Battle of the Ardennes

The Bataille of the Ardennes is the name given to the whole of military operations which proceeded in the the Belgian Ardennes and the north of the Grand-Duché of Luxembourg during the winter 1944 - 1945. The battle begins the December 16th 1944 with a surprised attack German, last German offensive during this war, to which one gave the name of “Offensive von Rundstedt”. Irony of the history, the old Marshal was opposite there: it estimated that the objective was too ambitious. The Anglo - American calls off it “Battle the Bulge” (Battle of Projecting) considering the shape of corner which the frontline had taken when the German penetration was stopped. The battle of the Ardennes finishes at the end of January 1945 after the Germans were rejected beyond their starting line.

Preliminary concepts

the division

division is the great tactical unit of reference for the military operations of the Second world war.

the division of Infanterie US (Div Inf) has a manpower of 14.000 men and a cartage of 1 400 vehicles. It includes/understands mainly Fantassin S armed with rifle S, Mitrailleuse S and Bazooka S, an about sixty anti-tank guns and a clean support of Artillerie of an about sixty Obusier S.

division US airborne (Div Abn) is a division of light infantry of 10 000 men being able to be airborne.

US armor-plated division (Div Bl) has a manpower of 11.000 men. She includes/understands 195 average Chars, 77 light tanks, of the armor-plated infantry and the units of support. American name is “Armored Division” while British Div Bl is called “Armoured Division”.

allied and German divisions have more or less equivalent means.

levels above division:

the Army corps is a great unit whose composition is not fixed. It includes/understands a command, a certain number of divisions (2 to 7) and units of support and Logistique.

the Army includes/understands a variable number of army corps. The Germans use the term Panzer Armee (Pz Armee) when the number of armor-plated divisions (Pz Div) affected is important.

the Group of armies includes/understands a certain number of armies (2 to 5).

On the Western face:

the allied groups of armies depend on the S.H.A.E.F. (staff of the Général Eisenhower) which also has air means.
the German groups of armies are under the orders of the Feldmarschall von Rundstedt. Following the defeat of Normandy, it had been replaced by Von Kluge, but this last, implied in the attack against Hitler, had committed suicide. Von Rundstedt was thus restored in its functions. This qualified officer forever be Nazi and was released in 1949. Its implication in the offensive of the Ardennes was reduced. The German supreme command (OKW), dependant on Hitler, treated directly with the commander of the Groupe of armies B, Feldmarschall Model, in charge of the offensive.

Situation of Allied at the beginning of December 1944

The Western face extended. After the failure of Arnhem, it follows initially a East-West line cutting the Netherlands into two and then a North-South line following very roughly the German border until in Suisse. Since the French ports, the lines of communication are long and Antwerp only has just been released. The Allies miss means but, not to make it possible the enemy to seize again itself, they must continue their offensive. To north, an attack comes to be launched to seize the stoppings of the Roer in order to prevent the Germans from starting possible floods. In the south, the 3rd Army of Patton prepares an offensive towards Frankfurt. To join together the means necessary, the face was dismantled in the Ardennes where four US divisions hold 120 km of face.

The device of the Allies includes/understands:

of the Zealand until the north of Maastricht: the 21e Group of armies (marshal Montgomery) with the 1st Canadian Army and 2nd British Army
of Maastricht to Saarbrucken: the 12th Group of armies (General Bradley) with north in the south: the 9th US Army (general Simpson), the 1st US Army (general Hodges) covering all Belgian Ardennes and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the 3rd Army US (general Patton)
of Saarbrucken at the Swiss border: the 6th Group of armies (general Towards) with the 7th US Army and the 1st French Army
in general reserve: six divisions, among which only the 82 {{E}} and 101 {{E}} Division Airborne with Rheims are available immediately.

On the whole, that represents 69 divisions.

Situation of the Germans at the beginning of December 1944

For the Germans, the lines of communication and the length of the faces were reduced; what makes it possible to gather the forces and to even constitute some reserves. The faces of Italy and Russia are stabilized. The mobilization of all the men between 16 and 60 years makes it possible to restore manpower. The defense of the fatherland seizes again moral those which are not resigned yet. Backs with the wall, the Germans agree the idea to fight without idea of retreat.

The military production of material is satisfactory. A news 6th S Panzer Armee even could be made up. However, it is necessary to act quickly because the allied strategic bombardments become worrying and the reserves while carburizing are reduced.

Four groups of armies are deployed vis-a-vis the Allies:

of the Zealand until Roermond: the Group of armies H;
of Roermond in the east of Luxembourg: the Group of armies B of the feldmarschall Model;
in the south: the Group of armies G;
in the extreme south: the Group of armies Oberrhein (the Rhine higher).

With the reserves, the total is of 74 divisions, that is to say a number equivalent to that of the Allies.

The German plan

At the end of September 1944, Hitler charges a staff restricted under control with the general Jodl to prepare an offensive in the Ardennes. This operation receives the name of “ Wacht amndt Rhein ” (Guard in the Rhine). Drastic measures are taken for the maintenance of the secrecy. The marshals von Rundstedt and Model are informed on October 24th. This last is faithful mode; it orders the Group of Armies B which will be in charge of the attack and of which the units will have north in the south the following objectives:

the 15th Army will fix the enemy in face
the 6th S Pz Armée (nine divisions) will be in charge of the principal effort. Lately constituted, it will be installation at the last moment. It will cross the Meuse in the south-west of Liege, will protect itself its northern side, will cut the allied forces of the north of their line of communication and will seize Antwerp.
5th Pz Armée (seven divisions) will cross the Meuse in the zone of Namur and will advance until Brussels to protect the southern side beyond the Meuse.
the 7th Army (eleven divisions) will attack to protect the southern side with the height from Arlon to the Meuse.

The operation will be supported by:

the parachuting of night in the north of Malmedy of the unit of the colonel von der Heydte charged to block the roads coming from north (Stösser Operation).
the infiltration in the Ardennes of the special unit of the colonel Skorzeny made up of German soldiers in American uniform speaking English and charged to create confusion in the American lines (Operation Greif).

The battle

Positions before the attack

6th Panzer Armée S counts nine divisions, 5th Panzer armed seven and the 7th army eleven

Saturday, December 16, 1944

As of 05:30, an important preparation of artillery is started. As of 06:00, German patrols of combat infiltrate between the American fulcrums in order to seize some required passages.

With 08:00, covered by the fog, the true German offensive starts:

With the 6th S Pz Armée

In north, the advance is quickly blocked, continuation, mainly, with the action of 2nd Div Inf US and with the reaction of American artillery.
In the south, the progression of the infantry is slowed down by the opening of the minefields and the resistance of the American fulcrums. The armoured tanks “trample” of impatience, especially the 1 {{Re}} S Pz Div which has 164 tanks including 45 “Bengal tiger” and 38 “Panther”. Its principal column is ordered by the young lieutenant-colonel S Peiper (29 years). End of the afternoon, tired by waiting, it voluntarily crosses a minefield by losing some armoured tanks, and continues its progression of night.

In front of 5th Pz Armée, four unhappy divisions of VIIIe Corps US deployed on a face of 120 km resist but they are attacked by largely higher forces.
More in the south, the 7th Army penetrates in Echternach but carries out only one opening of 5 km; 4th Div Inf US, firmly supported by artillery, manages to be maintained.

In end of the afternoon, Eisenhower and Bradley which is in meeting with Versailles, are informed of the attack. They do not measure yet the width of it. The bad weather prevents the air recognitions. Nevertheless, Bradley gives orders to 9th and the 3rd Army to send respectively 7th and 10th Div Bl towards the 1st Army. These units will begin their movement in the night.

Sunday, December 17, 1944

Towards 03:00, Junkers 52 release a thousand of Fallschirmjäger (German parachutists) under the command of the colonel von der Heydte on the plate of Fagnes in the north of Malmedy. Dispersion is extreme; the parcels with the heavy armament are seldom found. The action will be not very effective. Many men will be captured rather quickly. Not joined, the last will go to the Americans on December 23rd.

The men of the Skorzeny unit (German equipped and equipped with American) cut the phone lines and create confusion, especially in the US movements. They will not have however the hoped effect.

With the northern of the penetration, the Peiper column which already made many prisoners, seizes towards 07:00 a US deposit with Bullange and can fill the tank with fuel. It takes again then its progression towards the west. 7th Div Bl US which goes down towards Saint-Vith passes a few kilometers in front of the German column heading. With 12:30, Peiper captures, in Baugnez close to Malmedy, a hundred artillerists of the column of US Div. Those are gathered in a meadow but, towards 14:00, with the troops S which follow, an officer starts the slaughter of the prisoners. Several can flee and for some to even join their lines. The information of the “Massacre of Baugnez” will come from quickly to the US units which, instead of being terrorized, will especially think of avenging their comrades. The evening, the 1st S Pz Div rejects towards north the young person 99 Div Inf US and the Peiper column arrives in front of Stavelot.

With the center , subjected to the attack of 5th Pz Armée:

in Saint-Vith, the 106 Div Inf US made up of young recruits resists as it can. Almost encircled, it impatiently awaits the reinforcement of 7th Div Bl US whose first elements arrive towards 16:00. It should well be realized that the movement of Div Bl with more than 1000 vehicles whose tracked ones, under the conditions which one imagines, constitutes with him only a true operation.
In front of Clervaux, the 28e Div Inf US, ordered by general major Cota (famous since its action with Omaha Beach) is deployed on a broad face. They are veterans but they are attacked by forces five times higher. The fulcrums are encircled but they resist and slow down thus the German progression.

With the southern , the side of the German penetration is contained on the line Echternach - Diekirch.

In Rheims, towards 20:30, the 82e and 101e Div Abn receive their orders of movement and leave in the night.

On December 18th and 19th 1944

In north :

With the reinforcements which arrive, the commander of the 1st US Army organizes its line of defense of the area of Elsenborn towards south-west.

the 18, the Peiper column takes Stavelot but cannot seize a US deposit which is burnt with its approach. It engages in the steepsided valley of Amblève, takes Gleize and advances towards Stoumont. It is immobilized by an air attack, which makes it possible the US genius to blow up a bridge in front of the first tanks, obliging them to make half-turn. As of 19, US units whose 82e Div Abn celebrates it which has just arrived, stops it in Stoumont and tackles even its backs.

In the center :

In the area of Saint-Vith, isolated, two of the three regiments of the 106e Div Inf were made prisoners but 7th Div Bl firmly holds a position in the horseshoe shape. It obliges the Germans to adapt their plans and to engage prematurely of the reinforcements.

Of the north of Clervaux with Diekirch, the fulcrums of the 28e US Div fight until the extreme. The survivors of the two regiments north will exfiltreront themselves towards Saint-Vith and Bastogne where they will continue the combat.

has Bastogne, the 18 with 16:00, the grouping armor-plated B of 10th Div Bl US and an anti-tank battalion were spread. Starting from 22:30, coming from Rheims, the 101e Div Abn joined them. The following day, they will undergo the first serious attacks.

In the south :

the 109e Régiment of the 28e Div, ordered by colonel Rudder (the chief of the rangers of the Point of Hoc) carries out the retarding combat since Diekirch. It will hold until the arrival of the reinforcements.

With the allied high command :

19, Eisenhower (“Ike”) brings together the commanders of groups of armies and armies. It prescribes with Towards extending the face of its 6th Group of armies towards north in order to make it possible Patton to gather units for an attack on the southern side of the projecting one. It charges Bradley with acting in a way similar to north. These directives of the commander-in-chief will cause displacement of hundreds of thousands of men. When Ike requires of Patton the time which will be necessary for him to turn its army of the east towards north, this last answers promptly 3 days. This unrealistic time makes smile the generals present; especially Monty which envisaged 6 days for a similar operation coming from north. What they are unaware of, it is that before receiving the instructions of Ike, Patton already gave orders to prepare the movement. In spite of the frozen roads, the celerity of the 3rd Army will be surprising; the attack of Patton will take place in the 3 announced days!

On December 20th, 21st and 22nd 1944

Since 19 and until the 22, stopped time prevents any important action of aviation.

In north

Peiper is cut of its backs. In Stoumont, the 20 and the 21, the battle is wild. The night, there are combat body with body between the parachutists and the S. Peiper must be folded up on Gleize.

the 6th S Pz Armee is definitively stopped and the Americans even took again Stavelot.

In the center

has Saint-Vith, the Germans attack in force and take to the city the 21 worms midnight. 7th Div Bl is restored in the west but receives the order to be folded up. Its remarkable defense of Saint-Vith broke the German tide and especially made it possible the other American units to come to form the northern dam of the projecting one.

Between Saint-Vith and Bastogne, the 116e and 2nd Pz Div of 5th Pz Armee, after having awaited a fuelling, reach 22 respectively Hotton and Marche. They run up against the 84e US Div which gave an opinion there the day before.

In Bastogne, as of the 20, the “Panzer” German circumvent by north and the south. The night of the 21 to the 22, the city is completely encircled. The Germans carry out successively but unprofitably several attacks to seize this particularly important road junction. The place is defended by 18.000 Americans including/understanding the 101e Div Abn, an armor-plated grouping of 10th Div Bl, a battalion anti-tank devices, two artillery battalions and survivors of 9th Div Bl and 28e Div. The 101e Div is normally ordered by the Taylor general but it is in the United States. It is the general sergeant Anthony Mac Auliffe which takes over temporarily the duties. One entrusted to him the command of all the encircled units. Artillery officer, it uses in a remarkable way fire of the seven battalions of howitzers of which it lays out (five organics, two in reinforcement). The 22 with 12:00, the Germans require the rendering of the city under threat of destruction. The answer of MacAuliffe is firm and short: “Nuts” ( Version Yankee of the word of " Merde" in the direction " See elsewhere if I there suis").

In the south

the 22, Pz Lehr Div which sailed round Bastogne by the south, seizes Saint-Hubert.

More in the south

Since the 20, 4th Div Bl US was spread in the area of Arlon. The 22 with 06:00, without awaiting the arrival of all its units, Patton start its counter-attack for Bastogne.

With the allied high command

on December 20th, Eisenhower decides to entrust the temporary command of the US units north of projecting, that is to say the 9th Army and the 1st Army (except its VIIIe Corps), in Montgomery. Considering the situation, Ike judges that these forces escape from now on control from Bradley. It also considers that it is the best manner of obtaining a frank engagement of British XXXe Corps, only great reserve tactical available.

XXXe Corps indeed quickly goes towards the south in order to initially guarantee the safety of the passages on the Meuse.

the decision of “Ike” will be badly accommodated by Bradley and other American generals who do not appreciate the proud British marshal.

On December 23rd, 24th and 25th

As of the 23, time is cleared up and allied aviation passes to the attack. The 24, there are 5.000 allied exits against only 1.000 German exits.

In north

the allied line of defense is firmly installed.

the 24, before the paddle, Peiper, given up, makes jump its vehicles and exfiltre through wood. It leaves with Gleize its casualties and of the US prisoners. All its tanks are lost, the 1st S Pz Div is broken.

In the center

Bastogne undergoes violent attacks. The defenders, who have means of communication, guide the brought closer air raids. Each day, more than one hundred tons of provisioning (especially of the drugs and the artillery ammunition) are parachuted to them.

More in the west, the German armoured tanks progressed in perforated between Marche and Dining but with slowness because they lack fuel and undergo on their northern side the harassing of a British armor-plated brigade. The 24, 2nd Pz Div takes Those (8 km in the Dining east of ); the Meuse is in sight. Chance of name, opposite is celebrates it 2nd Div Bl US called “Hell one wheels” ( the hell on wheels ) reinforced by a British armor-plated brigade.

the Christmas Day, the opening reaches his extreme point; it will not go further. 2nd Div Bl US begins an operation out of clipper and, in the three days which follow, with the support of artillery and aviation, will put an end to the dream of 2nd Pz Div to reach the Meuse.

In the south

the units of Patton attack and 4th Div Bl pushes on the road Martelange - Bastogne. The 24, it is blocked to 10 km in the south of Bastogne and must carry out a overflow by the west. It will not be able to reach Bastogne for Christmas as hoped.

Sadness

the day before Christmas, a tragedy is achieved with Bande (common of Nassogne, to 10 km of Walk-in-Famenne). Charged by Himmler with missions with reprisals, Gestapo stops 35 men (from 16 to 32 years) and one by one cuts down them; only one manages to escape.

December 23rd, 24th and 25th, the town of Malmedy is bombarded, by error, allied planes. There are several hundreds of killed among the Belgian population and the American soldiers.

From December 26th to 31st 1944

Each day allied aviation makes thousands of exits. The 26, Saint-Vith regarded as a capital objective is completely destroyed. The German exits are less and less numerous; they seldom exceed a few hundreds.

On the northern edge of projecting the

Ten allied divisions are in line and two in reserve. British XXXe Corps can intervene in the near future and 6th Div Abn the U.K. arrived at Dining.

In Bastogne ,

the supplies by air continue. Several sailplanes land including one bringing a team of surgeons.

the 26 with 16:45, the avant-garde of 4th Div Bl US manages to carry out the junction. The corridor is extremely narrow and the combat will be rough to widen it.

the 27, a convoy of ambulances can evacuate casualties. The Taylor general joined his division. After having thanked and having congratulé MacAuliffe, it takes again the command.

the following days, hot ammunition, equipment, cigarettes and even, with a little delay, Christmas turkeys arrive at Bastogne.

With Those ,

2nd Pz Div, encircled by 2nd Div Bl US, leaves 1.500 prisoners and of many vehicles.

With the OKW ,

the 28, Hitler ends up admitting that Antwerp cannot be reached and changes the mission: to destroy the forces allied in the Ardennes.

the 30, the 5th army of von Manteuffel launches an important attack to try to cut the corridor towards Bastogne.

January 1945

January 1st, the Luftwaffe carries out a response conceived well and carried out by surprise; it is about the Opération Bodenplatte. Skimming the ground, German aviation attacks about thirty allied bases. According to certain sources, 800 planes are destroyed or damaged; 300 according to others, but not to worry the population, the allied services of information minimized the facts. Luftwaffe loses however in this raid 277 planes and much of its last senior pilots. It will not be any more able to fill its losses and to play a part in the end of the war. The Allies which almost did not lose pilots in this operation will replace the planes lost in two weeks.

The same day, benefitting from déforcement from the group from armies Towards, the Germans launch an attack of diversion to Alsace. That will not have however any repercussion in the Ardennes.

In this month of January 1945, the atmospheric conditions are terrible. In the Ardennes, there is much snow and the temperature is so low that it is necessary to make turn all the engines regularly so that oil does not freeze. It is under these conditions that on January 3rd the counter-attack of Montgomery starts. In fact, it is about the attack of VIIe US body of the Collins general who was raised on his positions by British XXXe Corps. It starts of the area of Hotton in direction of Houffalize. It will be supported on its line, starting from January 6th, by British units (Welsh Div and 6th Abn Div). The junction with the counter-attack of Patton which began 12 days earlier is envisaged in the area of Houffalize. The operations are slow because the days are short and the Germans cut off themselves well behind anti-tank guns and many minefields. The junction will take place on January 16th. To the same date, British XXXe Corps turns over towards the face of Holland.

January 17th, the 1st US army is replaced under the command of Bradley but the 9th remainder under that of Montgomery.

The German supreme Command (OKW) orders the fold because, after three months of stop, the Soviet took again the offensive.

January 24th, Saint-Vith is taken again and the 30, the Germans are rejected beyond their starting line.

Consequences and conclusions

While recognizing the precariousness of the a posteriori , the military historians estimate that the Americans made two errors:

on the plan of the information, in spite of the remarkable secrecy of the German plan, the Allies had information which should have warned them but they sometimes were unaware of them, sometimes badly interpreted;
on the plan of the device, the deployment in the Ardennes constituted a famous gamble.

As for the Germans who had been a success striking down on the same ground in May 1940, they did not hold account (Hitler, at least) conditions which had changed:

one winter rigorous replaced one radiant spring;
air supremacy changed camp;
the coordination tank-artillery-aviation of the Blitzkrieg does not exist any more;
the supply, particularly while carburizing, is not assured;
the command and the troops German and unfavourable are very different.

The battle of the Ardennes will have major military consequences for the Germans since they will lose their best units there. It will have also important political consequences because while attacking on the Western face, Hitler made the play of Stalin. The Red Army will be able thus to cross the Oder quickly and to reach Elba with the continuations which one knows.

The winner of the Battle of the Ardennes, it is the Eisenhower general who, again, assumed with competence the enormous responsibilities which were entrusted to him. The true hero remains nevertheless the American soldier who, under extremely difficult conditions, fulfilled his mission with courage and the consequence, for much of them, to lose the life there. To testify their recognition, the Belgians set up in Bastogne an enormous monument on the hill of the city called Mardasson. In the middle of this memorial, one can read the Latin sentence “ Populus belgicus memor liberatoribus americanis ” (the Belgian people remember its American liberators). The July 16th 1950, during the inauguration, the president of the ceremony added: “This inscription in the stone Can, the being also in the memories”.

Areas concerned

Surroundings of Bastogne, Clervaux, Diekirch, Ettelbruck, Houffalize, Malmedy, Rochefort, Stavelot, Saint-Vith, Vianden, Wiltz…

Human account

The losses vary according to the sources.

According to the SHAEF, the losses American would be of 75.685 men including 10.733 killed. It is however certain that the losses were higher than those of the unloading of Normandy (10.000 including 2.500 killed).

According to the OKW, the Germans would have lost 110.000 men by taking account of the fact that they left more than 28.000 prisoners.

Another source gives the following figures:

Museums

Ettelbrück the Patton Town : General Patton Memorial Museum
Diekirch: Military National museum of History, section “Battles of the Ardennes”
Gleize: December Museum 44 . One of the most beautiful collections of Europe. Presence of the Bengal tiger 213 given up by Joachim Peiper.
Bastogne: Bastogne Historical Center .

See too

American military Cemetery of Neuville-in-Condroz
the head office of Bastogne

External bonds

a site deprived well structured and documented battle of the Ardennes
Official site of the museum “December 44” of Gleize.
Official site of the AMBA - Association of the Museums of the Battle of the Ardennes.
the battle of the Ardennes
Salm-44
Official site of General Patton Memorial Museum of Ettelbruck
Official site of the Military National museum of History of Diekirch

Literature

“the countryside of the Ardennes” of LtCol Hre Emile Engels Editions " Racine" : deliver very well documented
Guy Franz Arend, the Battle for Bastogne it hole in fritter. Chronological account of the Battle for Bastogne with some reflections , Bastogne, Bastogne Historical Center, 1985.

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