Download Ardennes Offensive

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,
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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
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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
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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 FoyNotre Dame.
• The Allied
counterattack
pushed back and
forced the Germans
to withdraw.
• The Rhine was left
undermanned by
the German losses
in the offensive.
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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
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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.