Hitler and his General Staff review plans in late 1944. Image courtesy of Heinrich Hoffmann—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Read more: http://life.time.com/history/battle-of-the-bulge-rare-unseen/#ixzz1uU93THrn
Read more: http://life.time.com/history/battle-of-the-bulge-rare-unseen/#ixzz1uU93THrn
The German Plan
By 1944, Hitler could see that the end was near. The German army was on the run from the west and the Russian army was advancing into central Europe from the east. Hitler began to develop a personal scheme that he hoped would end in a truce with American and British forces so that he could turn his attention to Russia. To the German planners, the Battle of the Bulge was called Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein, or "Operation Watch on the Rhine."
Hitler contrived the Ardennes counteroffensive, more commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, after the collapse of his army in France during the summer of 1944. He received inspiration from a similar operation through the Ardennes region to take France in 1940. This time, Hitler’s goal would be to disturb communication lines and transportation centers of the Allied forces in Liege and Antwerp. To do this, he would need to split the U.S. Twelfth Army Group and the British Twenty-first Army Group. In other words, the German army needed to create a "bulge" in the Allied line.
Hitler saw no way that his forces could be defeated in this offensive. He believed his troops were used to the harsh weather, had better strategy and operations, and were generally stronger than the weak men of the Allied forces. Although many of Hitler’s generals were skeptical, he began to reorganize and reequip the German divisions in France. The German forces were to have new tanks and self-propelled assault guns, stockpiled supplies, and a new infantry division.
Hitler managed to keep the Ardennes offensive a surprise attack by reducing radio communications. During this time, the German army prepared for an infantry attack assisted by air attacks on the Allied forces’ rear. The German forces also had a secret plan for special operations groups to infiltrate motor convoys and seize crossroads for transportation.
By mid-December, three German field armies (330,000 soldiers) prepared to attack using 800 tanks and assault guns along the eastern line of the Ardennes.
Hitler contrived the Ardennes counteroffensive, more commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, after the collapse of his army in France during the summer of 1944. He received inspiration from a similar operation through the Ardennes region to take France in 1940. This time, Hitler’s goal would be to disturb communication lines and transportation centers of the Allied forces in Liege and Antwerp. To do this, he would need to split the U.S. Twelfth Army Group and the British Twenty-first Army Group. In other words, the German army needed to create a "bulge" in the Allied line.
Hitler saw no way that his forces could be defeated in this offensive. He believed his troops were used to the harsh weather, had better strategy and operations, and were generally stronger than the weak men of the Allied forces. Although many of Hitler’s generals were skeptical, he began to reorganize and reequip the German divisions in France. The German forces were to have new tanks and self-propelled assault guns, stockpiled supplies, and a new infantry division.
Hitler managed to keep the Ardennes offensive a surprise attack by reducing radio communications. During this time, the German army prepared for an infantry attack assisted by air attacks on the Allied forces’ rear. The German forces also had a secret plan for special operations groups to infiltrate motor convoys and seize crossroads for transportation.
By mid-December, three German field armies (330,000 soldiers) prepared to attack using 800 tanks and assault guns along the eastern line of the Ardennes.