive and almost complete surprise against a weak section of the Allies' line was achieved at a time of heavy overcast when the Allies' strong air forces would be grounded. The “bulge” refers to the salient the Germans initially put into the Allies' line of advance, as seen in maps presented in newspapers of the time.
For more information about escorted tours to Ardennes and the surrounding area, visit the Explorer Travel (ABTA C1953) battlefields website http://www.battlefieldexplorer.com
Tour the battlefield’s of Europe with war tours - free guide to battlefield tours of the first world war and second world war. featuring maps and details of the trenches and memorials in France and Belgium and Holland. Places to visit include Vimmy, the Somme, Verdun, Ypres salient -also known as ieper and wipers - Thiepval, Flanders field museum, details of accommodation, tourist information and how to get around with easy to use maps. .Great war places to see and visit. Links to other sites. battle of the bulge maps and guides, d-day beaches, arnhem Holland, a bridge too far. bastogne, la roche, ardennes, and December 1944 battle museum. Follow d-day beaches, Utah, Omaha, gold, Juno and sword. Includes details of the Sherwood foresters - Notts. and Derby Regiment from WW1, tour the battlefields of France & Belgium battlefields experience, war-tours and the-Somme
