The Ardennes Offensive

By: Brendan Emch and David Yip

Thesis

The Ardennes Offensive's disastrous result facilitated the fall of Germany to the Allied forces, due to the German army's devastating losses, rendering them unable to halt the Allied advance, effectively saving hundreds of thousands of lives, as Germany lost time in fulfilling Hitler's 'Final Solution.'

Background of the Ardennes Offensive• In 1944, Germany needed to capture Antwerp and cut off the Allied

troops, which were massing in the Netherlands and northern Belgium.

• The Allies hoped to penetrate the German defense and enter German territory to decisively win the war.

• The Battle of the Ardennes was the German's last attempt to break through the Allied lines on the Western Front.

• Hitler wanted to launch a surprise counterattack in the Ardennes forest. He hoped that the offensive could lead to a negotiation of peace between the Axis and Allies, not unconditional surrender.

• The operation was kept in the highest secrecy, even from high-ranking officers. Those with knowledge did not like Hitler’s desperate plan and tried to dissuade him otherwise.

• Hitler created new Panzer divisions to support the offensive under the command of Generals Dietrich and Manteuffel, each attacking a separate point of the Allied front

The Ardennes Offensive• The offensive officially began on December 16, 1944

• 30 German Divisions under the command of Generals Dietrich and Manteuffel attacked the weak point in the Allied front, along with a small force from the Luftwaffe and paratroopers

• The attack went through the Ardennes Forest, in quiet Belgian and Allied territory, with Allied communication and telephone lines already knocked out by German artillery

• The region experienced poor weather conditions leading up to the offensive, which Hitler wanted to use to his advantage, so the Allies would be unable to use their aircraft

The Ardennes Offensive cont.

• The Germans penetrated the lines with little resistance, as the U.S. General Hodges was not expecting any offensive from the weary Germans

• Crucial bridges were seized by the Germans in their immediate advance

• German paratroopers landed within Allied lines, and disguised as American troops, created massive confusion in the Allied lines

• German troops took advantage of the confusion, as word of the attack was delayed in reaching Allied headquarters

• The bulk of the Allied forces were pushed back to the Meuse River

• Despite heavy losses, the Allied forces made their stand at the crucial crossroads of Bastogne, creating a bastion of defense in the German advance

The Ardennes Offensive cont.• Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, upon receiving the

news, ordered extra divisions to reinforce the American forces at the river, near Foy-Notre Dame.

• The Allied Air Force knocked out German supply lines as the Germans massed for the attack on the Meuse River under the command of General Manteuffel.

• After German General Dietrich’s advance in the north was defeated, Eisenhower suspended the Allied offensive and turned General Patton’s third army around for the counterattack on the Meuse, using pincer tactics.

• Germans were unable to match the power play, due to a lack of supplies and reinforcements, leading to their retreat on January 8th, 1945.

Map of the Ardennes Offensive• The offensive

penetrated deep into Belgium and Allied Lines to Foy-Notre Dame.

• The Allied counterattack pushed back and forced the Germans to withdraw.

• The Rhine was left undermanned by the German losses in the offensive.

Timeline• September 1939: Germany declares war on Poland and is responded to by Britain and France, beginning World War II

• May 1940: Germany captures Normandy and France

• June 1944: Allies take back Normandy in northern France and move into Belgium

• December 16, 1944: German divisions surprise the Allied lines in the Ardennes Forest

• December 19, 1944: Eisenhower orders U.S. General Patton’s Third Army to turn back for a counterattack on the Meuse River

• December 24, 1944: Germans advance to within four miles of the Meuse River at Foy-Notre Dame, their farthest point

• December 26, 1944: U.S. General Patton's army reaches the Meuse and provides reinforcements to the Allied defense. The Allied Air Force destroys crucial German supply lines.

• January 1, 1945: The Luftwaffe attempts one last raid on Allied airfield, but ends up getting destroyed itself

• January 3, 1945: The U.S. begins their counteroffensive, neutralizing German General Manteuffel’s central push in the offensive

• January 8-16, 1945: Germans forced to withdraw, with lack of supplies to sustain attack, ending the battle

• May 7, 1945: Germany officially surrenders to the Allies

The Impact of the Ardennes Offensive• German Army lost 100,000 men of the 500,000 attack force.

Nearly all reserves were committed to the offensive.

• German aircraft and tanks almost entirely destroyed.

• Americans and Allied forces got quick reinforcements to replace their own casualties.

• The Germans were unable to defend the Rhine, due to the devastation of the failed attack.

• The German defeat exhausted its army and morale, facilitating the Allies' final push to defeat the last gasp German efforts to salvage the war, before their surrender on May 8th, 1945.

Review Questions

Question #1:

Question: What is the Ardennes Offensive also known as?

Answer: The Battle of the Bulge

Question #2:

Question: What was the size of the attacking German force?

Answer: 30 German Divisions attacked the weak point in the Allied front, along with a small force from the Luftwaffe and paratroopers

Question #3:

Question: How did the Germans penetrate the Allied lines?

Answer: The Allies had stationed insufficient forces near the Ardennes forest, and were unprepared when the German military suddenly attacked.

Question #4:

Question: What happened that caused mass confusion and lack of communication in the Allied lines?

Answer: The Germans had brought in soldiers dressed in American uniform and tried to stir up confusion with them. Additionally, German artillery knocked out telephone lines.

Question #5:

Question: How far did the Germans penetrate into Allied lines?

Answer: The Allies were pushed back towards the Meuse River, where the Germans got as far as Foy-Notre Dame

Question #6:

Question: Why were the Germans forced to retreat and abandon their offensive?

Answer: The Allied counterattack led by General Patton pushed the Germans back with reinforcement divisions. With no extra supplies and reinforcements to sustain the offensive, the Germans were forced to retreat.

Question #7:

Question: What were the German losses of the offensive?

Answer: The German army lost 100,000 men and nearly all remaining tanks and the Luftwaffe air force.

Question #8:

Question: What was the immediate impact of the Ardennes Offensive?

Answer: The German losses meant they were unable to hold their positions in the Rhine, as they used many of their reserves stationed in the region.

Question #9:

Question: What was the long-lasting impact of the Ardennes Offensive?

Answer: The German military was severely hindered by both their casualties and the loss of morale, expediting the Allies' push towards the end of the war. This gave the Nazis less time to perform Hitler's ‘Final Solution.’

BONUS Question:

Question: Who were the two main German generals who led the offensive? (Note: Correct Pronunciation is Required)

Answer: Josef A. "Sepp" Dietrich and Hasso-Eccard von Manteuffel

Works Cited

Axelrod, Alan. "Battle of the Bulge." Encyclopedia of World War II, Vol. 1. New York:

Facts On File, 2013. Modern World History Online. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

"Battle of the Ardennes (Bulge), 1944-1945." Map. World at War: Understanding

Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

"Battle of the Bulge." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web.

22 Mar. 2015.

Biesinger, Joseph A. "Battle of the Bulge." Germany. New York: Facts On File, 2006.

Modern World History Online. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.