Why Hitler Won The Battle Of The Bulge

On 16 December 1944, Adolf Hitler launched a massive attack in the Ardennes Forest, southern Belgium. His primary goal was to recapture the Harbor of Antwerp to deny the Allies use of the port facilities. He believed that marking a repeat of what the Germans had done three times previously–in September 1870, August 1914, and May 1940, would secure another win. This attack lasted approximately one month and few weeks ending 25 January 1945. The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler’s last attempt to win the war. This Battle will go down in history as the biggest and bloodiest battle with the most overall casualties during World War II. While trying to regain the Harbor, the battle had covered regions of Belgium, The Ardennes, Luxembourg, and Germany. The main focus was to split up the Allied armies. Hitler attacked the American forces at night during the winter and managed to catch them off-guard. America had high casualty rates from not only fighting the war but also dealing with harsh
weather conditions. During December in Belgium the snow gets very thick limiting the ability to transport food and ammunition to troops. The trees were very thick limited visibility and the fog also played a major role due to it high density. During World War II, the United States was sending soldiers to fill new position at the Ardennes Forest camp sight. The inexperienced U.S. 106th Division was nearly annihilated, the cold weather, thick snow, and low visibility were key factors of troop’s low morale. During the first few hours this division was hit hard and fast with air attacks from German tanks, killing or capturing over 75% of the troops and another 10% froze to death. This attack was so great that the US Army soldiers were forced to retreat. Even in defeat, the battle helped buy time for Brigadier General Bruce C. Clarke’s brilliant defense of St.-Vith. As the German armies drove deeper into the Ardennes in an attempt to secure vital bridgeheads west of the River Meuse quickly, the line defining the Allied front took on the appearance of a large protrusion or bulge, the name by which the battle would forever be known. The Allied forces assumed that this attack by the Germans was only a counter attack until later finding out that it was an offensive attack designed to split the Allied forces. Once the offensive attack was determined, France mobilizes Units and rushed them to Ardennes creating this large fighting front line. The Germans surprise attack pushed the American line about 70 miles deep and at least 50 miles long creating a bulge on the front line. Within the bulge, many American soldiers were capture and stripped of their uniform, which Hitler ordered his Army to wear and pose as American soldier. The American imposters gained Intel, cut communication lines, switched road signs and committed other small acts of sabotage. Hitler intent was to split the British and American Allied line down the middle so that Germans can destroy the other four Allied forces forcing a negotiation of some type of peace treaty. During the Germans push forward, General Dwight D.
Eisenhower gained Intel that men were going to be attacked in Ardennes near or on a narrow road call Elseborn Ridge. With that information General Eisenhower mobilized heavy artillery to that location anticipating an attack. The intelligence was correct, the fight lasted 10 days leaving blown up and wrecked vehicles blocking a clear path on the road forcing the Sixth Panzer Army retreat and seek another route. Simultaneously, the weather and the skies cleared allowing our airplanes to fly and drop bombs on the advancing German forces. At this point Hitler realized that he had underestimated the American Army. The United States lowered standards for the Army and shorten the overall training time which in turn brought over move troops to hold the line. The lowering of the standards brought forth unofficial desegregations in ranks allowing black soldiers to fight side by side with white soldier replaces the deaths of the Allied
armies. The 333rd and 969th Field Artillery BN both all black Units, sustained heavy casualties assisting the 101st Airborne Commanded by General George S. Patton. General Patton pushed the Germans out of the town of Bastogne capturing it back. The nice big “Tiger tanks” burned through more fuel then Hitler expected during the push that converted over to horses for means of transportation. The 5 million gallons of fuel that was set aside for the war was all used up. So the Allied force set fire to the remaining fuel left and the tanks was running on fumes. The Germans could not continue the war on horseback. General Patton Commanding the 3rd Army forced the Germans to retract back to the original line, ending the Bulge. After all the bloody fighting, the Battle of the Bulge was over on 25 January 1945 when the Allies regained the territory that had fallen to the Germans in early December. About 100,000 Germans died and 80,000 Americans were killed, wounded, or captured during the Battle of the Bulge. This question is always asked “Could the Germans have won the battle and gain control over the Harbor of Antwerp?” No. they lacked the fuel and fuel resources.