What happened in the battle of the bulge?
The German 1944 Ardennes Offensive (aka ‘Battle of the Bulge’) was Hitler’s counterstroke to try and change the course of the war on the Western front. The Allied armies (British, Canadian, American and French) were lined up on Germany’s western frontier, ready to attack as soon as the weather cleared. Hitler wanted to drive through the one weak part of the American lines – the rugged Ardennes sector – and thrust through to capture Antwerp (the main supply port for the Allied armies), cutting off Montgomery’s 21st Army Group and then crushing it. The forces assigned (5th Panzer Army, 6th SS Panzer Army, and 7th Army) were too weak for the purpose, and Hitler’s schedule (he believed his spearhead would be in Antwerp in three days) was completely unrealistic. Poor supply planning and bad road discipline (especially by 6th SS Panzer Army) plus the inclusion of too many new and untrained troops doomed the offensive from the beginning. In the event, 5th Panzer Army made a major penetration
