Battle Of The Bulge
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Battle Of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, still to this day, is the largest battle in American History. The battle was very important in the outcome of World War II, and the aftermath of the war itself. The attack began just before dawn on December 16, 1944. The Battle of the Bulge was located in the Ardennes. This was probably the most intense battle ever fought when many lives lost.
Adolf Hitler directed this counteroffensive with the objective to cut off and annihilate the British 21st Army and the U.S. first and ninth armies north of the Ardennes. Six inches of snow covered the ground with bitterly cold temperatures, perhaps the coldest winter yet. With this cold, stormy weather, the Germans attacked the allies, but the attack only resulted in a large bulge in the allied lines. The Germans first objective was not so much achieved, but started the battle off in their favor and in their advantage.
Another part of the German plan was that the Germans wanted to capture the town of Bastogne, which was very important because it contained many vital roads that the Germans wanted to have. If the allies were able to obtain Bastogne, it would greatly slow down the German forces. The delay made it possible for the 101st Airborne to enter Bastogne before the German attack. The Germans then surrounded the town and demanded that the Americans surrender. With that surrender, the American commander then sent back the one-word famous replyЖ“Nuts!”
By December 20th, General Eisenhower had formed a strategy to restrict German re-supply. To do this, Eisenhower built strong defensive shoulders at the base of the salient, and defended communication centers along the axis of the German advance. General Eisenhowers air-commanders placed first priority on the air force to prevent the Luftwaffe (German Air force) from giving supplies to their advancing German troops. The second priority was to destroy any weapons of the Germans that would allow them to attack or kill an allied soldier. They were ordered to attack any German tanks, aircraft, motor transportation, and guns and ammunition. The third and last priority was an effort to destroy facilities that could re-supply or help the enemies. These targets were at aimed all railroads, bridges, planes, marshaling yards, and communication centers. With all of these commands, it was Eisenhowers main objective to weaken the German army as best as they could because then they would be easier to defeat, move towards Germany, and finally make