The Desperate Gambit of a Failing Reich

By December 1944, Nazi Germany stood on the brink of collapse. The Allied forces had liberated Paris, crossed the Rhine, and were advancing toward the German heartland. In this dire situation, Adolf Hitler conceived a bold plan to reverse the tide of war – a massive counteroffensive through the Ardennes Forest, aimed at splitting Allied forces and capturing the vital port of Antwerp.

The Ardennes region held strategic significance as the site of Germany’s successful 1940 invasion of France. Hitler believed history could repeat itself. He assembled three armies totaling 200,000 men, 1,900 artillery pieces, and nearly 1,000 tanks under the overall command of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. The operation, codenamed Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine), would become known to history as the Battle of the Bulge.

The Perfect Storm: Weather and Deception

German preparations for the offensive demonstrated remarkable operational security. Troop movements occurred only at night, with artillery wheels wrapped in straw to muffle sound. The Luftwaffe flew continuous sorties to mask the noise of armor movements. Most remarkably, the Germans waited for the annual “Christmas fog” – a period of heavy winter weather that would neutralize Allied air superiority.

On December 14, German meteorologists delivered the crucial forecast: 25 consecutive days of fog and snow beginning mid-December. The offensive was set for December 16. Elite units including the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler and veteran troops from the Eastern Front secretly moved into position. Among the forces were teenage crews manning new Tiger II tanks directly from German factories, their youthful fanaticism compensating for lack of experience.

The Hammer Falls: December 16, 1944

At 5:30 AM on December 16, 1944, along a 90-mile front from Echternach to Monschau, the German assault began with a devastating artillery barrage. One American sentry reported seeing “thousands of little lights” along the German lines before realizing they were muzzle flashes. The bombardment shattered trees, carved craters in the snow-covered landscape, and severed communication lines.

German infantry, wearing white camouflage, advanced under artificial moonlight created by searchlights reflecting off low clouds. The initial attacks achieved complete surprise. Many green American troops, told they were in a “quiet sector,” initially mistook the bombardment for outgoing artillery fire. As one officer sarcastically remarked about pre-battle intelligence estimates of German strength: “The Krauts must be trying to kill their horses?”

The Schnee Eifel Disaster

The German breakthrough came at Losheim Gap, where the U.S. 14th Cavalry Group defended a critical road junction at the village of Krewinkel. Despite heroic resistance – including machine gunners cutting down German bicycle troops in snow camouflage – American forces were overwhelmed. The collapse created a gap that allowed German forces to encircle two regiments of the 106th Infantry Division in the Schnee Eifel.

This became the worst American defeat in the European theater, with 7,000-9,000 men surrendering – more casualties than in any previous U.S. conflict. The disaster resulted from innovative German tactics: elite assault battalions infiltrating American lines before the artillery barrage began. By December 17, German spearheads had advanced 30 miles, reaching near the headquarters of U.S. First Army commander Courtney Hodges.

The Defense of the Twin Villages

On the northern shoulder of the offensive, the U.S. 99th Infantry Division – whose troops had been anticipating a USO show featuring Marlene Dietrich – found themselves fighting for survival. At the twin villages of Krinkelt-Rocherath, American soldiers demonstrated remarkable ingenuity, including one who fired his mortar vertically at Germans just 25 feet away. Though ultimately forced back by tanks, their stubborn resistance bought critical time.

Meanwhile, the U.S. 28th Infantry Division (“Bloody Bucket”) held the southern flank. Despite being outnumbered by two German corps, they fought tenaciously. The 112th Infantry Regiment at Ouren bridge held against the 116th Panzer Division, inflicting 400 German casualties. However, the 110th Infantry Regiment along Skyline Drive faced impossible odds against the 2nd Panzer Division and Panzer Lehr.

The Tide Begins to Turn

German successes created a dangerous “bulge” in Allied lines, but critical failures emerged. Joachim Peiper’s SS Kampfgruppe bypassed a massive American fuel depot at Stavelot – fuel the Germans desperately needed. The 101st Airborne Division raced to Bastogne, arriving just before German encirclement. When demanded to surrender, General Anthony McAuliffe famously replied “Nuts!”

By December 22, skies cleared allowing Allied airpower to devastate German supply lines. Patton’s Third Army executed an unprecedented 90-degree turn to relieve Bastogne. The German offensive, intended to last 25 days under fog cover, had only 5 days of favorable weather. By January, with fuel exhausted and facing overwhelming Allied reinforcements, the Bulge began to collapse.

Legacy of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge became the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the U.S. in World War II, with 19,000 American dead, 47,500 wounded, and 23,000 missing. German losses were equally catastrophic, with irreplaceable men and equipment destroyed. The failed offensive exhausted Germany’s last reserves, hastening the end of the war in Europe.

Historians debate whether the Ardennes offensive delayed or accelerated Germany’s defeat. What remains undeniable is the courage displayed by ordinary soldiers on both sides during one of history’s most dramatic battlefield reversals. The Bulge stands as testament to both the unpredictability of war and the resilience of those who fight it.