Battle of the Bulge
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseAlthough the Allied forces had advanced so much that the supplies could no longer catch up, it still threatened the German border, making Adolf Hitler uncomfortable. He decided to call for a large-scale offensive with the intension to cause heavy casualties and to divide the Allied forces, therefore cutting off certain Allied units of their supplies and surrounding others. Should the Allies be dealt a major blow in the west, Hitler thought, he would be in a much better position to defend against a likely winter offensive by the Russians. He realized it was a gamble, knowing that a failed major offensive might spell the final doom for Germany; however, "I am determined to hold fast to the execution of this operation, regardless of any risk," he said, "even if the enemy offensives on both sides of the Metz and the imminent attack on the Rhine territory lead to great terrain and town losses." Hitler believed that, due to his lack of understanding of the Allied command structure, that Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower must acquire permission from his superiors before committing major strategic changes, as how the German war machine had operated. Such communications delays, Hitler thought, would give the surprise German offensive yet another upper hand.
ww2dbase"We gamble everything now", Gerd von Rundstedt said when he had learned of Hitler's order for a major offensive on the western front. "We cannot fail."
ww2dbasePreparations
ww2dbaseThe eventual plan was prepared by Alfred Jodl and presented to Hitler on 9 Oct. With some alterations, the plan was adopted and was renamed Wacht Am Rhein, "Watch on the Rhine"; this plan called for an attack by infantry to open a gap in the thinly defended Ardennes forest, allowing German tanks to punch through the gaps. The final destination was Antwerp, the newly acquired port that was critical in the Allies' logistical operations. Knowing the Allies were intercepting German radio communications, the Germans also put up a major deceptive operation, Operation Greif, that further contributed to the Allied unpreparedness when the offensive was launched. First, the name of the offensive, Wacht Am Rhein, was highly misleading in that it was suggestive of a defensive operation, perhaps near the German city of Aachen. Then, a series of efforts by the daring and innovative Otto Skorzeny convinced the Allied forces to commit their forces at the wrong spots. The first of Skorzeny's plans called for a Trojan horse mission with the 150th Panzer Brigade driving captured American and British tanks; the objective was the capture of bridges on the Meuse. Then German commandos were to be dressed in American uniforms and sent behind enemy lines; these English-speaking commandos were ordered to report Allied movements, change road signs, and even daringly pose as traffic duty soldiers and misdirect Allied trucks carrying soldiers and supplies. 44 of such commandos were sent, and only 8 returned at the end of the battle, achieving various degrees of success. Finally, Skorzeny also spread out rumors that German paratroopers were going to be dropped behind Allied lines. As these rumors grew, the outrageousness of these rumors grew as well, with several versions noting that paratroopers were to be dropped in Paris to seize Eisenhower. Immediately after the battle began, both real and dummy paratroopers under the command of Colonel Friedrich August von der Heydte were dropped to further "confirm" the rumors to confuse the Allied defenses. A unplanned achievement of this paratrooper rumor was that the Americans put up roadblocks at every road junction and checked every passer by for identification, dramatically slowing the transportation system that was so critical for the Allied war effort; even British General Bernard Montgomery was stopped and checked so many times that he later asked Eisenhower for an American identification card to speed up the process.
ww2dbaseThe troop preparations were disguised as much as possible as well. As fresh German troops arrived at Cologne for the offensive, the soldiers were told that these were replacement units for the front. Troops moved into the Ardennes under the cover of the night, and during the day the thick forest provided excellent cover. To prevent Allied interception of battle plans, in the final days communications were to be carried by officer couriers only. Although Luftwaffe planes sent flying up and down the front lines drowned out most of the noise, heavy equipment noises were still reported by Allied troops. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel knew that further discoveries of the offensive preparations were unavoidable, so he issued a fake order that had the German troops in the Cologne and Bonn areas prepare for a suspected Allied invasion. Playing well into the Wacht Am Rhein misinterpretation, this order successfully downplayed any Allied suspicion of German preparing for an offensive.
ww2dbaseThe German units summoned for this Dec 1944 offensive (delayed from its original Nov target date) were:
- Josef Dietrich's 6th SS Panzer Army with two SS Panzer divisions. Dietrich was charged to move northwards and capture the final objective Antwerp.
- Hasso von Manteuffel's 5th Panzer Army, marching in the center toward Brussels.
- Erich Brandenberger's 7th Army in the south, offensively protecting the offensive's left flank.
- Gustav-Adolf von Zangen's 15th Army in the north, defensively protecting the offensive's right flank.
ww2dbaseOverall, the offensive force was 15 divisions weaker than originally called for, plus the fact that many of the troops were the last of Germany's reserves (those who were too young or too old to be drafted earlier in the war). However, with the element of surprise, Field Marshal Walther Model believed that the 30 German divisions gathered still had an excellent opportunity to strike down the Allied forces on the western front.
ww2dbaseThe Initial Assault
ww2dbaseAided by weather that grounded most Allied air reconnaissance, the German offensive launched on 16 Dec in total surprise. Barrages by at least 657 artillery pieces along with 340 rocket launchers thundered at 0530 to stun the American defenders, and by 0800 the 5th and 6th German Panzer armies charged forward through the Ardennes at the Loshein Gap. The attack completely surprised the American defenders at the front lines as Jodl had strived for, with many troops surrendering or withdrawing in confusion. Eisenhower noted that combat fatigue played a major part in the initial surrenders and withdrawals:
ww2dbaseDespite Eisenhower's statement suggesting that the Allied commanders were organized for such an offensive, the truth was that the surprise was nearly complete. "I told the Fuhrer on the first day of the attack that the surprise had been completely achieved," Jodl said after the war. "The best indication was that no reinforcements were made in [the American] sector before the attack." The only American who had the faintest prediction of a possible German assault was Colonel Dickson, intelligence officer of the First Army. He observed the bolstering of German forces in the Ardennes region, and thought it was possible for the Germans to launch a small-scale localized attack to increase morale in time for the Christmas holiday. However, even Dickson underestimated the strength of the attack.
ww2dbaseDonald Bennett, an artillery officer claimed that to some of the frontline men had a sense that the invasion was coming, but it was the high command's failure to recognize the threat that caused the initial losses. He recalled the German assault:
ww2dbaseIn Robert Merriam's The Battle of the Bulge and Dark December, he claimed that post-war interviews with Eisenhower and Bradley indicated that both were taken completely by surprise with the German offensive through the Ardennes. However, in Eisenhower's Crusade in Europe, Eisenhower said Bradley indicated to him that "he believed that the only place in which the enemy could attempt a serious counterattack was in the Ardennes region." Conflicting accounts in regarding to this surprise attack such as this instance were attributed largely to politics and the need to save face.
ww2dbaseOn the second day, the American 7th Armored Division was able to halt Dietrich's 6th Panzer Army at St. Vith, further removing momentum from the 6th Panzer Army who already had a tough time driving their tanks through thick snow. General Bruce Clarke led his men to fight on bravely against overwhelming numbers for four days before turning control of St. Vith to the Germans, and even then they fell back to entrenched positions nearby to continue to hold back German advances. At Elsborn Ridge, a similar episode played as American troops (2nd Infantry and 99th Infantry Divisions) aided by heavy snow slowed the German advance.
ww2dbaseRecall Hitler's earlier assumption that Eisenhower would have to communicate the strategic shift to his superiors before he could cancel his current offensives to deal with the German attack; largely, the German leader was wrong. By the second day, Eisenhower had already set in motion the reinforcements to come to the area. Within a week 250,000 soldiers had arrived in the region, including the American veterans of the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions.
ww2dbaseOn 17 Dec, the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion surrendered to the 6th Panzer Army outside Malmédy near the Hamlet of Baugnez after a brief battle. A SS officer shot two of the POWs, and the rest of the soldiers followed suit with machine guns. After the 150 American prisoners fell, the Germans allegedly went around to kick each downed prisoner, and shot each that still showed sign of life with their sidearms, reported the 43 Americans who miraculously cheated death. The episode infuriated the Americans, and they called for killing all SS officers and troops on sight without giving an opportunity to surrender. Those responsible for this massacre at Malmédy were later tried and sentenced after the war.
ww2dbaseWest of Malmédy, the town of Spa at the north slop of the Hohe Venn mountain range held an Allied gasoline dump with 2,500,000 gallons of fuel. The troops of the First Army stationed there, including its command elements, did not imagine this peaceful little town would suddenly become the front until Dietrich's Panzers rolled near the town. On 18 Dec, the 30th Division rushed in to reinforce the town's defense, and was able to save the town. The Americans were able to save their fuel depot, and perhaps more importantly, delivered a major blow to Dietrich's 6th SS Panzer Army to slow their forward momentum.
ww2dbaseAttack on Bastogne
ww2dbaseBastogne was selected as a central logistical location; neither the Americans nor the Germans viewed it with much importance even days before the Ardennes Offensive was launched. However, as the German troops failed to reach the Meuse River as quickly as they originally wished, the German focus turned to the east side of the river to consolidate their gains thus far. Bastogne, a crossroads city, suddenly became strategically important. Hitler himself viewed the town as a threat to German communications, and ordered a concentrated attack to take the town. The American 101st Airborne Division and part of the 10th Armored Division, totalling 18,000 troops, garrisoned the town as 45,000 Germans in three divisions surrounded the area on 21 Dec. On 22 Dec, German officers delivered a message from General von Luttwitz of the XLVII Panzerhops demanding the "honorable surrender" of Bastogne to save from "total annihilation". This demand was actually against Hitler's orders, as the German leader did not wish to allow the Americans to surrender. Brigadier General McAuliffe, commanding the troops at Bastogne in place of General Maxwell Taylor who was in Washington, responded:
ww2dbaseTo the German Commander:
ww2dbaseNUTS!
ww2dbaseThe American Commander
ww2dbase"We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas," noted McAuliffe. When Joseph Harper delivered the message to Luttwitz and Lieutenant General Bayerlein, the German commanders were rather confused at the meaning of the American slang (so were the British, in fact) but the arrogance in McAuliffe's response was undeniable; the Germans took no time in pressing on their attacks. On 26 Dec the Fuhrer Escort Brigade disengaged their current targets to attack the narrow neck opening into the town of Bastogne. Meanwhile, Dietrich's 6th SS Panzer Army surrounded the town on three sides. Bastogne was surrounded with little supplies left for the Allied troops, and the enemy troops outside the town reached 8 divisions by 1 Jan 1945. German tactics, however, gave the Americans a fighting chance: Instead of attacking on all fronts simultaneously at the surrounded Allies, the Germans attacked in a rather piecemeal fashion, and fritted away their strength while giving the Allied troops the luxury of being able to shift men to and from different fronts. Once Eisenhower confirmed that the Meuse River crossings were no longer under any threat, a number of divisions were released to attack the German forces at Bastogne. The defenders of Bastogne held on until George Patton's Third Army arrived in the region to alleviate the some pressure on Bastogne. It only took Patton's army 48 hours to march from their original positions in south-central France to Bastogne, and it surprised even Eisenhower. Patton's secret was that as soon as he had learned of the offensive he had prepared his troops for a counterattack. When Eisenhower had finally given the order for Patton to counterattack, his troops moved out the next minute. The final major offensive against Bastogne was launched on 3 Jan, but with the III Corps breathing down the back of their necks, the offensive ended in failure.
ww2dbaseBefore Patton reached Bastogne to relieve the defenders, however, the defenders endured a hellish series of offensives. German shelling was never constant, but it came at frequent enough an interval that the exploding trees kept the defenders awake, eating away their morale slowly. "The sound was deafening and terrifying", noted Stephen Ambrose in Band of Brothers, a story of the 101st Airborne Division's Easy Company who held the lines at Foy near Bastogne. "[T]he ground rocked and pitched as in an earthquake." The unusually brutal winter also played a factor; the sub-zero temperatures froze the oil in the trucks and the firing mechanisms of rifles.
ww2dbaseAfter the weather cleared up, the men inside the besieged Bastogne received much needed air-dropped supplies totalling 800,000 pounds. Eisenhower believed that without the Allied air superiority that allowed the supply runs by air, the 101st Division, however capable and brave, would not have been able to hold the town against the German pressure.
ww2dbaseBastogne Relieved
ww2dbaseWith the arrival of the Third Army to the region, the Americans planned a counterattack on 29 Dec. The weather also cleared up in the last few days so that air support was now possible. P-47 fighters strafed German troops on the roads, and bombers raided supply dumps behind the lines. In response the Luftwaffe launched a great raid, Operation Bodenplatte, on 1 Jan 1945 against Allied airfields in France and the Low Countries, greatly limiting the air capabilities of the Allies in the short run while destroying or damaging 260 planes. However, this also came at a cost of 277 aircraft and 253 pilots. In the attack, the Allies lost 465 aircraft. The Luftwaffe was never able to mount another offensive in this scale again. "[O]ur losses were so high taht a continuation of such attacks had to be given up", noted Hitler in his personal journals.
ww2dbaseOn the same day of the great German air raid, Eisenhower called for the Third Army to attack from the south while Bernard Montgomery's troops were to move in from the north. South of Bastogne, the German troops that originally surrounded Bastogne defended against the counterattack gallantly. In the north, the German troops there continued to apply pressure to Bastogne as Montgomery's assault never came; the British general objected to launch his part of the offensive as he had believed that his men were not equipped to deal with the cold weather. With the counterattack missing its northern pincer, Eisenhower was unable to trap the German forces in the pocket, and most of the Germans escaped, though leaving behind most of the heavy equipment. Montgomery did not commit his forces until 3 Jan, by then it was too late to surround the majority of the German troops. Americans such as General Omar Bradley was appalled by Montgomery's inaction, and later in the war many Americans refused to work with the British general. This was a critical event in the later tension between Montgomery and his American counterparts. To mend the relationship between Americans and the British after the war Eisenhower noted that he had given Montgomery the order that the British would only attack when Montgomery had gathered enough force. However, in hindsight, it was unlikely that Eisenhower would had issued such a vague order when coordinating such an important counteroffensive.
ww2dbaseOperation Norwind
ww2dbaseA renewed German offensive was launched in the first week of Jan 1945 in attempt to keep the Allied troops off-balance. Perhaps suggestive of the name of the operation, the 6th SS Mountain Division and the 7th Parachute Division were transferred southwards from Norway and Netherlands, respectively, to bolster this offensive. A southern pincer column was also launched, with the goal of cutting off the southern maneuver room on the Alsatian plain. The offensive relied on a surprise element, and the Germans did not enjoy surprise this time around. The operation was detected by American intelligence early, and prepared defenses that held on to all militarily-important locations, inclding the city of Strasbourg. Strasbourg was, actually, planned on being abandoned temporarily so that American forces could reach around and cut off German supply lines, stranding German troops within the city. However, Charles de Gaulles furiously protested against such a decision in fear that his own political status would be damaged if this French city would fall. Giving in to de Gaulles' demands, Eisenhower changed his plans and defended Strasbourg successfully against this German offensive.
ww2dbaseThe Battle Ends
ww2dbaseBy the end of the first week of Jan 1945, the German forces had not reached their objectives, and the commanders knew that the momentum they enjoyed initially had long been lost. The command decision from Berlin on 8 Jan to transfer the 6th SS Panzer Army back to Germany for refitting for future assignments on the Russian front spelled the end of the actual German offensive. Nevertheless, the Germans had fought with a much greater strength and determination than what the Allies believed possible at this stage of the war, but like the Allies out of Normandy, they had outrun their supplies and the ammunition and fuel were running out. Because the offensive was so secretive during its planning stages, even the German soldiers thought the Wacht Am Rhein was a defensive operation, therefore a bulk of the massive amounts of supplies were placed at the east side of the Roer River. As a result, it created unnecessary delays in getting the supplies out to the rapidly advancing armies. Hitler, however delusional at this stage of war, was not exempt from this realization even though the reports at his desk outlined relatively light losses in men and tanks. He took the advice of the field commanders and ordered a withdrawal on 7 Jan (when he was first approached with a recommendation to withdraw by General von Manteuffel in late Dec, Hitler refused immediately). By 16 Jan, the Allied forces regained a bulk of the territory held before the Bulge offensive, and on 23 Jan St. Vith was retaken. The German offensive was officially declared a failure by the Allied forces on 28 Jan 1945.
ww2dbaseAs the German forces returned across the Rhine, Allied troops discovered evidence of German retribution on civilians. "Tens or twelve completely burned bodies, charred black, were seen where a small shed had once stood," an American soldier recalled during an interview with historian Robert Merriam. He continued:
ww2dbaseThe final tally of military casualties was stunning. The Allies suffered 76,890 casualties (with 8,607 Americans killed) and lost 733 tanks; the German forces suffered an estimated 68,000 casualties with 12,000 killed, and lost about the same number of tanks. Among the Americans, about 10% of the total casualties were in the 106th Division, while the 28th Division suffered dearly as well. While the total losses were roughly equal on each side, the Germans had lost a greater percentage of the available men and equipment than the Allies. The men and equipment lost were nearly impossible for Germany to replace at this stage of the war.
ww2dbaseAfter the war, many German leaders were interviewed for their takes on how the Ardennes Offensive had played out. The officers in Berlin believed the offensive was operationally sound as surprise was completely achieved, and the offensive was only held back by the Allied air superiority. The field commanders saw a different picture, however. The field commanders overwhelmingly thought that operationally it was impossible to maneuver the units as the units were all controlled directly by Berlin, especially the 6th SS Panzer Army, which reported to Hitler himself. The 6th SS Panzer Army was so misused that this fact alone, had it been remedied early, could have turned the tide of the war. During the first seven crucial days of the offensive, the 6th was sitting in a logistical nightmare, sitting in poor and muddy roads in a major traffic jam. Their forward forces were also unable to open a gap for the tanks to charge through, if the German tanks were able to do so. Many German field commanders were aching to redeploy these idling tanks elsewhere but were bound by Hitler's orders. Then there were the inept leaders on the battlefield, characterized by Dietrich, who fought bravely and fiercely but overall lacked the capacity to command such large bodies of troops; they only reached their positions on their unquestioned loyalty to the Nazi leadership. The American leaders attribute the German failure largely to the ability for Allied leaders to recover from the initial surprise and the bravery of American troops at key locations such as St. Vith and Spa.
ww2dbaseSources: Band of Brothers, Battle of the Bulge (Dark December), Crusade in Europe, Honor Untarnished, Wikipedia.
Last Major Update: Dec 2005
Battle of the Bulge Interactive Map
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Battle of the Bulge Timeline
| 11 Dec 1944 | Roddie Edmonds and the United States Army's 106th Infantry Division took up positions along the front lines near PrĂĽm, Germany just east of Belgium. |
| 11 Dec 1944 | Adolf Hitler held a meeting with top German military commanders at the Adlerhorst headquarters in Wetterau, Germany, stressing the importance of the upcoming Ardennes Offensive. |
| 16 Dec 1944 | German troops launched Operation Wacht am Rhein, crossing the German border toward Belgium, opening the Battle of the Bulge. |
| 16 Dec 1944 | A German officer carrying several copies of Operation Greif (the codename for Otto Skorzeny's infiltration of "fake Americans" to cause confusion ahead of the Ardennes Offensive) was taken prisoner and the treacherous plan was revealed. |
| 17 Dec 1944 | 150 prisoners of war of US 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion were massacred by Waffen-SS forces at Malmédy, Belgium. Only 43 survived. |
| 18 Dec 1944 | The German offensive in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium began to stall after Americans began to fight back. American artillery units were finally authorized to use the secret proximity fuzes on their shells to create air bursts over enemy positions which inflicted demoralizing losses on men and equipment below. One American artillery commander even employed these shells without authorization a day or two before this date. |
| 19 Dec 1944 | Roddie Edmonds and 6,000 soldiers of the 106th and 28th Infantry Divisions were surrounded and taken prisoner by German forces near PrĂĽm, Germany. |
| 19 Dec 1944 | Germans captured 9,000 surrounded US troops in the Schnee Eifel region on the Belgian-German border. Meanwhile, the US 101st Airborne of the Allied reserves and 10th Armored Divisions of the US Third Army were sent to Bastogne to hold the vital road junction in Belgium. |
| 20 Dec 1944 | Armored elements of German 6.SS-Panzerarmee captured Stavelot, Belgium, capturing the US fuel supply stored there for their own use. |
| 21 Dec 1944 | US forces captured Stavelot, Belgium, while the Germans surrounded Bastogne and captured St. Vith. |
| 22 Dec 1944 | In Bastogne, Belgium, the German surrender demand is rebuffed by General McAuliffe with the famous response "Nuts!"; meanwhile, the US Third Army shifted its axis of advance in attempt to relieve Bastogne. In Germany, Rundstedt suggested a tactical withdrawal, but the suggestion was refused by Hitler. |
| 25 Dec 1944 | US 2nd Armored Division, with British help, stopped German 2.Panzer Division just 4 miles from the Meuse River in Belgium. |
| 25 Dec 1944 | A surprise Luftwaffe attack on Bastogne, Belgium bombed Anthony McAuliffe's headquarters and the 10th Armored aid station. The three–storey building collapsed on top of the wounded patients and set the ruins on fire. Nurse Renée Lemaire was killed together with twenty-five seriously wounded patients, burnt to death in their beds. Soldiers rushing to pull away debris found themselves also machine gunned by the low-flying bombers. |
| 26 Dec 1944 | US Third Army under George Patton relieved the besieged city of Bastogne, Belgium. |
| 27 Dec 1944 | US troops began pushing German troops back in the Ardennes region, thus ending the German offensive. |
| 28 Dec 1944 | American troops began gaining ground in their counteroffensive in the Battle of the Bulge. Adolf Hitler ordered renewed offensives in Alsace and Ardennes regions against the advice of his generals. |
| 30 Dec 1944 | Germans again attacked in the Bastogne corridor in Belgium. Meanwhile, British troops attacked Houffalize, Belgium, but they were stopped by fierce German defense. |
| 31 Dec 1944 | US troops re-captured Rochefort, Belgium, while the US Third Army began an offensive from Bastogne. |
| 1 Jan 1945 | German troops began a withdrawal from the Ardennes Forest in the Belgian-German border region. Meanwhile, in retaliation for the Malmedy massacre, US troops massacred 80 SS prisoners at Chenogne, Belgium. In the air, the German Luftwaffe launched Unternehmen Bodenplatte, which consisted of 800 aircraft conducting low-level strikes against snow-bound Allied airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium. They destroyed 220 aircraft, mainly on the ground, but lost 188 aircraft of their own, as well as many experienced pilots who could not be replaced. This operation failed to achieve its goal of wiping out Allied air power based in the region. |
| 3 Jan 1945 | US First Army launched an attack on the northern flank of the Ardennes bulge in Belgium. Meanwhile, 1,100 Allied bombers, escorted by 11 fighter groups, bombed railroad and communications centers in western Germany. |
| 5 Jan 1945 | The German attack on Bastogne, Belgium was called off. |
| 9 Jan 1945 | US Third Army attacked towards Houffalize, Belgium, on the southern flank of the Ardennes bulge. |
| 11 Jan 1945 | British forces captured La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium, northwest of Bastogne. |
| 12 Jan 1945 | The Operation Nordwind offensive into France was finally stopped just 13 miles from Strasbourg. In Belgium, north of Bastogne, US and British forces linked up near La Roche-en-Ardenne. |
| 13 Jan 1945 | US First Army attacked near Stavelot and Malmédy in Belgium. |
| 16 Jan 1945 | US First and Third Armies linked up near Houffalize, Belgium, while British Second Army attacked near Maas River. The Germans were pushed back to the line prior to the launch of the Ardennes Offensive. |
| 28 Jan 1945 | The Ardennes bulge was finally pushed back to its original lines, thus ending the Battle of the Bulge. |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
17 Jan 2006 10:06:37 PM
My father (SSGT Raymond J. Sawinski) was with the III Corps attached to General Pattons 3rd Army. If you knew him or have any information about his unit please email me, thank you.
25 Dec 2006 01:27:55 PM
my great uncle was in this war and I am trying to find pictures of him, if anyone can help me out please email me his name was Richard Vensel
20 Feb 2007 09:04:59 AM
this was a great article
17 May 2008 11:19:06 AM
Good article except...It was a single battery (company) of the US FAOB, having been warned not to take a particular road out of Malmedy, who then engaged in a fire fight with a small element of German forces coming up on an adjacent road, not the entire 6th P. Armee. Btry B incurred casualties and then surrendered. The US POWs were ordered into the adjoining field and left too lightly guarded by crew of a disabled German vehicle. More US POWs were gradually added to the original group, to a total of approximately 150, and eventually US troops at the rear of the group attempted a breakout and were fired upon. This has been testified to, agreed upon, and researched extensively. Some US POWs escaped and got back to Malmedy, some were killed (including the original casualties of the fire fight, and most were moved to the rear and to German POW camps when German support troops came to collect them. A total of 68 or 72 bodies of US troops were recovered in the environs a month later. No German officers were present during the incident, and the 'war crimes' persons eventually chose to identify a 17-year old Rumanian as the first shooter, but found the entire chain of command of 6th P. Armee guilty. The charges against them included killing civilians because the war crimes investigators knew no German officers had been present or involved in the POW shooting incident, but the investigators rounded up just about every surviving member of the unit post-war and insisted that an officer must have given an order to shoot POWs, but could never find any evidence of such orders, and the German enlisted troops eventually under extreme coercive methods gave them the name of an officer who had subsequently been killed (who happened to have been Belgian, by the way). Which is point 2, civilian casualties. Yes, the offensive was a surprise and an ever-changing situation, and while most Belgian civilians got out of the way, some did not, and got caught in cross-fire, whether by US or German forces, and/or came under heavy US air bombardment (the USAAF bombed the town of Malmedy and our own troops plus civilians for 3 days in a row, despite every effort by the US commander in Malmedy to stop them). But when one realizes that this was a border area, with many of its young men serving in the German forces who had grown up and had family there, it seems unlikely that there was any rampages or wanton killing of civilians. But there were also Communist partisans who joined in against the Germans, and some German troops said later if they thought, for example, that a local was identifying their location to US artillery, they would shoot that civilian.
27 Jan 2009 12:33:52 PM
I just read in the paper last week that McAuliffe died. This reignited my interest in tracking the movements of 101st Airbourne Division. I was told that when shot down, the pilots (and my G-pa Amison) were in Stalag 11 in a "nicer" area, then after 18 months released thanks to Ike. I can't find any information!!
25 May 2009 08:33:12 PM
http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=79
General Anthony McAuliffe died, on August 11, 1975
13 Jun 2009 05:43:47 AM
I knew Raymond Sawinski
5 Feb 2010 11:36:05 PM
Jack Marinich
Please email me at DSawinski@msn.com
I am trying to piece together my dad's army record as his was destroyed in a fire.
22 Feb 2010 08:28:22 AM
Jordis S. Kruger, I probably can answer your location question ... the 967th FA was between Aachen and Duren on January 10. Around that time they moved from Weisweiler to nearby Durboslar. I have the unit history and it probably mentions your father's injury (the battalion did not suffer many injuries and so they were noteworthy). They were on the northern fringe of the Bulge. Contact me by making my name one word at tomligon dot com.
22 Feb 2010 06:54:53 PM
Corporal Kruger received a "very slight" wound on Jan 10 1945 as a result of bombs dropped on the 967th by US Flying Fortresses. This was their thanks for helping recover a crew that had bailed out!
1 Apr 2010 05:54:47 AM
My granpa died in this battle. I'm very proud of what he did for the U.S Army, and he'll forever be in my heart.
18 Aug 2010 01:06:44 PM
My uncle was killed in this war. His name was Danny or Daniel Sgro. Did anyone know him?
21 Jan 2011 03:44:38 AM
i am trying to find out more information about my uncle (Sargent Bill Elliott) we think he was killed in the battle of the Bulge. Can you provide some info that may help us find out what happened to him.
thank-you
bob
10 Jun 2011 05:09:48 PM
I KNOW ABSOLUTLY NOTHING ABOUT MY FATHER WHO WAS A PRISON OF WAR AT THE BATTLE OF BULGE. PLEASE POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION SO I CAN FIND OUT WHAT HE WENT THROUGH AND IF THERE WERE ANY MEDALS.I JUST WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM. HE DIED SO YOUNG @ 48. HIS NAME WAS JOHN WILLIAM MONAHAN` BORN ON 3/24/1923.SERIAL#36577696 SS#382168623. HIS RANK WAS PFC,U.S.ARMY.DISCHARRED AS HONORABLE ON11/20/45. ENTERED SERVICE ON 3/1/43.I PRAY YOU CAN HELP ME IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I'LL HAVE THE INTERNET. TIMES ARE VERY HARD ON MY FAMILY RIGHT NOW. HERES MY ADDRESS JUST IN CASE.29404 LEGION ROSEVILLE MI. 48066. ANY INFO YOU CAN GIVE ME WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO ME. I'M NOT ALL THAT HEALTHY.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO READ THIS.YOURS TRULY DONNA SAVALLE 6/10/2011
10 Oct 2011 01:52:15 PM
I don't know if you can help me or not? My dad who is Raymond A Dilts was in the U.S.Army, fought in the Battle of the Bulge but that is all I know about him. His records was destroyed in the fire in ST Louis and all they have on him was his service number. I hope you can give me more information about him.
Thank you
Raymond A Dilts
30 Oct 2011 02:34:18 PM
After having stumbled on the Malmedy Massacre subject by chance, I started to read
publications by Bauserman, Cuppens, Rogister, Alenus, Whiting, Weingartner, Saunders, and a few more authors. Gleaning more details from internet forums and websites, I am now convinced that sticking to simple arithmetics will disprove a mass killing or massacre of U.S. POWs. In short: 285th FAOB had a field strength of 152 officers and men, of which 6 had left the day before, 11 route markers and 35 others weren't at the 'crime scene' during the'incident.' 55 to 60 GIs got killed in action during the shelling of the convoy. 57 survivors are documented by name. A local girl witness saw most of the survivors flee into the woods. A local farmer spoke of 12 to 20 massacre(?) victims lying on the meadow. An evacuated German-Belgian boy told the same farmer that he counted 13 bodies after the machine-gunning of(fleeing) U.S. POWs. Another 30 to 36 U.S. POWs arrived with the SS vanguard afterwards and joined the 12 to 20 men already on the meadow, making the number up to at the most 40 to 50 GIs assembled on the meadow, after 10 GIs had been forced to drive trucks for the SS-unit.
At the end of the day 63 Battery B members, plus a further 22 men from other units had lost their lives - all except between 12 and 20 of them killed trying to escape or trying to move of the line of fire. Most of the afore mentioned 30 to 36 POWs have simply
disappeared from any documentation.
They must be added to the 57 known survivors.
The about 40 dead soldiers autopsied with head wounds could have been killed during the shelling and machine-gunning from an elevated German position, also during the brief defence,flushing-out and mopping-up action of ditches, sheds, and other hiding places. A soldier still presenting a danger whilst fully or partly armed or equipped, or playing dead man near discarded(?)firearms might be shot dead at close range.
Sorry I had to take redress to battlefield reality and matter-of-fact choice of words.
In my own opinion, war is the real crime!
25 Dec 2011 11:10:08 PM
My grandpa Samuel W. Bartlett of the 7th armored division was in this battle. He was taken prisoner and before he died in 1995 he wrote a book about the war and his being held prisoner. It makes me cry everytime. I'm so glad he wrote it. This war and every war shapes the lives of the men and women who serve forever.
8 May 2012 09:11:58 AM
Just found out that my cousin was injured in Bastogne on Dec. 24 and died Jan. 1st. Can not find any mention of him anywhere. Anyone?.....Frances P. Ferguson from Yonkers, NY
He was in the second wave in the attacks on Normandy and
then moved with Patton. Thanks
16 Jun 2012 04:03:28 PM
My father-in-law, First Lieutenant Roy A. Croag was in the Battle of the Bulge. He wore a Big Red 1 patch and from the information on his record, he was a communications officer. The 99th Division Artillery (Checkered Patch) went a different route the Red 1 on some of the maps I've seen. I don't know how the 99th was divided up (because of what is on his service papers) between the Checkered Patch group and the Red 1, so it's confusing.
Would like to know where his unit went during the war. Like others, his records were destroyed by fire.
John Ferrara
30 Jul 2012 02:47:10 PM
my great uncle John R. MacDonald was a U.S soldier in the Battle of the Bulge now I dont remember which devision or any of that,but i do know that and that he was shot/wounded earned a purple heart medal(not quite sure how thats how that's supposed to be said.I'd like to get more information about him( he is still alive i just would like to see if anyone knew anything else because i dont want to bother him too much about it because he still has problem after being wounded and also he has ptsd so i can see that when he talks about it he chokes up a bit).I'd like to know what other medals and pins ect... he may have earned.
Also a U.S soldier my great grandfather Norman S.Cummings i dont know much about him other than he was a prisoner/missing in action after jumping out of a plane a good portion of the soldiers landed correctly and in the right place but some others including my grampa jumped when the others did but they ended up drifting away and they landed on the german line and were automatically capured but i dont know and now both my great gradmother and grandfather have passed so i cant talk to them and get a lot of information i was hoping to get some on that and also what division and all that information,Id also like to know about the different medals and pins and all that he may have earned.If there any information at all that'd be so helpful.
Thank you,
Maddi MacDonald
18 Oct 2012 08:07:10 PM
I am looking for information on Pvt Thomas N Shutt. 7th Armored 33rd Engineers. He was killed 12/22/44.I would like to know where his unit saw action and where he and his brave brothers made the ultimate sacrifice.
20 Oct 2012 01:59:48 PM
My dad, Lloyd Thomas Carr (called Tommy) was in the Battle of the Bulge, Northern France and Rhineland Campaign. Would love to hear something about him or his unit: 351st Engineers General Service Regt. Was in France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
14 Nov 2012 06:58:55 PM
Does anyone know general release dates of the POWs of the Battle of the Bulge? Starr Weed was held captive for 6 years. We recently presented him with a flag ceremony in WY. We are working on a documentary on his life and service.
http://knobbybrown.wordpress.com/contact-us/starr-weed/
25 Nov 2012 02:25:08 PM
I am trying to piece together my great grandfathers role in this battle.
His name was Anibal Clavell.
if anybody knew him or can tell me how to get copys of military records please email me at
gage.clayman@yahoo.com
Thank You
15 Jan 2013 03:02:15 PM
MY GRANDFATHER FOUGHT IN THIS BATTLE HIS NAME WAS WALDO JOHNSGARD ANY REMEMBER HIM. DROVE A TANK BUT HE REALLY DIDN'T TALK MUCH ABOUT IT
17 Jan 2013 06:45:38 AM
Looking for a break down of divisions/units of the 1st Army at the Battle of the Bulge.
Also any info on Walter S Cookinham Jr 101st AB (cousin) and LT Larimore Colvett (Unit unk)who was killed protecting a wounded comrade between St Vith and Bastogne.
10 Feb 2013 12:25:04 PM
my dad John w. Monahan was a prisioner of war in battle of the bulge. I understand he carried a reporter who had fallen in the death march . My dad died I have no information on him at all. I don't even know what metals he received. My mom died at 37 and my dad at 43. I would really like to know about his service if anyone can help.
15 Sep 2013 11:23:59 AM
My father Santford Clifford Vallance had two patches, the Golden Lion and the "Bloody Bucket" Keystone. His discharge papers show he was with the 112th Infantry Company E. but the Golden Lion was the 106th. Anyone remember him?
15 Sep 2013 06:50:47 PM
I have been trying to locate my Uncles grave. He was KIA at the Battle of the Bulge in late January. His name is PFC Zack "Claremore" Smith from Ponca City,OK. He was a Ponca Tribal member.
30 Sep 2013 08:22:49 PM
My grandpa was Donald Withey, he rarely talked about the battle of the bulge but when he did he would start to cry and start screaming how he wanted to kill all germans. He had a scrapbook of reunions that started with about 25 survivours. His story was he was a rail road engineer delivering supplies (42 years with B&O)when the tracks were blown up and he found shelter in a trench or foxhole.Scared to death,he wasn't trained to fight a soldier asked for a cigarette. As grandpa was getting the cigarette he cut my grandpa's stomach almost 3 x's(terrible scares)My grandpa pulled his pistol (only weapon he was issued) and shot the American dressed German. I would love to find out where to research this and if anybody knew grandpa. Thanks Fred
'
3 Oct 2013 07:22:51 PM
Does anyone have any info on a James B Miller he drove a gun truck or something like that in the Battle of the Bulge thanks
5 Dec 2013 04:53:38 AM
Father In law will be 90 this year. Going strong
23 Dec 2013 12:11:31 AM
All wishing military information contact the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. It is a National Archives Site. There are guidelines that can be helpful. In addition, available unit histories through the Army might be a resource as would some veterans. Organizations.
26 Jan 2014 06:27:53 PM
My father was with the 101st in Bastogne. His name was Julius ray Fischer from Jersey City, NJ. He has seen passed but told me many stories of their ordeal.
8 Mar 2014 02:48:07 PM
There is an ancestory book about my family and there was a George Higgins who died December 5, 1944 in the battle of the bulge.
9 Mar 2014 07:24:59 AM
My Grandfather, James Everett Hendrickson was a Private or PFC during the period of the battle of the bulge. He enlisted 6/8/1944. Unfortunately, due to a MILPERCEN fire, his records were destroyed. He received the Bronze Star as part of the congressional award in the late 1960's. I'm trying to figure out how I can find out the unit he was with (or even division) as part of his service. The only thing I know was that he was in Europe and fought during the period of the Battle of the Bulge.
Anyone have thoughts or ideas?
Thanks
20 Apr 2014 11:52:40 PM
Looking for info on my Great Uncle. He was a SGT. Dale Shelton. Drove tanks.
23 Apr 2014 05:03:53 PM
My great uncle was MIA January 3rd 1945. All I know is that his name was Cpl Richard Watkins from Zanesville, Ohio. One of his brothers was Erwin (Zeb) Watkins a POW that was rescued, He later died of a heart attack several years later. I would appreciate any info anyone had or pictures.
9 Jun 2014 08:36:06 PM
My uncle, Lt. Paul W. Curtis, combat engineer. Died defending a bridge in Huton, Belgium. I would like to learn more about his unit. We are proud of him.
20 Jun 2014 07:21:36 PM
Awesome post, pictures, really well organized webstie. I´d like to know if you have any further ingormation of the german soldier, the famous pictures shown above.
4 Sep 2014 09:13:26 PM
I'm trying to find any info on my great uncle pvt. Joseph MELVIN Bohm. He was KIA @ the Bulge.
9 Sep 2014 01:35:48 PM
My Great grandfather PFC Harvey Holland is believed to have been killed during the battle of the bulge. He was possibly assigned to a tank due to injuries (lost toes due to frost bite). If you know anyone who may have information about him or how he died please email me
12 Sep 2014 09:36:09 AM
Does anyone have information on the 61st Combat Engineers
19 Sep 2014 05:57:47 PM
My Uncle Walter M. L. Lorch was wounded in this battle. I am trying to piece his WWII records together as all US Army records of the time were destroyed by fire.
If anyone can help I'm extremely thankful.
2 Oct 2014 08:32:59 PM
my great Uncle, PVT James H MacDonald from Massachusetts was killed on Jan 14, 1944 Belgium. He also served in the US Navy before he joined the Army. Being in the Army myself, I would like to see if anyone out there has any information/pictures/stories on him. Please email me :) I am mostly trying to find the unit he was with.
21 Oct 2014 06:32:44 AM
Does anyone know of Edwin Brocklesby? He was killed in the Battle of the Bulge. He is my uncle and I wanted to find some information. Thank you.
18 Nov 2014 08:59:27 PM
Anyone have information on my Uncle, Sgt. Helmuth Voge? He was killed on December 21st, 1944.
29 Nov 2014 07:43:27 AM
My Dad was Horace Greeley(Jack) Tindal from Swansea, S.C. He was a Paratrooper in the 101st airborne and was a POW at the battle of the bulge. Any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks
3 Dec 2014 01:28:21 PM
For those of you looking for specific records on a relative the easiest place to start is the State Military records for the State the person lived in when they joined or were drafted in. All you need is the legal first and family name!
Once you find the proper army and Division name you can then trace through ,hopefully, the veterens organization of that group. Good lusk to you all on your search. I had 2 uncles wounded in the Bulge, 42nd Rainbow Division, 3rd army.
John Woessner
5 Dec 2014 08:48:50 AM
My father has a Walther PPK that he said he took off of a German General at the battle of the Bulge. he was an ambulance driver with the 5th field hospital 5th Inf Div. Does anyone know if a German General was wounded or killed during the battle?
6 Dec 2014 07:08:57 PM
Looking for anything I can find on Thomas Clarkson Woods (Jr) killed in the battle of the Bulge. He was a 2nd lieutenant and was killed near Christmas, 1944.
29 Dec 2014 11:46:45 AM
My wife's uncle (Jack Pottorf from Ohio) was in the Battle of the Bulge. We would love to hear from anyone who knew him and fought next to him. God Bless you all.
5 Jan 2015 09:48:29 AM
Sad to see the post-war sanitisation of American senior commanders continues, in the face of the facts. Gen. Hodges (1st Army) and Gen. Simpson (9th Army) were happy for Eisenhower to hand over direction in the north to FM Montgomery, because Bradley failed to act. Monty's British XXX Corps crossed the Meuse two days before Patton even started to deploy 3rd Army and the German Panzer spearhead was stopped and turned back 3 miles from the Meuse by the tanks of the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment. Far from failing to attack, Monty created a corridor to St Vith, saving the 20,000 US soldiers under Gen. Clarke, who Ridgeway was prepared to see die (unsurprisingly, Clarke was forever grateful to Montgomery), then advanced. In fact, Patton moved off without notice to Montgomery, then because he wasn't properly prepared, took five days just to reach Bastogne, when he said he would be there in 24 hours. American soldiers deserve better than the officially distorted history of the battle.
10 Jan 2015 07:10:33 AM
my brother STAFF SGT THOMAS LEONARD LABOMBARD OF RAINBOW DIV WAS IN BATTLE OF BULGE ID YOU KNOW HIM
14 Apr 2015 01:54:59 PM
My childrens grandfather dide in the Battle of the buldge, we were not told anything about him, is ther anyway we can find out any info, my kids would like to know something about their grandfather His name is Kenneth Carroll Cleveland, thanks
20 Jun 2015 11:44:44 AM
Looking for information about Billy Hixson from Alexandria Louisiana
24 Jun 2015 02:28:02 PM
Looking for Charles (Chuck, Charlie) Barrand information. Seved in a tank crew under Patton from the invasion of north Africa to possibly this battle of the bulge. His tank was hit and he was sent back to a hospital in chicago with a hole in his head (recived a metal plate on his skull) and also got two new knees from the explsion, and stayed in the hospital for a couple of months. He left the war in late Dec 44 or early Jan 45. Not sure of his duty although after the war he became a truck driver and was good with mechanics. So possibly gunner or driver. he was from Fort Wayne Indiana, about mid 5 foot 7.
Any one know or heard of him, or know of lists of names of the wounded in the battle of the bulge.. PLEASE email at leftheart13@gmail.com -- or mailing address 406 E. Spruce St. Caldwell ID 83605
30 Aug 2015 07:15:52 AM
Looking for the circumstances and location where Cpl Martin Kurtich, 375th US engineer Regt GS was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge. If you know détails thanks to write on my E-mail address. Many thanks for your care.
1 Sep 2015 03:19:13 PM
Seeking any information on my late father, George "Pat" Donner from Detroit, MI who was at the Battle of the Bulge. Thanks!
8 Oct 2015 10:09:57 PM
This article is seriously deficient, utterly ignoring the key role played by the 2nd and 99th ID, assisted by the 30th and the 1st ID, in completely stopping the German advance in the northern sector.
Had the Germans succeeded in capturing Elsenborn Ridge, the would have potentially captured thousands of gallons of fuel and other supplies at the vast depots around Spa, and gained access to good roads all the way to Antwerp.
23 Oct 2015 02:19:19 PM
My father received a Purple Heart from the Battle of the Bulge service. He never actually received the metal and because of a fire their aren't any records of him receiving the metal. I thought maybe I could get hospital records to prove his injury but I don't know where to begin. any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you
26 Oct 2015 09:21:19 AM
i was wondering if someone might have any pics of my great-grandfather hilmer dalton timm
26 Oct 2015 09:24:35 AM
does anyone know how the fire stared
13 Dec 2015 02:57:57 PM
My Grandmere packed my 9 year old mother and went to the country where she was wet nursed during WWI. The house in Leige had been bombed and they had no food or shelter. It was Jan 1945. They ended up caught up in the end of the Battle of the Bulge. My mom says that's when she realized she was gonna marry an American Soldier. Well on the road to family my Grandmere and mom ran into a German deserting he held a gun to my Grandmere's head wanting her bicycle. My Grandmere told him you've taken enough from me you aren't getting my bicycle. My mom begged the German not to kill her mom. He left without the bicycle. My mom has many stories but this one always hit home. My mom married that American Soldier in 1958 and had 4 children. This time of year I give thanks and special remembrance to those soldiers who fought with their lives to save those occupied and oppressed by the Germans!
16 Dec 2015 02:09:42 PM
Looking for information about my uncle, Irl R. Williams, from South Dakota, who participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and was given several metals.
17 Dec 2015 02:50:17 AM
To my father he served his country and fought bravely in the Battle of the Buldge. Without men like him none of this would be possible.He was in the 3rd Army served General Patton and
Was a anti aircraft specialist. Daddy in heaven thank you.
23 Dec 2015 07:18:51 AM
Looking for info on 2nd cousin. George Patterson served as a tank crew member with 3rd Army under General Patton. He was killed in action during Battle of the Bulge
Dec. 1944.
23 Dec 2015 02:48:47 PM
I'm looking for anyone that knew my father he fought in the battle of the bulge and world war 2 his name was russell elmer gross
13 Feb 2016 03:08:21 PM
looking for a book that my grandfather had from his tour in the battle of the bulge. he was infantry in the 84th I think,in easy co. john sabino moniz.
16 Feb 2016 10:33:16 AM
HITLER DI NOTHING WRONG
6 Mar 2016 01:28:32 PM
I need to know about my father Joel W. Woods missing in action Battle of Bulge, France.
10 Apr 2016 12:26:15 PM
Wonderful artical. I'm looking for information on the movement of the 776 Field Artillery HQ battery. My grandfather was part of this unit. As with many other inquiries, records were lost in a fire. He was recommended for honors that were never received.
21 May 2016 10:07:46 AM
Any information on Williard F Johnson with the 101st Airborne who was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge on Christmas day?
25 May 2016 01:32:28 PM
My dad was a paratrooper in the 101st. He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He tells some horrific stories about his time there. He is 91 years old. His name is Thomas F. Harrell. I would love to find some pictures of him. Can anyone help point me in the right direction.
5 Jul 2016 08:00:25 PM
My great uncle Sgt. Forrest Nickles was a Pathfinder, and killed during the Battle of the Bulge, at least that's what my father remembers. I would like to find some information for a family history. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
16 Aug 2016 08:08:36 PM
My grandad Finus McClendon was in the 82 airborn. He was one of the survivors. He was found in the river an taken prisoner of war. His head was half blown off. Covered with lice. The Germans patched him up. After he returned he had extensive surgery. He never talked much about this to us. At his funeral my husband looked at me, his eyes wide, an said...who was your grandad??!! His funeral was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Like a presidential funeral...almost. It was such a tribute to him.
22 Aug 2016 09:46:10 AM
my uncle martin favor was killed during battle of bulge he died 26 dec. would like to know what unit he was in and how would i get copy of his military record
2 Sep 2016 05:07:07 AM
My father, William H. Buchta, Jr. , was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, 507th PIR Co D
1st Platoon. He was injured in the Battle of the Bulge. His picture can be found here along with any other soldiers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/507/507_trp.html
19 Dec 2016 12:22:58 PM
looking for anyone who knew my grandfather..Cpl,Richard Biss...Klamath Native American who served in the Battle of Bulge..looking for pictures of him
19 Dec 2016 12:23:43 PM
looking for anyone who knew my grandfather..Cpl,Richard Biss...Klamath Native American who served in the Battle of Bulge..looking for pictures of him
23 Dec 2016 08:53:31 AM
I am looking for information regarding my uncle who was killed at the Battle of the Bulge.
4 Jan 2017 07:36:56 AM
I am seeking anyone who knows anything about my great uncle Howard
J Alfrey KIA Dec 27 with the 508th PIR, H Company. Villettes,
22 Jan 2017 02:22:24 PM
My Great Grandfather fought in the battle of the Bulge, his name was Foch Pershing Pensis. I am looking for more information about his services and would love to see any picture that there may be out there.
14 Mar 2017 02:32:00 PM
looking for any information about my great uncle PFC FRANCISCO R FUENTES died 1/27/1945 and is buried in luxembourg. i never met him but i would like to know if anyone has a picture or anything of him
25 Mar 2017 09:42:01 AM
Looking for anyone who knew my father Joseph H. Stefanelli, a Staff Sergeant originally with 95th, who was in 3rd Army in Bastogne.
21 Apr 2017 07:54:58 AM
Looking for information on my Grandfather who passed when I was several month old. SSG Edward Francis Hogan.....
28 May 2017 11:42:39 AM
My father Edward K Matscherz fought in the Battle, was wounded in the calf (flesh wound) and eventually wound up In Berlin. Some of his friends called him Mat.
28 May 2017 12:50:29 PM
Sad to see the 'facts' twisted just to run down Montgomery and save the faces of US generals. It was actually the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment that stopped and turned back the panzer point and 90,000+ British troops took part in the northern battlefront, suffering heavy casualties, and getting airbrushed out of history for their pains. Von Manteuffel, commander of the Fifth Panzer Army, said that Montgomery prevented yet more unsuccessful piecemeal American attacks, and enabled a defence that frustrated German attempts to extend their breakthrough. By all means dislike Monty for his manner and his egotism, but he was no different in that respect to Patton - and he never slapped soldiers suffering from battle fatigue.
3 Jun 2017 12:03:14 PM
I am looking for information on Anthony Michael La Centra. He was with the 3rd army 80th infantry. He arrived in Europe September 1942. The last letter was April 28, 1945 from Germany. He was writing to my mother in law and abruptly stopped. She has since passed and we have found these letters from him along with pictures. Was wondering if anyone knew him and what happened to him.
6 Jun 2017 03:04:30 PM
my uncle Samuel Burdge was killed in action at the battle of the bulge. just wondering if anyone knew him. He was my father's brother. My dad's whole family has passed. just a few cousins left.
15 Jun 2017 06:59:14 PM
after my grandmother died I was looking through her pictures and I found a memorial service for joseph Columbus usery who was my mothers coisin. he died on jan 8, 1945 and his final resting place is listed as somewhere in Belgium. I think he was killed in this battle but can find no record of him.was wondering if anyone knew him
David Stubblebine says:17 Jun 2017 10:02:32 AM
To Anonymous (above; seeking information on Joseph Usery):
See: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=46705673
19 Jun 2017 07:08:51 AM
Many times only first or nicknames were used . my uncle talked of a Sam Bird . May have been Burdge . 3rd Army . Cpl.. If so was killed around St Vith by mortar fire . He was well liked by the guys . During the retreat from the area bodies were left where they had frozen. He would have been hard to identify . If this is him I am sorry for your loss .
11 Oct 2017 01:59:56 PM
My great grandpa was captured during this fight, he would remain in a POW camp for much of the rest of the war, if it wasn't for general Patton, my great grandpa could have died in the camp.
7 Nov 2017 07:34:15 PM
My father, John Weilert was a surgical tech and volunteered to remain behind with patients that could not be moved as the troops withdrew. The other person that stayed at the hospital was a Jewish Doctor. They knew it would not be good as my father had a German name and spoke German. If you have any information, please contact me.
9 Nov 2017 06:39:43 AM
My Uncle Anthony F. Iacocca was a tank commander. I was told he died at the Battle of the Bulge.
23 Dec 2017 03:58:42 PM
The article failed to mention that the US 1st and 9th armies were put under Montgomery's command. The 9th Army was under British control until the end of the war. In effect in the early stages of the Bulge Montgomery was commanding, as Ike was AWOL, with Montgomery unable to communicate with him.
The road from Luxembourg to Bastogne was largely devoid of German forces, as Bastogne was on the very southern German periphery. Only when Patton got near to Bastogne did he face 'some' German armour but it wasn't a great deal of armour. The Fuhrer Grenadier Brigade wasn't one of the best armoured units, while 26th Volks-Grenadier only had a dozen Hetzers, and the tiny element of Panzer Lehr (Kampfgruppe 901) left behind only had a small number of tanks operational. Its not as if Patton had to smash through full panzer divisions or Tiger battalions on his way to Bastogne. Patton's armoured forces outnumbered the Germans by at least 6 to 1.
Patton faced comparatively very little German armour when he broke through to Bastogne because the vast majority of the German 5th Panzer Army had already left Bastogne in the rear and moved westwards to the River Meuse, where they were still engaging forces under Montgomery's 21st Army Group. Leading elements were engaging the Americans and British under Montgomery's command near Dinant by the Meuse.
It was Patton's failure to concentrate his forces on a narrow front and his own decision to commit two green divisions to battle without adequate reconnaissance that were the reasons for his stall. After the German attack in the Ardennes, US air force units were put under RAF command, Coningham. Coningham, gave Patton massive US ground attack plane support and he still stalled. Patton rarely took any responsibility for his own failures. It was always somebody else at fault, including his subordinates.
Read _Monty and Patton:Two Paths to Victory_
by Michael Reynolds
6 Jan 2018 05:44:02 PM
My Great Uncle Stanley Okuniewicz served with CO A 254 Engineers in the Bulge. He passed away when I was 4. I recall my dad saying he didn’t speak much about it but he brought back a panzer pin he took off a dead German and a knife with the hard sheath
31 Jan 2018 12:28:44 PM
My uncle Samuel R. Burdge was killed in action. He was in a tank. He was 19 years old. If anyone knew him or has any pictures of him I would love to know.
30 Mar 2018 09:19:02 AM
My great uncles Finnish born American citizens fought at the bulge and other engagements. Does anyone know how I obtain his service records to go with the genealogy book I'm putting together.
21 Jun 2018 08:55:43 AM
i have found a picture on the ground here in belgium mechelen
i knew someone lost it but i didnt decide to throw it away it say 1945 january in on the backside and a name called
"jimmy( loadoleke )" i'm not sure about the last name but its definetely jimmy
11 Jan 2019 06:40:37 PM
My father fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He passed in 2003 but among his possessions was a photograph of him and a fellow soldier taken in September 1943 with the name of his fellow soldier (John Neweg(?)) with a notation “KIA Jan. 45”. I know it’s a long shot but I’d like to try to find any of his relatives and share the photograph, if possible. How can I find a list of Battle of the Bulge America GI deaths? I could at least determine the man’s last name from the list. My dad’s handwriting can be hard to decipher.
23 May 2019 02:30:59 PM
Looking for any info on Sgt. Sylvester Sipe, Loretto, Minnesota. He signed a captured flag with many other military personnel. My friend's relative.
Thanks
6 Jun 2019 11:35:53 PM
are there any battle of the bulge reunions for the veterans still alive
9 Jun 2019 10:23:41 AM
My Uncle Floyd L. Lucas was
active at Battle Of the Bulge and survived. My understanding
is he was in tanks/tank most
of the time. Anyone who may remember him or can give other details of their experience
would be appreciated.
Thank You
8 Oct 2019 01:03:53 PM
My grandfather was at the Battle of the Bulge. He is now deceased and never discussed his military time. We have several photos of him and other unnamed soldiers. Where can I post these pictures to see if family or other veterans can identify them?
17 Nov 2019 02:32:48 PM
Father, Godfrey Hugh East, messenger (runner), with 276 th Infantry Div, co. A. Can find no records of him on roster or other writings. Paperwork i have says Ardenne. Please... any information. Thank you.
2 Dec 2019 08:33:09 AM
There is a Facebook page called The Battle of the Bulge Association. You can probably post your pictures there! My grandfather also fought at the Battle of the Bulge.
28 Feb 2020 01:47:44 PM
i'm hearing stories about possible family members that may have been killed in the Battle of the Bulge. At this time, I'm unsure of first names. Last name is Burns, possibly from St Louis or surrounding area.
11 Apr 2020 10:22:26 AM
my brother was killed during the battle of the bulge i am trying to find out what unit he was with his name was William H Carman jr
26 Jul 2020 08:00:27 PM
my dad Robert L Johnson was captured in a barn by the germans. others tried escaping and was shot. my dad let them take him rather then being shot an killed . does anybody know anything the barn and capture?
15 Nov 2020 10:06:30 PM
My Grandfather was Sgt. Aubrey L. Smith. He was a prisoner of war for 18 months Stalag 4B Germany. I'm trying to find more information about his capture and his unit. He escaped the camp and fled from Germany on a train
22 Nov 2020 07:22:29 AM
My paternal uncle, John Henry Donovan of Irvington, NJ was in the Battle of the Bulge. I am trying to find his records.
14 Dec 2020 02:58:42 PM
My Uncle Severo Gonzales, New Mexico, was in the Battle of the Bulge. I am trying to find his records.
17 Dec 2020 06:37:09 PM
Whoever runs this website should be ashamed of how it is being managed and forcing people to run their searches through a lousy payment system to track down a relative veteran. Don’t use this website people. You can find the information you’re looking for elsewhere.
22 May 2021 02:54:59 AM
Hello. My grandfather, Jack Anderson Allen was in this battle. He was missing in action for a few months, got shot and froze. I can never find anything about him anywhere
30 May 2021 10:42:43 AM
my uncle (mothers brother) John Morris fought in the Battle of the Bulge and survived, I wish I would have asked him to tell me more
30 May 2021 05:24:58 PM
My father fought in the battle of the Bulge. I have recorded his unit’s participation in a paper which i wrote while i was in my officer advance course as Captain in 1993. Where could I upload this paper including annotated sources to your website.
18 Jun 2021 03:23:24 PM
The picture taken of a fighting a german soldier by a German Friend is photographed during a long marsch. I fel for him. WHO is he and what happened to him. Re really took my heart.
Kind regards,
Ms Maria i Sweden
S
4 Dec 2021 11:21:36 AM
John Edward McAdams died April 10,1945 34 years old Battle of the bulge,Holand.Any information appreciated. My uncle.
14 Nov 2022 12:38:59 PM
My father, Ray Yarvi, served in the Battle of the Bulge, and was only one of a few in his infantry who survived. Trying to find more info re: platoon name, his rank, other survivors with him, etc. All of his army records lost in records fire many years ago. Thanks for any info that can be provided
27 Dec 2022 10:58:53 PM
My grandfather, I won't name him since he didn't talk about it much and eschewed credit, fought in this battle. And he came back from this war with a commitment to racial and social equality that set him apart from other men that looked like him and were born in the decade he was. His generation spearheaded civil rights, and I am more than certain that many of them learned respect for that cause through experiencing the evil of Nazism and the blood they were forced to spill. As I said, he didn't talk about this. He was drafted. He survived. We are not a "military family" so much. But the importance of what he was forced to kill for was clear by the example he passed on to his children, grandkids, and even step-great-grandkids. Nothing but respect for those that worked to turn evil into long-term good, and a wish or a hope to further my grandfather's cause without violence.
30 Apr 2024 09:10:52 AM
Please correct your info on the Chenogne massacre. It was 80 SS prisoners of war, not 30.
13 Jun 2024 05:43:44 PM
my dad was there, battery A 601st field artilery made it home ok.any information would like to here about.
27 Sep 2024 11:24:52 PM
This is history showing its relevance and teachings to all those with a quest for knowledge that can be applied in decision making and solving problems, as well as plaining. .....There are 2 Battles in WW II fought by Americans one Army ,Battle of The Bulge , Patton's advance to Bastogne,Dec. 1944 and one Naval, The Battle Off Samar, Oct.25, Taffy3 Taskforce against a huge Japanese fleet in Leyte Gulf,Phillipines. .....first they were absolutely 2 of the most historically significant heroic events won by ordinary soldiers and sailors commanded by generals an admirals and staff officers who were capable but not the ones often chosen. The common element here is the fact that complacency and poor intelligence of General Eisenhower and Admiral Halsey made these events possible. The Ardennes was considered quiet and even an R&R area and a good place for the untried 28th division. Halsey left Admiral Sprague with a Taskforce of Jeep Aircraft Carriers CVE's, Destroyers,DestroyerEscorts and a submarine. Halsey was a 130 miles away chasing the the big *** carriers. Mean while General McArthur was in a huge Full scale Invasion Landing at Leyte Island. Philippines. Which the Japanese Taskforce was attempting to stop and prolong the war. In that Taskforce was the the Yamato the largest, heavily gunned battleship in the world. There only was outgunned Admiral Sprague and Taffy 3. In the Bulge Patton and his Soldiers had to fight German resistance , obstacles and traps with explosives ,plus rain, snow cold lack of sleep and fatigue just to get to Bastone with no help. Right here is where you see the qualities of True leaders.Patton and Sprague. Montgomery never attacked just whined and complained. Bradley did do that much except stay out of Patton's way and watch his back. There were some attacks north of Patton to assist but not much help. ......Complacency , internal politics , personalities, and the Fact that the those leaders at the top lost sight of their responsibilities first inviting attack, then failed respond to it until it was almost to late ,deserved to be reprimanded or demoted. The Pattons and Spragues along with rank and file men and woman who bail out the the Big Shots, who screw up and never bat an eye or never take the blame.They are also in position to rewrite history so they look good. The average Joe always pays the price.
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» Abrams, Creighton
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» Zangen, Gustav-Adolf
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» 11 Days in December: Christmas at the Bulge, 1944
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» Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends
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Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943
25 Apr 2005 09:10:10 AM
My Father was in the U.S. Army with Battery A 967th FA BN. He was wounded at ETO 10 January 1945. Do you have any information on the 967th and where they were on January 10, 1945. Thank you.