The ardennes, a volume in preparation for united states army in world war ii. The battle of the bulge, so named because of the westward bulging shape of the battleground on a map, lasted from middecember 1944 to the end of january 1945. It was a german offensive intended to drive a wedge between the. The battle of the bulge took place in december 1944, after adolf hitler. The bitter conflict ended with more than 200,000 dead and wounded on both sides. It has a wealth of primary source material to absorb, which provides an interesting backdrop to the savage fighting. It is considered one of the greatest battles ever fought by the united states military.
J j j from dday on, the allies had swept quickly across europesometimes getting too. World war ii had just turned five years old five years since nazi germany. Holding the line at the battle of the bulge isbn 08063805 describes in harrowing detail the lives of the men assigned to infantry rifle platoons in europe during world war ii. Germany world war ii nazi germany war history book nightmare.
Battle of the bulge world war ii goolrick, william k. It took place in the thick, wooded area of the ardennes forest region stretching from southern belgium, luxembourg, and into germany. It was named as the battle of the bulge because there was a bulge on the map of the allied army front. The battle of the bulge provides a complete account of the final offensive push of the german army in world war ii. Macdonald paperback 720 pages reprint edition april. List of books and articles about battle of the bulge online. More than 100 million military personnel saw action and major events. Few american units at the battle of the bulge felt the force of the german advance more severely than the 106th golden. The battle of the bulge was fought from 16 december 1944 until 25 january 1945 and was the last german offensive launched on the western front and went through the densely forested ardennes region in belgium, france, and luxembourg, a repeat of the operation launched may 1940 which caused the fall of france in six weeks. In fact the ardennes became the western fronts counterpart to stalingrad. The bulge seen on the map was the location where the germans attacked. Liberated by the allies in september 1944, bastogne was attacked by german forces a few months later. Jan 30, 2020 the battle of the bulge was a surprise german offensive that took place between trier and monschau in late 1944 to early 1945. Battle of the bulge, also called battle of the ardennes, december 16, 1944january 16, 1945, the last major german offensive on the western front during world war iian unsuccessful attempt to push the allies back from german home territory.
It is informative yet a real page turner, that flows like an easy to read novel. Sep 25, 2014 snow and steel will be a huge reassessment of hitlers last great throw of the dice. The untold story of the battle of the bulge by charles b. This river, throughout history, has been the natural line of resistance against an enemy. The battle of the bulge was the bloodiest battle for u. The german counteroffensive through the ardennes in the winter of 1944, the. Mobiles tom galloway finds himself on the frozen front lines as the shells start falling in the battle of the bulge.
List of books and articles about battle of the bulge. Battle of the bulge the liberation trilogy, by rick atkinson. On the 16th of december, 1944, in the frozen forests of the ardennes, the german army attacked american allied forces, launching a final bid to turn the tide of world war ii. German soldiers cross a muddy road during the battle of the bulge, also known as the ardennes offensive, which began december 16, 1944, and ended january 25, 1945. It also saw the first open expression of the tensions between the soviets and the western allies, tensions which would soon evolve into the cold war. Having defeated france, germany wanted to invade britain, but in order to do this, germany had to destroy britains raf royal air force. Counteroffensive in the ardennes army center of military history. From the heroic resistance in the ardennes against numerically superior nazi forces by the us 106th division to general pattons brilliant manoeuvres, the campaign was filled with moments of tension, bravery and genius, as it represented the last gasp of nazi. Another big book id recommend is the us official history, the battle of the bulge by hugh m cole. A world war ii memoir with photographs from a hidden camera author murray leff 35th infantry division.
Parkers book the battle of the bulge, the german view is not a page turner. The author tracks troop movements and positioning throughout the long conflict, while accounting for decisions made on the field, in the war room, and all the way up the chain of command to gen. Beevors books have hitherto gained less celebrity and sales success in the us. Indeed, the battle of the bulge was an important turning point in the war in the allies favor, but it was not without its cost. Hitler desperately needed a decisive victory on either his western or eastern front. Events after it will be related in the last offensive, now in preparation.
The battle had continued all through the night of 1617 december, with results whose impact would be fully appreciated only after daylight on the 17th. How did the major tank types perform during the battle. The battle of the bulge is considered one of the bloodiest battles of world war ii. This channel is for honoring all of our men and women who have served and who are serving today. It is about the actions of one platoon in the initial states of the battle. The battle of the bulge, the battle for the ardennes 16 december 1944 to 25 january 1945. A bad phone connection helped lead to catastrophe for one u.
A history from beginning to end world war 2 battles book 8 kindle edition by hourly history. What others should i look for that are well written and offer insight into the battle. Battle of the bulge archives warfare history network. The battle of the bulge a complete account of the final offensive of the german army in world war ii. Occurring from december 16, 1944 to january 25, 1945, it was the largest battle fought on the western front in europe and the largest fought by the united states.
I commend hourly history for attempting to describe this battle succinctly in less than one hour. Battle of the bulge the national wwii museum new orleans. I cant recall the exact website but the most accurate. From the middle of december 1944 to january 25, 1945, more than a million allied and german troops fought for control of belgium, france, and luxembourg. The late hour of the war and the fact that hilter was committing. The battle of the bulge world war ii collectors edition. The battle of the bulge world war ii collectors edition goolrick, william k. It took place in the thick, wooded area of the ardennes forest region stretching from southern. Although it does contain a text with information about commanders, weapons, and the overall course of the battle, the book is mainly interested in describing what is happening in its numerous photos.
Battle of the bulge is a 1965 american widescreen epic war film produced in spain, directed by ken annakin, and starring henry fonda, robert shaw, telly savalas, robert ryan, dana andrews, and charles bronson. A historical exploration of world war iis battle of the bulge from pulitzer prize winner and new york timesbestselling author rick atkinson. The german high command estimated that they lost between 81,834 and 98,024 men in the bulge between 16 december 1944 and 28 january 1945. The platoon was ordered to a forward position, not knowing that the germans were preparing for a massive attack to save the reich.
In fact, because of the germans efforts, the allies were led to believe that a new. Warfare history network, home of the foremost world war 2 magazine, is your best source for military history online. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Walk in the footsteps of american soldiers who battled against hitlers last gamble. Dec 17, 2019 the battle of midway was an epic wwii clash between the u. The battle of the bulge was a major battle in europe during world war ii.
The battle of the bulge took place in december 1944, after adolf hitler launched a surprise blitzkrieg against allied forces in northwest europe. Kinnard the 101st airborne division g3 telephoned his opposite number at the viii corps command post. The feature was filmed in ultra panavision 70 and exhibited in 70 mm cinerama. And did these lessons result in changes to tanks in the subsequent months. Intertwined with this is also an excellent basic account of the battle of the bulge. Feb 17, 2011 the battle of the bulge by charles b macdonald weidenfeld and nicholson, 1984 panzer battles by general fw mellenthin futura, 1979 war as i knew it by george s patton houghton miflin, 1947. The hard fighting that preceded the battle of the bulge has been recounted in two volumes, the siegfried line campaign, and dr. A history from beginning to end world war 2 battles book 8 kindle edition by history, hourly. The survival of an american armored division in world war ii by belton y. By this time, while in maneuvers on the united states, they were commanded by the major owen carter. Dec 16, 2015 the battle of the bulge was a hail mary pass by a fuhrer who was quickly running out of options.
Also known as the ardennes campaign of world war ii, this was adolf hitlers last counteroffensive in the west, an attempt to break the allied lines at the ardennes forest, drive a wedge between the american and british armies, capture the belgian port of antwerp, disrupt logistics, trap allied forces, and perhaps achieve a negotiated peace in the west. Germanys goal was to split the allied line in half, capture antwerp and encircle and destroy four allied armies, forcing the western allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the axis. His 2015 documentary film searching for augusta won multiple emmy awards and his 2017 book the fighting 30th. The 101st airborne and the battle of the bulge, december 19,1944january 17,1945 by george koskimaki are these two of the best. World war iis famous battle of the bulge the battle of the bulge, adolf hitlers ardennes offensive, was conceived to drive west, split two allied army groups, and capture the vital belgian port city of antwerp. The real reason hitler launched the battle of the bulge. Offering detailed answers to these questions, and many more, this book. The battle of the bulge was arguably the most pivotal and bloodiest battle of world war ii. Hitler thought that this would shock the western allies so much that they would surrender and then hitler could beat back the russians and win world war ii. The conflict spanned across the world and included the majority of the worlds countries that split into two military alliances, the axis and the allies. Beginning in october 1944 it was located in schoenberg, belgium as part of the u. Ii the americans the americans, vol 2 by roland gaul and these two new volumes offer new insights into the events of one of the fiercest battles of world war ii. Battle of the bulge had its world premiere on december 16, 1965, the 21st anniversary of the titular battle. Hitlers idea was to regain control of the ardennes, splitting british from american forces, then advance to and reoccupy the strategic port of antwerp and cut off the key allied supply line.
Navy and the imperial japanese navy that played out six months after the attack on pearl harbor. Antony beevor talked about his book, ardennes 1944. It was the largest land battle of world war ii in which the united states directly participated. More than a million men fought in what is also known as the battle of the ardennes. The battle of the bulge and the epic story of world war iis most decorated platoon by alex ker.
I enjoyed reading the e book battle of the bulge world war ii. This is an utterly fascinating five weeks when for a time it looked like hitler had outflanked the allied armies pushing toward the rhine and might just throw them back. The location of the battle was in ardennes forest in belgium. Thats what everyone was saying in the winter of 1944. After four weeks of fighting, they had done little more than create a bulge in the american line and dwindle their own forces.
This was reprinted in the usa fairly recently and has been available at low cost. Colonel devine, the 14th cavalry group commander, left the 106th division command post about o800 on the morning of 17 december, still, insofar as it can be ascertained, without instructions. Tanks in the battle of the bulge osprey publishing. When german forces went on the offensive against a thin american front in the ardennes region, their goals were quite lofty. He was a young 2nd lieutenant commanding a platoon of m4 tanks, part of the 781st tank battalion attached to the 7th army. Palmer, citizen soldiers and the army of a democracy 1982 is good for the early years. No doubt the actions of this platoon over the first 18 hours of the initial german assault are historic, but the book is primarily about their time as pows in german prisoner of war camps. It was germanys final attempt to drive the allies off of mainland europe. In world war ii, they landed at normandy in early july 1944 and saw continuous combat as corps artillery throughout the summer. Most of the troops involved on the allied side were american troops. The bulge was a protuberance 50 miles wide and 70 miles deep in the american lines. This book is not really about the battle of the bulge. The battle of stalingrad, perceived by historians as the most important battle of world war ii and regarded by russians as the most significant battle in their countrys history, cannot be viewed solely as a military engagement between two powerful, longtime foes.
American soldiers of the 117th infantry regiment, tennessee national guard, part of the 30th infantry division, move past a destroyed american m5a1 stuart tank on their march to recapture the town of st. The battle of the bulge, also known as the ardennes counteroffensive, was the last major german offensive campaign on the western front during world war ii. Remembering his series of victories after sneaking through the ardennes forest in 1940, he went for a repeat in 1944. The battle of the bulge, about one of the last world war ii battles april 21, 2016 holocaust survivor anna grosz. On january 8, 1945 the germans began to withdraw and by january 25, 1945 were finally pushed back to the line prior to the launch of the ardennes. Battle of the bulge ww2 timeline december 16th, 1944 january 25th, 1945 in one final, desperate gamble of the war, hitler enacted his ardennes offensive and drove a wedge into the allied lines towards antwerp but little else came from the initiative. Volume ii covers the events from the american pointofview. Battle of the bulge was hitlers last ditch effort to win world war ii. I have read several other histories of the allies dday invasion to the conquest of nazi germany. The bulge refers to the wedge that the germans drove into the allied lines during their ultimately unsuccessful attempt to push the allies back from german home territory. Battle of the bulge world war ii the bloodiest battle in american history earned its name. The battle of the bulge was a surprise german offensive that took place between trier and monschau in late 1944 to early 1945. Battle of the bulge world war ii audiobook by hourly.
Within three months, the wehrmacht had lost n battle 50 divisions in the. Recommend the best books about battle of bulge wwii forums. A history from beginning to end world war 2 battles book 8. Author beevor already had a big reputation when writing on the second world war and came up with this single volume of the ardennes offensive, which ended up with germans creating a 60 km bulge in the allied lines hence the name battle of the bulge. The unit was partially overrun by germans during the onset of the battle of the bulge on 17 december 1944. J j j from dday on, the allies had swept quickly across europesometimes getting too far. The 5th ranger infantry battalion was a ranger battalion activated during world war ii on 1 september 1943 at camp forrest, tennessee. The advance on berlin in early 1945 didnt only mark the final stage of world war two in europe.
The gist of his report, as recorded in the corps g3. The battle of the bulge december 16, 1944january 16, 1945, also known as the ardennes offensive, was the largest battle fought on the western front in europe during world war ii. Hitlers ardennes offensive, 19441945, combined books, isbn. The battle of the bulge was german offensive and key engagement of world war ii, which lasted from december 16, 1944 until january 25, 1945. Battle of the bulge, popular name in world war ii for the german counterattack in the ardennes, dec. The us 4th armored division under general patton relieved the 101st airborne forces at the siege of bastogne on december 26, 1944.
During the battle of the bulge, 20,876 allied soldiers were killed, while another 42,893 were wounded, and 23,554 capturedmissing. The battle of the bulge raises many questions which, until now, have not been adequately answered. Building instructions for world war ii models book. That evening, only a few minutes after the german attack began in the marvie sector, lt. Ardennes 1944, or the battle of the bulge, is squarely focused on this critical world war ii battle spanning august 1944 to april 1945. Battle of the bulge december 16, 1944january 16, 1945, the last major german offensive on the western front during world war ii. His plan was to cut off the american and british armies, and quote beat britain back to the sea like at dunkirk. Our vast collection of rare photographs, battle maps, illustrations.
The battle of britain was a series of conflicts between germany and britain in world war 2. Thus began the long, hard slog of a battle that was nicknamed by the media as the battle of the bulge. Official book release date is monday, february 5, 2018. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading battle of the bulge world war ii. Here youll find our indepth and vivid accounts of the greatest war in history, from the german blitzkriegs to the battle of midway. This is a coffee table sized collection of photographs of the persons and events of the battle of the bulge. Recommended books on the history of wwii world war ii. Battle of the bulge ww2 timeline december 16th, 1944. Across the western edge of the ardennes massif runs the meuse river. However, most books, documentaries and especially movies are either pointed or simply inaccurate in my opinion. World war 2, or ww ii, was the largest war in modern history that lasted from 1939 to 1945.
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