THE END OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AND ITS AFTERMATH

On the above map you can see the limits to where the Germans advanced which is depicted by the black dashed line - this was the Bulge that was formed by the German offensive and that was where the battle got its name from.

Although only some 8 kilometers from its banks the Germans did not manage to cross the River Meuse and were finally stopped at Celles. Having run out of fuel They had abandoned and destroyed most of their tanks and heavy equipment and had begun an orderly retreat to the east.

Patton immediately saw a marvellous opportunity to squeeze closed the salient at its shoulders by having the British pushing from the north and the Americans from the south so as to trap the German army in a pocket. Montgomery and Eisenhower opposed this move as they felt it could be too dangerous with resulting high losses and vetoed pattons suggestion. Instead they pushed the Germans eastward from the nose of the Bulge, giving them ample opportunity to make an orderly retreat back to Germany where they could recover to fight another day. Patton was livid but there was nothing he could do about it. It took the Allieds until the middle of January to expel the Germans to where they had started their attack.

The losses were horrendous. For the Americans over 10,000 soldiers killed, 47,000 wounded and a staggering 23,000 missing in action. There are no official records for German losses but they were much higher that those of the Americans. The Americans could replace their losses easily - the Germans could not.

The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's last real action on the western front. His army had been decimated and the Allieds pursued the Germans to Hamburg, Berlin, Bavaria and Austria whilst the Russians were approaching Berlin from the east. Within 6 months the war was over and the Germans surrendered.

Even though Montgomery attempted to claim success The Battle of the Bulge was purely an American victory. Moreover the American army let down their troops by not supplying them with the correct winter clothing, insufficient ammunition, food and other necessaries. The Battle was essentially a series of skirmishes and the American GI fought with bravery and resilience - it was really the victory of the dogface GI

After the war Patton was fatally injured in a motor accident in Austria and died a few weeks later. He was buried with the troops of his 3rd army who had lost their lives in the Bulge in the American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg.

The information I used for compiling this tour was from the following books and media:

1. A Tour of the Bulge Battlefields by William C.C. Cavanagh
2. Kampfgruppe Peiper at the Battle of the Bulge by David Cooke and Wayne Evans
3. Ardennes 1944 - Hitler's Last Gamble in the West by James R Arnold

Movies:
1. The Battle of the Bulge
2. Patton
3. Band of Brothers

Internet
1. Wikipedia
2. Google Map and Earth


We will based for 1 week in Malmedy which is more or less central in the Bulge area and from there will spend a few nights in Brussels and then return to Israel

I hope to add to this blog and send you fotos from our tour

Till next time from Europe