The German attack was a complete surprise. At the beginning of December 1944 the port of Antwerp was operating normally and the situation of Administrative Care had started to improve. Patton was preparing for the winter operation “Tink” targeting Frankfurt and the Rhine. This was scheduled to begin on December 19, 1944 (air leg) and December 22 (land leg). Eisenhower considered it a secondary operation and “regardless of the results” intended to withdraw forces from this sector to assist Montgomery who had undertaken the main attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the plans of Eisenhower and Patton were violently interrupted, as on the morning of Saturday December 16, 1944, the Wehrmacht achieved its greatest surprise of World War II, which only the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 could achieve. be compared. As part of Operation Herbstnebel (“Autumn Mist”), 20 German divisions with 200,000 men, 1,000 tanks and 1,900 guns emerged from the mountains and forests of the Ardennes in a desperate attempt to cross the Meuse (Maas) River and reach on the French coast. The immediate operational objective of the Nazis was the disintegration and destabilization of the Allied order, the separation of the Allies and the capture and destruction of the port of Antwerp. The strategic goal was to force the Western Allies to enter into negotiations to end the war, which would make it easier for the Germans to concentrate on repelling the Soviets on the eastern front. Rudstedt and Modell undertook the planning of the enterprise, which they considered too ambitious. But Hitler believed that with this, which was called Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (“Watch on the Rhine”), he would constitute the much-desired decisive battle (“Entscheidungsschlacht”). After the war, Rudsend, who was released due to serious health problems (he died in 1953), reported: \u201cThe morale of the men was extremely high before the operation. They really believed that victory was possible. This view was shared by the highest leadership who knew the reality”.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Initially, things went very well for the Germans who blitzed and overwhelmed the 1st Army, disbanding the inexperienced 106 Infantry Divison (ID) \/ VIII Army Corps commanded by Major General Alan Jones and overturning the experienced but overworked 28 Infantry Divison (ID) \/ VIII Army Corps, commanded by it was Major General Norman Cota. The situation of the defenders in the Belgian city of Bastogne was dramatic. The city was a key transportation hub in the German advance and the Allies knew they had to hold it at all costs. Eisenhower sent the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions there with soldiers from Easy Company. “Ike” was the first to realize the gravity of the situation. In the meantime Patton was informed of the German attack on the evening of 16 December, when Bradley ordered him to deploy the 10th Infantry Division as soon as possible to avoid its involvement elsewhere. According to the assistant chief of staff of the Third Army (which Patton commanded), Colonel Paul Harkins, Patton had sensed the possibility of a German attack in the Ardennes, and on December 12 he ordered his staff to plan a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The summit and Patton’s\u2026 amazing preparedness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The summit held on December 19, 1944 on the second floor of a stone building in an old French barracks was attended by: Eisenhower, his deputy British Air Chief Arthur Tinder, Bradley, Devers and Montgomery’s chief of staff Francis de Guingad, as the British Field Marshal rarely agreed to confer with his subordinates\u2026 Eisenhower appeared at the meeting calm, optimistic and decisive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The present situation should be seen as an opportunity for us, not a disaster. I wish to see only happy faces at the table.” At the climax of the meeting Ike (affectionately Eisenhower, for those who don’t know) turned to Patton: \u201cGeorge, I want you to go to Luxembourg and counterattack with six divisions. When can you attack?’ With incredible ease, Patton replied, “On the morning of the 22nd of December with three divisions.” As Patton’s aide-de-camp, Colonel Charles Codman, wrote: \u201cThere was a commotion, a shuffling of feet, as if those present were adjusting their positions in their chairs. Disbelief appeared on some faces. But in the hall a stream of enthusiasm burst forth like a flame.’ What Patton thought possible seemed unreal. The movement of tens of thousands of men, with all their means and equipment, over a distance of more than 150 km in a minimum period of three days presented insurmountable tactical and logistical problems. Addressing Patton, Eisenhower sternly said, “Don’t be a fool, George.” Coolly Patton replied: “There is no question of stupidity. I have already started the preparations and right now my staff are working like beavers.” He explained that he had already prepared three alternative plans, and his chief of staff, Brigadier General Hobart Gay, was awaiting the signal in Nancy to implement one of them: “I can attack on December 22 with the 26th Infantry Division (ID), the 80th Infantry Division (ID) and the 4th Armored Divisions (AD). I can involve other forces a few days later, but I insist on the 22nd because time is precious.” In the following days all the details were determined. Departing, Eisenhower escorted Patton to the exit. He had just been promoted to a 5-star General and commented cheerfully, “Strange George, every time I get a star I get attacked.” He was referring to the defeat of II Army Corps in Tunisia when he had received his fourth star. Patton smiled and said, “And every time I save you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his well-known scathing manner he said: “I’m afraid our attack will fail and we’ll have to run up there to save our toms\u2026”. At 10:30 on 12\/18 he was informed of the seriousness of the situation at Bradley’s headquarters and placed the 4th Infantry Division and 80th Infantry Division under the command of III SS with a warning to move north. On the morning of December 19 he conferred with Eddy and Milliken (also a Major General) and their staffs and then left for Verdun where another summit was to be held. In the meantime Eisenhower, who as we have said had realized the seriousness of the situation, in a signal to the Allied units on December 18 stated the following: \u201cThe enemy has made a serious inroad without having used the whole of his forces. It is intended to involve the entire chariot potential. My intention is to stop him immediately, then launch counter-attacks with the whole force north of the Moselle river.’ An additional signal followed: “Do not allow the enemy to cross the river Meuse.”<\/p>\n\n\n Patton’s masterful drive in the Ardennes<\/p>\n\n\n\n The German surprise attack split the forces of the 12th Army Group between Bastogne and St. Vitus. To the south, closer to Bradley’s headquarters at the Luxembourg, was a portion of VIII Army Corps and Patton’s 3rd Army. North of the German “entry” remained the 9th Army, commanded by Lieutenant General William Simpson, and the bulk of the 1st Army. Eisenhower hurt his friend Bradley by placing all the formations of the Twelfth Army he commanded under Montgomery’s operational control. Bradley realized that the “major players” were Eisenhower and Patton, and that he now only had the role of observer\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n To coordinate the operation Patton on 20 December formed an advanced tactical headquarters at the Luxembourg with himself and part of his staff, while Gay’s chief of staff, with the bulk of the staff, remained at the main headquarters at Nancy. The work of Gay and the other staff was very difficult. In bad weather conditions and in a short time they had to simultaneously: withdraw from the front line that would move north, ensure their unhindered movement, coordinate the movement of combat formations with the support units, to ensure the continuation of the Administrative Take care. And of course Gay had to know where each formation was at all times, in case Patton called for a report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Germans, having been encouraged, demanded the surrender of the defenders of Bastogne. General von Luttwitz’s letter to the American Commander of the Bastogne forces, Lieutenant General McAuliffe, is relevant. The latter’s answer went down in history: “NUTS” (nuts, but he probably meant another word ending in -ida\u2026). The offensive by Patton’s forces began on December 21 from Arlon to Bastogne (III Army Corps, 4th Armored Division, 26th Infantry Division, and 80th Infantry Division). On December 22 a sunny morning dawned in Bastogne after several days of unprecedented bad weather. Allied planes were thus able to fly over Bastogne and drop supplies to the besieged, relieving them. At the same time, the temperature rose and the situation on the icy roads improved. Perhaps the famous “prayer of rain”, which had been “made” by the chaplain with the rank of Colonel James O’Neill, on Patton’s orders, also played a role in the improvement of the weather conditions. The prayer was a plea to God to stop the rain and snow in the Ardennes region. 250,000 cards were printed with the “prayer for rain” on one side and Patton’s Christmas message on the other and distributed to the men of the 3rd Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On 24 December 1944 he attacked the Germans besieging Bastogne and the XII Army Corps. But Montgomery did not attack the northern flank. In fact, on Christmas Day the 47th Panzer Corps (Panzer Corps) attacked Bastogne, but its 18,000 American defenders were undaunted. Patton wrote in his diary: \u201cClear cold day. A wonderful time to kill Germans! It seems a little strange considering who is celebrating today.” Patton spent Christmas Day visiting all the units in a vehicle driven by his loyal Sergeant Mims (who was away in the US on the day of Patton’s fatal car accident). There was only one machine gun in the vehicle. Patton wanted to find out if the turkey meal was distributed everywhere as he had ordered. In one unit he tripped over the feet of a soldier who was sleeping under his vehicle. “You are blind, you don’t see that I am sleeping,” said the soldier without seeing to whom he was addressing. Patton, undaunted, said, “At least we got somebody here who knows what he’s doing!” and moved away.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n On 26\/12\/1944 the 37th Division of the 4th Armored Division entered Bastogne ending its siege. It took several more days of hard fighting to establish a relatively safe corridor for reinforcements to arrive. But the Germans had also reached their limits. The 5th Panzer Army led by Madeufel had no fuel. But on December 24, the 2nd Army approached within 6 km of the Meuse river in the area of \u200b\u200bDinan. But General Sepp Dietrich, “Hitler’s Nazi dog”, did not support Mandeuffel, because “the maneuver (of the reserves) was not included in Hitler’s order and he carried out the orders in full”. The 2nd Infantry Division was annihilated by combined air and armor strikes. The Wehrmacht failed to reach the Meuse and the initiative had passed to the Americans. Eisenhower and Patton thought they were being given a great opportunity to destroy the enemy west of the Rhine. In preparation for the attack, Patton told Bradley: “Brad, this time the Huns (he was the only one to call the Germans that) put their heads in the meat grinder and I’m holding the lever.” But Montgomery delayed his attack on the north with funny excuses. And when he attacked on January 3, 1945 he hit the crest and flank, rather than the center of the Germans. Patton in a press conference scathingly commented: “If you find a monkey in the jungle hanging by its tail, to hang it, it is better to cut it off than to kick it in the face.” The clashes in the Ardennes continued for several more days, under difficult weather conditions. As we mentioned, the weather improved over Christmas and Patton honored Rev. O’Neill saying, “Father you sure are a favorite of the Lord and the soldiers.” On January 16, 1945, the Allied forces besieging Bastogne converged at Uffalis, Belgium, roughly in the center of the enemy line. However, although most place the end of the Battle of the Bulge between January 25-28, 1944, it was only on February 7 that the front returned to the situation of December 16, 1944. Important was the role played by the 9th Army, under the orders of Lt.-Gen. William Simpson, as in the first ten days of the German offensive, seven of its divisions had engaged the enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A recap of the Battle of the Bulge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Battle of the Bulge, which in the international literature is mainly referred to as the “Battle of the Bulge”, from the position of Bastogne is divided into three main phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This third phase began with the attack of formations of the 3rd Army at Bastogne and ended with the retreat of the Germans. However, the 1st and 9th Armies absorbed the momentum of the German attack and contributed decisively to the victory, as they resisted effectively and participated in the offensive operations that followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certainly it was Patton’s greatest success, but not to the extent that he presented it in a letter to his wife: \u201cThe most perfect operation we have executed, the greatest achievement of the war. This is my biggest battle.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patton’s gravest mistake, even after slapping and humiliating the two soldiers, was sending 317 of his men to commit suicide, essentially to save his son-in-law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having broken the 3\/4 wheel enigma, the British (with the help of the Poles initially) to help the Allies in North Africa, in the Battle of the Atlantic, and in the convoys to Russia, in the Battle of the Ardennes the Germans mainly used landlines for communication of their units so their plans could not be intercepted, while the technological superiority of the German Panzers in the ground fight without air support was also shown, but also the overwhelming air superiority of the Allies when the weather allowed it which finally determined the final victory in the battle .<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is not often mentioned but played a very important role is the complete German failure of the Bodenplatte aerial operation which effectively put the tombstone to the Battle of the Bulge, because if they succeeded it would have given German logistics a few days to resupply their units and pull them out back to Germany and maybe even attempt some local counter-attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the pine forest the Germans took advantage of its density and every possible defensive and fortified position and fought fiercely sensing its strategic importance. In this particular battle, both opponents understood the horror of war from the exchange of large-caliber cannon shots at close range and the powerful explosions at breathing distance. It was observed that mostly American, but also German soldiers, mentally shaken, went insane and staggered and wandered around screaming desperately in the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patton is a good general, but he is better known for his temperament. US Army logistics and the USAF won the war not so much the generals. Rommel before the landing did not consider the Americans to be great fighters, while he spoke highly of the ANZACs who he considered superior even to his own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Ardennes is a region and department in northeastern France, on the border with Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944 \u2013…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2362,2845,7,2846],"tags":[6012,6014,6013,70,6015,3394],"class_list":["post-20718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-military-science","category-military-strategy-doctrines","category-research","category-wars-battles","tag-battle-of-the-bulge","tag-eisenhower","tag-george-patton","tag-usa","tag-wehrmacht","tag-wwii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20726,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20718\/revisions\/20726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-240.png\")
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