“... we were not mistaken either about the place of its application, or about the inevitability of such a step on the part of the enemy. Moreover, with regard to the general response to these actions of the enemy, in this case, Bradley and I had a long agreed plan of response. »

Thus, the American command prepared in advance to repel the enemy offensive, placing large mobile groupings of its troops north and south of the Ardennes, and in the Ardennes themselves they deliberately weakened the defense, leaving the 28th and 106th infantry divisions. Everything happened exactly as the American commanders expected - German troops went on the offensive in the Ardennes, where the Allies deliberately weakened the defense, and when the Germans broke through almost 100 km to the west, American troops attacked them with their mobile groups of the 1st and 3rd armies from the flanks - from the north and south, putting the Germans at risk environment. For the Germans, such an offensive in the form of a "wedge", when they are simultaneously attacked from the north and south mobile forces the enemy will end with a "cauldron". On December 16, 1944, at the beginning of the operation, German troops managed to break through the front of the Anglo-American troops in a sector of 80 km and capture 30,000 American soldiers and officers.

By December 26, 1944, the Wehrmacht offensive in the Ardennes was stopped due to increased enemy resistance, shortages of fuel and ammunition, and increased activity of allied aviation. A few days later, American troops, reinforced by redeployment from other sectors of the front, launched a counterattack by the 3rd American Army in the direction of the city of Bastogne. The German command transferred two SS tank corps from the 6th SS Panzer Army (comprising three divisions) to this sector. During the week, bloody battles were fought outside the city with no visible result for both sides. On January 8, 1945, seeing the futility of a further offensive in the Ardennes and in view of the sharply aggravated situation in the Budapest region, Hitler ordered the withdrawal of the 6th Panzer Army to the deep rear and ordered to ensure the accelerated completion of its formations with personnel and military equipment (for example, only 1 SS Panzer Division lost about 45% of tanks and self-propelled guns in three weeks of fighting). The offensive of the Wehrmacht in the Ardennes eventually ended in defeat.

This is clearly shown on two maps of the Ardennes operation, the first map shows the offensive of the Wehrmacht from December 16 to 25, and the second map shows the Allied counteroffensive from December 25, 1944 to the end of January 1945, partial encirclement, retreat and defeat of German troops. According to Eisenhower: "The German command made a serious mistake by launching an offensive in the Ardennes - it was an offensive of the desperate."

Allies

Troops involved in the Battle of the Ardennes:

21st Army Group (B. Montgomery) - located in the Ardennes (Belgium)

1st American Army (C. Hodges) - temporarily subordinate to the 21st Army Group

British 30th Corps (B. Horrocks) from British 2nd Army (M. Dempsey)

12th Army Group (O. Bradley) - located in the Ardennes (Belgium and Luxembourg)
and partly in Lorraine

US 3rd Army (J. Patton)

The Allied Command had significant reserves with which they could stop any German attempts to break through in the Ardennes, and in any other place. The rest of the allied troops were located on the Western Front as follows: North of the Ardennes were:

2nd British Army

1st Canadian Army

US 9th Army

6th Army Group (J. Davers) - located in Alsace and Lorraine and participated in the Alsace-Lorraine and later Colmar operations

US 7th Army (A. Patch)

1st French Army (J. de Lattre de Tassigny)

In France, newly arrived American divisions formed

The 15th American Army, which was formed in early 1945 and sent to the front.

The border between the 21st and 12th Army Groups ran along the 50th parallel northern latitude. The border between the 12th and 6th Army Groups is about 15 km west of the city of Saarbrücken. The 1st American Army was temporarily subordinated to the 21st Army Group of Field Marshal Montgomery, since it turned out to be north of the Ardennes salient and its communication with the 21st Army Group turned out to be much better than with the 12th Army Group, which turned out to be south. Thus, General Eisenhower decided that operational command of the 1st Army would pass to Montgomery.

Germany

Army Group "B" (B. Model) - directly opposite the Ardennes.

7th Army (E. Brandenberger)

5th tank army(H. Manteuffel)

6th SS Panzer Army (J. Dietrich)

Army Group "G" (P. Hausser) - south of the Ardennes.

19th Army

Army Group "H" (J. Blaskowitz) - north of the Ardennes.

1st Parachute Army (Germany)

15th Army

Among the numerous myths of the Second World War, the battle in the Ardennes at the end of the war is one of the most famous and at the same time mythophized.

In Soviet popular historiography, it is generally accepted that the Red Army launched an offensive that, by order of Stalin, began ahead of schedule at the request of the allies, saved from the defeat of the allies in the Ardennes.

Let's try to figure it out by analyzing the facts. First of all, we will try to find out whether there was a rout, and whether there was a request for help, respectively.

So the Ardennes operation (1944-1945) Battle of the Bulge English version name of this battle
The offensive in the Ardennes (codename German Wacht am Rhein - “Watch on the Rhine”) is an operation by German troops on the Western Front during World War II. It was carried out on December 16, 1944 - January 29, 1945 in the Ardennes (southwest of Belgium) with the aim of changing the situation on the Western Front, defeating the Anglo-American armed forces in Belgium and the Netherlands, and, if possible, persuade the United States and England to separate negotiations on peace and cessation of hostilities actions in the West, thereby freeing up forces for the Eastern Front.

At the initial stage of the battle, according to the English version of Wikipedia, the allies had 83 thousand soldiers and officers, 242 medium tanks, 182 self-propelled guns 394 guns, 4 infantry and one mechanized division. Subsequently, they were reinforced by 20 infantry and 9 tank and mechanized divisions.

On December 23-24, 1944, the Allied forces included approximately 610,000 Americans, 55,000 British, 4,155 guns, 1,616 tanks and 6,000 aircraft.

The Germans at the beginning of the battle had 13 divisions, including 8 infantry and 5 tank and mechanized, 200,000 soldiers and officers, 340 tanks, 280 self-propelled guns, 1600 guns, and 955 multi-barreled mortars. Later they were reinforced by twelve infantry and 3 mechanized divisions, which included 100,000 soldiers and officers, 440 tanks and about the same number of self-propelled guns. From the air they were covered by 1600 aircraft.

Allied casualties: 89,500 Americans, 19,000 of them killed, 47,500 wounded and 23,000 missing or captured. Between 700 and 800 tanks and self-propelled guns and 647 aircraft were lost.

The British have 1408 of them 200 killed, 969 wounded and 239 missing or taken prisoner.

The Germans have different sources from 67,459 to 125,000 losses, including those killed, wounded and missing or captured. Destroyed or damaged from 600 to 800 tanks and self-propelled guns and hundreds of aircraft.

The defense of the allies in the Ardennes was held American divisions(about 83 thousand people), two of whom had no combat experience, and two had previously suffered heavy losses and were taken to a “calm area” to recuperate. On December 16, 1944, at the beginning of the operation, German troops managed to break through the front of the Anglo-American troops in a sector of 80 km and capture thousands of Allied soldiers and officers.

The offensive of the German troops (6th SS Panzer Army, 5th Panzer Army and 7th Field Army, united in Army Group "B" under the command of Field Marshal V. Model began in the morning of December 16, 1944, and by December 25 the Germans advanced 90 km deep into the defense.The first goal of the Germans, of course, were the bridges over the Meuse River, which separated the Ardennes from the rest of Belgium and without the capture of which a further offensive was impossible due to geographical features terrain. Then they planned to advance on Antwerp, through the port of which the supply of the 21st Army Group passed, and on the capital of Belgium - Brussels. The German command most of all relied on its heavy armored vehicles (Tiger and King Tiger tanks) and non-flying weather - due to constant snowfalls and heavy cloud cover, the Allied aircraft could not operate for several days and this temporarily nullified the Allied air superiority. The Germans expected to make up for the lack of fuel by capturing captured fuel from the Allies in warehouses in the cities of Liege and Namur. The bridges over the Meuse were defended by parts of the 30th British Corps and were mined by sappers and ready to be blown up in case there was a threat of their capture by the Germans.

By the end of December, the weather improved and the Allies immediately took advantage of this. Allied aircraft began to strike at the advancing German troops and bombed the supply lines of the German troops, who were experiencing an acute shortage of fuel, as they could not capture the fuel depots in Liège and Namur. They could not even reach the first goal of the operation - the capture of bridges across the Meuse River, since they did not reach the river. Meanwhile, American troops, reinforced by redeployment from other sectors of the front, launched a counterattack by the 3rd American Army from the south in the direction of the city of Bastogne, and the 1st American Army, together with the 30th British Corps, completely stopped the enemy advance. The 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne held back the onslaught of the enemy and was released by units of the 3rd american army.

The offensive of the Wehrmacht bogged down near the Belgian city of Celles on the morning of December 25, 1944, just 6 km from the Meuse River and the bridge in the city of Dinan. Ironically, it was the last locality on the way to the Meuse. Here was the "point" of the Ardennes ledge, that is, the westernmost point of the German offensive in the Ardennes. Here the German 2nd Panzer Division, advancing in the vanguard of the 5th Panzer Army, was surrounded near the town of Sell. The 2nd German Panzer Division was surrounded by the 2nd American and 11th British Panzer Divisions.

By December 25, 1944, as a strategic operation, the German offensive in the Ardennes ended in complete failure. They did not even fulfill tactical tasks - they could not capture the bridges over the Meuse River, and did not even reach the river itself. This was mainly due to the problems of supplying German troops with fuel and ammunition. Despite Hitler's orders to continue the offensive, the German troops began to withdraw.

On January 3, 1945, the Anglo-American troops moved from small counterattacks to a full-scale offensive against German positions.

On December 24, 1944 (the day when the encirclement around Budapest had already closed), Guderian, then chief of the general staff, arrived at Hitler's Headquarters "Eagle's Nest", located in Zigenberg (Hesse). He intended to categorically demand the cancellation of the operation planned on the Western Front. He considered it an unnecessary waste of time and effort, which he so badly needed on the Eastern Front. He talked about the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Soviet troops, about a 15-fold superiority in ground weapons and almost 20-fold in the air. And these words were not some kind of exaggeration. Guderian himself knew that the Soviet command planned to launch a general offensive around January 12th. But these words did not touch Hitler. He replied indifferently: “This is the biggest deception of Genghis Khan. Who told you such nonsense?

Here is what Guderian recalled: So, on December 16, the offensive began, the 5th Panzer Army deeply wedged into the enemy’s defenses. Advanced tank formations ground forces- 116th and 2nd tank divisions - went directly to the river. Maas. Separate units of the 2nd Panzer Division even reached the river. Rhine. The 6th Panzer Army was not so successful. Accumulation of troops on narrow, icy mountain roads, delays in bringing the second echelon into battle in the sector of the 5th Panzer Army, insufficiently quick use of the initial success - all this led to the fact that the army lost the pace of the offensive - the most necessary condition for every major operation. In addition, the 7th Army ran into difficulties, as a result of which it was necessary to turn the armored units of Manteuffel to the south in order to forestall the threat from the flank. After that, there could be no question of a major breakthrough. Already on December 22, it was necessary to recognize the need to limit the purpose of the operation. On this day, a large-minded command should have remembered the expected offensive on the Eastern Front, the position of which depended on the timely completion of the already largely failed offensive on the Western Front. However, not only Hitler, but also the high command of the armed forces, and especially the headquarters of the operational leadership of the armed forces, in these fateful days thought only of the Western Front. The tragedy of our military command became even more obvious after the failure of the offensive in the Ardennes before the end of the war.

On December 24, it was clear to every sane soldier that the offensive had finally failed. It was necessary to switch all our efforts to the east immediately, if it was not already too late.

In the early days of 1945, Hitler had a new solution. He planned to withdraw the 6th SS Panzer Army from the Ardennes, replenish it, and then transfer it to the Eastern Front. The German army command was not yet ready to admit the failure of the Ardennes offensive, but due to huge human and material losses, discontent began to spread among the generals.

General Tippelskirch wrote about this:
“During the retreat, we lost tanks and assault guns more than during the entire offensive. It was a very strong blow to the psychological mood in the units. The sight of SS units pulled up from the West was especially depressing. Even if they had to be replenished in order to be further used on another sector of the front, it still made an unfavorable impression on the army units, since now the main burden of the battle had to fall on their shoulders. This was a huge psychological miscalculation, which, however, never affected the front-line relations between SS officials and army employees.
It is significant that it was the Ardennes operation, unsuccessfully planned by Hitler, that became the starting point of his deep disappointment in his own Waffen-SS formations. The English historian Lidzel Hart noted in this regard: "This failure ruined the entire reputation of the Waffen-SS."

During the operational meeting, which was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and the commander of Army Group West, Field Marshal Rundstedt, Hitler announced his intention to withdraw the 6th Panzer Army from the Western Front in order to create a powerful reserve on its basis. At that moment, not a word was uttered about her transfer to the Eastern Front, as Colonel-General Guderian demanded.

For a long time it was not possible to begin the withdrawal of this "reserve of the High Command of the Wehrmacht", since the Anglo-American troops attacked the 6th Panzer Army from almost all sides. In addition, her disappearance from the Western Front would have been immediately noted by Western reconnaissance aircraft. The transfer was also associated with another risk - the British and American aircraft, which dominated the air in this region, could inflict enormous damage on the retreating tank army. In those days, Western stormtroopers literally hunted for every vehicle like hunting dogs after a hare. As on the Eastern Front, any movement was possible only at night, but even in these conditions they were associated with heavy losses. While the withdrawal of the 6th Panzer Army from the West was very slow, Hitler decided to transfer it after replenishment to the Eastern Front. The sector of the front where this armada was supposed to be was not yet determined.

But the events that were rapidly developing both on the Eastern and Western fronts very quickly influenced the choice of Hitler. On January 12, 1945, exactly as Guderian had indicated, the general offensive of the Red Army began. A day later, the Western allies began active operations. Hitler was in a state of shock.

On the night of January 19-20, 1945, Rundstedt received an order to prepare for as soon as possible bring out the 6th. tank army. At 7 p.m. on January 20, the withdrawal of the 1st SS Panzer Corps began, which was heading "to the East near Berlin."

In various sources, the figures for the number of troops participating in the Battle of the Arden are different, but at the same time they all say that in terms of the balance of forces and the sequence of events, there was no defeat in the Ardennes, although for the allies this blow by the Germans was unexpected and for the entire period of offensive actions in this battle, they suffered the greatest losses. Within 9 days, after the start of the German offensive, it was stopped. The forces of the allies many times exceeded the forces of the Wehrmacht, and every day this difference only increased, as the allies constantly increased their forces in Europe, and the Germans no longer had any reserves.

In total, by mid-December 1944, on a front of 640 km, the Allies had 63 divisions (of which 15 were armored), including 40 American, about 10 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, almost 8 thousand aircraft (excluding transport aviation). In addition, four airborne divisions (two in the Reims area and two in England) were in the reserve of the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary forces.

Now back to the second question. Was there a request?

The canonical version of this request sounds like this on January 6, 1945, Winston Churchill addressed the Supreme Commander Joseph Stalin:
“I would be grateful if you could let me know if we can count on a major Russian offensive on the Vistula front or somewhere else during January...

Now let's turn to the primary sources. Below are the translations and original texts of Stalin's correspondence with Roosevelt and Churchill during this period.

In 1958, in Moscow, Gospolitizdat published a 2-volume edition of 150,000 copies "Correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR with the Presidents of the United States and the Prime Ministers of Great Britain during the Great patriotic war 1941-1945", in which the correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR I. V. Stalin with the President of the USA F. Roosevelt, the President of the USA G. Truman, with the Prime Minister of Great Britain W. Churchill and the Prime Minister of Great Britain K. Attlee in years of the so-called "Great Patriotic War"

I have just returned from visiting General Eisenhower's headquarters and Field Marshal Montgomery's headquarters separately. The battle in Belgium is very difficult, but they believe that we are masters of the situation. The diversionary offensive that the Germans are undertaking in Alsace also causes difficulties in relations with the French and tends to pin down American forces. I still remain of the opinion that the number and armament allied armies, including air Force, will make von Rundstedt regret his bold and well-organized attempt to split our front and, if possible, capture the port of Antwerp, which is now of vital importance.

PERSONAL AND MOST SECRET MESSAGE FROM Mr CHURCHILL TO MARSHAL STALIN
There is very heavy fighting going on in the West, and at any time big decisions may be required from the High Command. You yourselves know from your own experience how troubling the situation is when one has to defend a very wide front after a temporary loss of initiative. It is highly desirable and necessary for General Eisenhower to know in in general terms what you intend to do, as this, of course, will affect all of his and our most important decisions. According to the message received, our emissary Air Chief Marshal Tedder was in Cairo last night, weather bound. His trip was greatly delayed through no fault of yours. If he has not yet arrived to you, I shall be grateful if you can let me know if we can count on a major Russian offensive on the Vistula front or somewhere else during January and at any other points that you may you wish to mention. I will not pass on this very classified information, with the exception of Field Marshal Brooke and General Eisenhower, and only on condition that it be kept in the strictest confidence. I consider the matter urgent.
January 6, 1945.

PERSONAL AND MOST SECRET MESSAGE FROM Mr CHURCHILL TO MARSHAL STALIN
The battle in the West is very heavy and, at any time, large decisions may be called for from the Supreme Command. You know yourself from your own experience how very anxious the position is when a very broad front has to be defended after temporary loss of the initiative. It is General Eisenhower "s great desire and need to know in outline what you plan to do, as this obviously affects all his and our major decisions. Our Envoy, Air Chief Marshal Tedder, was last night reported weather-bound in Cairo. His journey has been much delayed through no fault of yours. any other points you may care to mention.
I shall not pass this most secret information to anyone except Field Marshal Brooke and General Eisenhower, and only under conditions of the utmost secrecy. I regard the matter as urgent.
January 6th, 1945
________________________________________

PERSONAL AND MOST SECRET FROM PREMIER J. V. STALIN TO THE PRIME MINISTER, Mr W. CHURCHILL
Your message of January 6 reached me in the evening of January 7.
I am sorry to say that Air Marshal Tedder has not yet arrived in Moscow.
It is extremely important to take advantage of our superiority over the Germans in guns and aircraft. What we need for the purpose is clear flying weather and the absence of low mists that prevent aimed artillery fire. We are mounting an offensive, but at the moment the weather is unfavorable. Still, in view of our Allies" position on the Western Front, GHQ of the Supreme Command have decided to complete preparations at a rapid rate and, regardless of weather, to launch large-scale offensive operations along the entire Central Front not later than the second half of January Rest assured we shall do all in our power to support the valiant forces of our Allies.
January 7, 1945

So, the supporters of the legend about the request, for some reason, are bashfully silent that on January 5, in a letter to Stalin, Churchill writes that the Western allies have no doubts about the outcome of the battle in the Ardennes. In a letter dated January 6, he only asks about the plans of the Soviet command, which of course they wanted to know in order to plan their own operations.

As you know, the Vistula-Oder strategic offensive operation - the strategic offensive of the Soviet troops on the right flank of the Soviet-German front began on January 12, ended on February 3. That is, the operation began two weeks after the German offensive in the Ardennes ended and the German troops began to retreat under the blows of the Allies.

The withdrawal to the East of the most combat-ready German 6th Panzer Army, which had lost almost all of its tanks in the Ardennes, began only on January 20th.

The most interesting thing is that, presumably, the date of January 12, as the beginning of the Soviet offensive, was brought to the attention of Hitler by the head of intelligence of the Eastern Front of Germany, Reinhard Gehlen, through Guderian, long before the start of the Arden operation. That is why Guderian was against the Arden operation and the transfer of troops from the Eastern Front to the Western. On December 24, Guderian reported to Hitler's headquarters about the impending offensive of the Soviet troops and demanded that the Arden operation be stopped in order to transfer troops to the East.

Hitler rejected this proposal, considering the information of German intelligence about the forces of the Red Army a bluff. On December 31, Guderian, knowing full well that the Arden operation had failed, again demanded the transfer of troops to the east, but was again refused.

Those hundreds of thousands of German soldiers and officers, thousands of tanks, guns and aircraft could have ended up on the Eastern Front, if not for the Ardennes operation and our multimillion-dollar losses, and so huge, they would have been even greater.

As you know, the German troops on the Western Front for the period from June 1 to December 31, 1944 lost 634 thousand people - 57 thousand killed, 188 thousand wounded and 389 thousand captured and missing.

During the period of the Cold War, mutual insults and accusations, the myth of saving the allies in the Arden operation was born.

Ardennes operation
(Operation Watch on the Rhine)
Battle for the Bulge

German offensive in the Ardennes - (Ardennnenoffensive) - the operation of the German Army Group "B" in the Ardennes mountain range in southwestern Belgium in order to defeat the Anglo-American troops in Belgium and southern Holland, to change the situation on the Western Front in their favor and the released forces and send funds to the Eastern Front. The German offensive in the Ardennes began on December 16, 1944 and lasted 9 days, after which, within a month, American and British troops restored their initial position (until January 28, 1945).

The code name for the German operation in the Ardennes is "Watch (guard) on the Rhine"(Wacht am Rhein) . In the UK, this operation is called (Battle of the Ardennes), in the USA - "Battle for the Ledge"(Battle of the Bulge).

By the end of 1944, the Allied forces approached the German border, which was covered by " Siegfried line”, or “Western rampart”. However, the fortifications of the Siegfried Line, built in the 30s, did not meet modern requirements. Casemates were designed for 37 mm guns and could not accommodate 75 mm and 88 mm guns that could successfully fight enemy tanks. In addition, there were not enough troops to occupy the Siegfried Line.

Allied bomber aircraft regularly made massive raids on industrial centers and cities in Germany. Soviet troops stood on the Vistula near East Prussia.

The situation on the Western Front on December 15, 1944 on the eve of the Ardennes operation.

US Army Center for Military History

The deployment of the forces of the parties to the beginning of the Ardennes operation

Allied troops:

21st British Army Group(B. Montgomery) - 2nd British and 1st Canadian armies.

12th american group armies(O. Bradley) - 1st, 3rd and 9th American armies.

At the beginning of the German offensive, the 1st and 9th American armies were transferred to the 21st British Army Group. 1st Army - temporarily.

In the Ardennes located: the 1st American Army (C. Hodges), the 30th British Corps (B. Horrocks) from the 2nd British Army and the 8th Corps of the 3rd American Army (J. Patton).

The 1st American Army took up defensive positions in the northern part of the Ardennes between the cities of Saint-Vith and Liège. Part of its formations and the formations of the 9th Army fought in the Hurtgen forest. Here they broke through the Siegfried Line into German territory and created a bridgehead 50 km along the front and 40 km in depth. The 30th British Corps defended the bridges across the river Meuse. The bridges were mined in case german tanks come up to them.

North of the Ardennes were the 1st Canadian Army, the 2nd British Army and the 9th American Army.

South of the Ardennes the main forces of the 3rd American Army were located, which partially wedged into the Siegfried line and created a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Saar River, where troops were concentrated to continue the offensive into the Saar region. Even further south, in Alsace and Lorraine, the 6th Army Group (J. Davers) was located - the 7th American Army (A. Patch) and the 1st French Army (J. de Lattre de Tassigny).

The command of the allied forces had significant reserves for a timely response to a German breakthrough anywhere on the front, including in the Ardennes.

In France, the 15th American Army was formed from divisions arriving from the United States. Having completed the formation, at the beginning of 1945 she was sent to the front.

The total number of American troops in the area of ​​the Ardennes operation reached 840 thousand people with 1300 tanks, 182 self-propelled anti-tank guns and 394 artillery pieces.

German troops:

For German offensive in the Ardennes(Operation Watch on the Rhine - Wacht am Rhein) the 6th SS Panzer Army was formed, consisting of the 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Corps and the 67th Army Corps.

To carry out the Ardennes operation, the German command created two strike groups: Northern ( 6th SS Panzer Army, Commander SS Oberstgruppenfuehrer Sepp Dietrich) and South ( 5th Panzer Army General Manteuffel, 47th and 58th Tank Corps, 66th Army Corps). In the 6th SS Panzer Army and the 5th Panzer Army was concentrated a large number of medium tanks "Panther" and heavy tanks"Tiger" and "King Tiger", as well as self-propelled guns "Jagdpanther" and "Jagdtigr".

Also involved in the operation 7th Army(E. Brandenberger, 80th and 85th corps), advancing on the left flank.

Erie three armies were part of Army Group "B"(Heeresgruppe B, commander of Field Marshal V. Model), located opposite the Ardennes. The German group consisted of 24 divisions, including 10 tank divisions, as well as individual units.

Army Group "X"(Heeresgruppe H, J. Blaskowitz) was located north of the Ardennes. It included the 15th and 25th armies and the 1st parachute army.

Army Group "G"(Heeresgruppe G, P. Hausser) was located south of the Ardennes. It consisted of the 1st and 19th armies.

According to various estimates, 240 thousand - 500 thousand people, 1800 tanks, 1900 artillery pieces and jet mortars "Nebelwerfer" (Nebelwerfer) and 800 aircraft.

Planning for the German offensive in the Ardennes

It was planned to strike through the Ardennes (Operation Watch on the Rhine - Wacht am Rhein), because the Allies considered this area impassable for troops in winter. Then the German strike groups, passing through Bastogne and Malmedy, were supposed to cross the Meuse and capture Brussels and Antwerp. It was planned to cut off the northern flank of the allied front, press it to the sea and arrange a second Dunkirk. The planning of the offensive in the Ardennes was carried out in deep secrecy. Many formation commanders learned about him only on the eve of the start of the offensive.

According to the plan, the 6th SS Panzer Army was to advance on Antwerp, through the port of which the 21st British Army Group was supplied, and the 5th Panzer Army on Brussels.

The first task of the German troops, there were bridges across the river Meuse in the cities of Liege and Namur. In the same cities, advanced German detachments were supposed to capture fuel depots in order to make up for the shortage of fuel for armored vehicles and vehicles of the advancing German groups.

At the beginning of the offensive in the Ardennes, German troops had a significant superiority in tanks and an almost 5-fold superiority in artillery. The German command also counted on non-flying weather, which excluded the use of Allied aviation, which had overwhelming air superiority.

Ardennes operation December 16, 1944 - January 28, 1945

Soviet military encyclopedia, vol. 1.

German offensive in the Ardennes 16-25 December 1944

On the morning of December 16, Army Group B under the command of Field Marshal V. Model, consisting of three armies (6th Panzer SS, 5th Panzer and 7th Field), launched an offensive through the Ardennes mountain forest massif. After a short artillery preparation, the strike groups of German troops, supported by 900 tanks and self-propelled guns, launched an offensive.

Bad weather brought to naught the absolute superiority of Allied air power.

Promotion of the German 6th SS Panzer Army in the northern sector of the Ardennes Offensive from 16 to 19 December 1944


Source: Scanned from map insert in US Army in World War II - The Ardennes: The Battle of the Bulge.

Promotion of the 5th German Panzer Army in the central sector of the Ardennes offensive from 16 to 19 December 1944

Advancement of the German 7th Army in the southern sector of the Ardennes offensive
from 16 to 19 December 1944


Source: Scanned from map insert in US Army in World War II - The Ardennes: The Battle of the Bulge.
License: US Government document. Assumed public domain.

One of the main factors that did not allow Nazi Germany to produce the maximum concentration of forces on the Western Front was the actions of Soviet troops on the Soviet-German front. The famous English historian Liddell Hart wrote: "The commanders who were instructed to lead the offensive soon learned to their disappointment that they would not receive part of the promised forces due to the menacing Russian strikes in the East."

The offensive of German troops in the Ardennes: December 16 - 25, 1944

Source: US ARMY in World War II - The Ardennes. License: Assumed public domain.

On December 17, 1944, near the Belgian town of Malmedy, a detachment under the command of SS Standartenführer Joachim Peiper destroyed more than a hundred (according to other sources from 20 to 35) American prisoners of war from the 285th field artillery reconnaissance battalion.

The direction of the attacks of German troops in the Ardennes on December 16–24, 1944

On December 17, the 18th American Airborne Corps (General Ridgway), which was in reserve, was transferred from Reims to the Ardennes as part of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, which had previously participated in heavy battles in Holland.

The 101st Airborne Division was sent to defend the city of Bastogne. The German Panzer Training Division, which was part of the 5th Panzer Army, approached Bastogne, where they met the staunch defense of the American troops. In the following days, units of the 5th German Panzer Army repeatedly attacked Bastogne, but were never able to take the city. Although Bastogne was surrounded, the American troops defending Bastogne seriously hampered the further advance of the German troops, because seven main roads in the Ardennes intersected in Bastogne, which were necessary to advance and supply the 5th German Panzer Army.

In the northern sector of the German offensive in the Ardennes, the American 7th Panzer Division held the small Belgian town of Saint-Vith, which also crossed important roads in the Ardennes, for 5 days. According to the German plan, Saint-Vit was supposed to be taken on the evening of December 17, but this did not happen until December 21. Under the threat of encirclement, American troops left the city, but the defense of the city of Saint-Vith also greatly slowed down the German offensive. The selfless defense of the cities of Bastogne and Saint-Vith slowed down the pace of the German offensive and gained time for the allies to transfer their reserves to the Ardennes.

On December 19, 1944, at a meeting of the Allies in Verdun, along with defensive measures, a plan was discussed for the counteroffensive of the 3rd American Army to release the 101st Airborne Division, which was defending the city of Bastogne. It was also decided to speed up the formation of French and Belgian formations, with which the US and British governments were in no hurry.

By December 20, units of the German Army Group "B" broke through the front in a section of 100 kilometers and advanced 30-50 kilometers deep. A difficult situation developed for the American and British troops.

The commander-in-chief of the allied forces in Europe, General D. Eisenhower, asked for troops from Italy, and also insisted on sending 100,000 marines from the United States and the Panama Canal zone to France.

German grenadiers fighting in a forest in Luxembourg, December 22, 1944

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-0104-501, Ardennenoffensive. Photo: Lange.

German machine gunner, Belgium, December 1944.

U.S. NARA file no. 111-SC-197561.

At dawn on December 22, the 3rd Army launched a counteroffensive from the south and began to advance towards Bastogne.

On December 23, the weather improved, and Allied aircraft continued to deliver ammunition and food to the troops defending Bastogne. Allied aircraft began to strike at the advancing German groups and their supply lines. By this time, German troops were experiencing an acute shortage of fuel and lubricants, as they could not capture the fuel depots in Liege and Namur. They could not even complete the first task - to capture the bridges over the Meuse River, because they did not reach it.

On the morning of December 25, 1944, the German offensive in the Ardennes came to a halt at the Belgian town of Celles, only 6 km from the river Meuse and the bridge at Dinant. This was the maximum advance to the west of the shock German group. By December 25, the 5th Panzer Army had advanced almost 100 km deep into the defense of the allied forces. Near the city of Sel, the German 2nd Panzer Division, advancing in the vanguard of the 5th Panzer Army, was surrounded.

The 1st American Army, together with the 30th British Corps, completely stopped the advance of the 6th SS Panzer Army on Liege.

Followed by Hitler's orders to continue the offensive, but the German offensive in the Ardennes stopped. The last attempt of the German "blitzkrieg" was completed. By that time, the German troops had used up almost the entire supply of fuels and lubricants.

The Allies were able to regroup their troops.

German soldiers in an armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz 251 at the front
during the offensive in the Ardennes, late December 1944


Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J28519, Ardennenoffensive. Photo: Göttert.

Allied counteroffensive and elimination of the Ardennes salient
December 26, 1944 - January 28, 1945

On December 26, the 37th Armored Regiment of the 3rd US Army broke through the blockade of Bastogne. Other parts of the 3rd American Army launched a counterattack on the left flank of the German troops.

After liberating Bastogne, the American 3rd Army cut the supply lines of the German left flank south of Bastogne. The threat of encirclement loomed over the 5th German Panzer Army. She had only a “corridor” 40 kilometers wide north of Bastogne left for retreat, which was shot through from both sides by the fire of American 155-mm howitzers (with a firing range of up to 24 km).

From the north, the Ardennes ledge was attacked by the mobile grouping of the 1st American Army, putting the Germans at risk of encirclement.

Good, clear weather allowed American aircraft to regularly carry out massive raids on stalled German troops and their supply lines.

Before the New Year, German troops began a general retreat from the Ardennes salient, leaving the territory captured during the Ardennes offensive.

Allied counteroffensive and elimination of the Ardennes salient
December 26, 1944 - January 25, 1945.

Source: US ARMY. License: US Government document. Assumed public domain.

On January 1, 1945, the German troops of Army Group G went on the offensive in Alsace near Strasbourg. It was a diversionary strike, in which insignificant forces participated. However, the German command lost the strategic initiative irretrievably. German troops in the Ardennes retreated in all sectors.

On January 1, 1945, Germany had 313 divisions and 32 brigades. On the Western Front and in Italy there were 108 divisions and 7 brigades. On the Eastern Front, Germany concentrated 185 divisions and 21 brigades, of which 15 divisions and 1 brigade were Hungarian.

By the end of the German offensive in the Ardennes, the Allied forces were in a critical position. As early as December 21, the commander of the allied forces, General D. Eisenhower, insistently asked the governments of the United States and Britain to turn to Soviet Union per military aid. On January 6, 1945, Prime Minister W. Churchill wrote to I. V. Stalin and asked him to launch an offensive on the Soviet-German front, to which he received a quick response with a promise to speed up the preparations for a large Soviet offensive.

Soviet troops launched a general offensive on January 12, 1945, 8 days ahead of schedule. The 6th SS Panzer Army was urgently sent to Hungary near Budapest and Lake Balaton to stop the Soviet offensive.

in the Ardennes, January 1945


Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J28475, Ardennnenoffensive. Photo: Pospesch.

american tank M4 Sherman and infantry of G Company, 740th Tank Battalion, 504th Regiment
82nd Airborne Division of the 1st US Army near Herresbach (Herresbach)
during the battle for the ledge.


Source: US-Army history images.

The chief of staff of the Western Front during the operation “Watch (guard) on the Rhine” (Wacht am Rhein), General Westphal wrote: “On January 12-13, the Russians launched their big offensive from the Baranuv bridgehead. His influence immediately affected the Western Front. We have long been anxiously awaiting the transfer of our troops to the East, and now it was carried out with the utmost speed. The 6th SS Panzer Army was transferred there with separate units of army subordination, two corps headquarters and four tank divisions SS, Führerbegleit Brigade and Grenadier Brigade, as well as all their artillery and crossing facilities.

By January 15, 1945, the formations of the 1st and 3rd American armies advancing from the north and south connected north of Bastogne in the area of ​​​​the cities of Houffalize and Noville. Half of the Ardennes ledge was recaptured. The 101st Airborne Division was transferred near Colmar to the 6th Army Group. On the night of January 18, the 12th Corps of the 3rd American Army, unexpectedly for the enemy, crossed the Sur River.

On January 22, the British Chiefs of Staff Committee stated: “The new Russian offensive has dramatically changed the situation. According to the most likely assumptions, the end of the war can be expected in mid-April.

On January 23, troops of the 1st American Army liberated the city of Saint-Vith. The 12th Army Group began preparations to storm the Siegfried Line.

The offensive of the Soviet troops, which began on January 12, inflicted a crushing defeat on the main forces of the Wehrmacht. Almost all German mobile formations were transferred to the Eastern Front. Only a few battered infantry divisions remained on the Western Front. For 21 days of the Soviet offensive during the Vistula-Oder operation Soviet troops passed from the Vistula to the Oder and captured several bridgeheads on its left bank. In early February, there were only 60 kilometers from the bridgeheads on the Oder to Berlin. At the same time, Soviet troops were advancing in East Prussia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. German troops lost up to half a million people, while German losses in the Ardennes operation amounted to less than 100 thousand people.

By January 28, the Allied forces completely eliminated the Ardennes ledge, formed by the German offensive in the Ardennes. On January 29, the Allied forces launched an invasion of Germany and moved towards the Rhine.

Operation Watch (Guard) on the Rhine (Wacht am Rhein) ended in a crushing defeat and became the last major German offensive in World War II. The Ardennes operation delayed the Allied invasion of Germany for several weeks, but the German troops wasted military resources, especially armored vehicles, aircraft (including jets) and fuel, which could have been used to effectively defend the Siegfried Line. Thanks to the German offensive in the Ardennes, the American-British troops suffered fewer losses: the main German forces were defeated outside the defensive fortifications of the Siegfried Line, where a victory over the enemy would have cost the Allied forces much greater losses.

After the defeat in the Ardennes offensive, the German armed forces were no longer able to organize any offensive operation, limited to small counterattacks that could no longer affect the situation in Central Europe (counterattacks in Alsace in January 1945 and on Lake Balaton in March 1945). The strategic initiative finally passed to the allies.

Losses

The losses of German troops in the Ardennes operation, according to various sources, ranged from 67,200 to 120,000 people and about 600 tanks and assault guns.

According to German data, their losses in the operation “Watch (guard) on the Rhine” (Wacht am Rhein) reached 67,675 people, of which 17,236 people were killed, 34,439 were wounded and 16,000 were captured and missing.

American troops in the battle for the Bulge lost 89.5 thousand people (more than 19 thousand people killed, 47.5 thousand wounded and 23 thousand captured or missing), as well as about 800 tanks.

The British troops lost 1,408 men, of which 200 were killed.

Literature:

Hermann Jung: Die Ardennen-Offensive 1944/45. Ein Beispiel für die Kriegführung Hitlers, Göttingen 1992.

Klaus-Jürgen Bremm: Im Schatten des Desasters. Zwölf Entscheidungsschlachten in der Geschichte Europas. BoD, Norderstedt 2003.

Alexander Kuffner: Zeitreiseführer Eifel 1933-45. Helios, Aachen 2007.

The offensive operation of the German troops in the 2nd World War, carried out on the Western Front in the Ardennes region (in the southeast of Belgium) in December 1944 - January 1945. The purpose of the operation (code name "Watch on the Rhine" - "Wacht am Rhein") was strike with the forces of 25 divisions (including 7 tank divisions) through the Ardennes to Antwerp, defeat the Anglo-American troops in Belgium and the Netherlands, thereby changing the course of the war in the West in favor of Germany, and free up Wehrmacht forces to fight against the USSR. Hitler's calculations for a turning point in the war stemmed from the hope of a split in the anti-Hitler coalition.

The offensive began on December 16 with the forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army, the 5th Panzer Army and the 7th Field Army, united in Army Group B (Field Marshal V. Model). The 4 American divisions of General O. Bradley, who were defending on a front of 115 km, were taken by surprise and, having suffered heavy losses, retreated in panic. By December 26, German troops advanced to a depth of 90 km. Having brought up reinforcements, the Allied command delivered a successful counterattack by the forces of the 3rd American Army and aviation on Bastogne. Although the advance of the German troops was stopped, the situation on the Western Front remained tense in early January. On January 6, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill turned to Stalin for help. Faithful to its allied obligations, the USSR came to the aid of England and the USA. On January 12, Soviet troops went on the offensive in East Prussia and Poland 8 days ahead of schedule.

The German command was forced to abandon further attempts to attack in the west and begin the transfer of troops from there to the Soviet-German front. The losses (killed, wounded and missing) of the allies as a result of the Ardennes operation amounted to about 77 thousand people, the losses of the Germans - about 93 thousand people.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

THE ARDENNE OPERATION 1944-45

come. German-Fash operation Army Group "B" in the West. front, in the Ardennes region (Belgium), in Dec. 1944 - Jan. 1945 in the 2nd World War. A. o. was intended to break through the defenses of the Amer. troops in the Ardennes (see diagram) and force the river. Maas with a further hit the tank. armies on Antwerp. Further, it was planned to cut off and defeat the Amer.-Eng. troops in Belgium and Holland, thwart plans for the Allied offensive in 1945, and by transferring large forces from west to east to strengthen resistance to the offensive of the Soviets. Army. At dawn on 16 Dec. In 1944, the offensive of the 6th SS and the 5th tank and 7th field armies began (25 divisions in total, including 7 tank). In the Ardennes, on a front of 115 km, only 4 divisions of the 1st Amer. army. Taken by surprise, they did not have the organization. resistance and, having suffered heavy losses, retreated in a panic. By 26 Dec. German-Fash. troops advanced to a depth of 90 km. Amer.-English the command (D. Eisenhower, B. Montgomery) quickly transferred large forces to the breakthrough site and put powerful aviation into action. Holding the city of Bastogne (southwest of Houffalize), surrounded by the enemy, the Amer. divisions delivered a successful counterattack to the south. breakout area. Having failed in A. O., German-Fash. command 1 Jan. 1945 launched an offensive in the Strasbourg region in order to force the enemy to disperse his forces and worry about all sectors of the front. The offensive of the German-fascist. armies was suspended, but in early January. position of Anglo-Amer. forces on the Zap. front remained tense. Jan 6 British Prime Minister W. Churchill turned to the Soviets for help. pr-wu. Faithful to allied obligations, Sov. pr-in came to the aid of the United States and England. Jan 12 1945, 8 days ahead of schedule, Sov. troops went on the offensive throughout the Sov.-German. front. German-Fash. the command was forced to abandon attempts to attack in the West and begin the transfer of forces from there to the Sov.-German. front. From 12 to 31 Jan. 7 German-fascists were transferred. divisions. By the end of January, the allied forces restored the situation in the West. front. Lit .: Falsifiers of history (historical reference), M., 1952; Second World War. 1939-45, M., 1958; Westphal Z. (et al.), Fatal decisions, trans. from English, M., 1958; Merriam R. E., Dark December Sprint, Cop., 1947. I. E. Zaitsev. Moscow. -***-***-***- Arden operation December 16, 1944 - January 12, 1945

On January 1, 1945, the German troops of Army Group G went on the offensive in Alsace near Strasbourg. It was a diversionary strike, in which insignificant forces participated. However, the German command lost the strategic initiative irretrievably. German troops in the Ardennes retreated in all sectors.
On January 1, 1945, Germany had 313 divisions and 32 brigades. On the Western Front and in Italy there were 108 divisions and 7 brigades. On the Eastern Front, Germany concentrated 185 divisions and 21 brigades, of which 15 divisions and 1 brigade were Hungarian.
By the end of the German offensive in the Ardennes, the Allied forces were in a critical position. As early as December 21, the commander of the allied forces, General D. Eisenhower, insistently asked the governments of the United States and Britain to turn to the Soviet Union for military assistance. On January 6, 1945, Prime Minister W. Churchill wrote to I. V. Stalin and asked him to launch an offensive on the Soviet-German front, to which he received a quick response with a promise to speed up the preparations for a large Soviet offensive.
Soviet troops launched a general offensive on January 12, 1945, 8 days ahead of schedule. The 6th SS Panzer Army was urgently sent to Hungary near Budapest and Lake Balaton to stop the Soviet offensive.
The chief of staff of the Western Front during the operation “Watch (guard) on the Rhine” (Wacht am Rhein), General Westphal wrote: “On January 12-13, the Russians launched their big offensive from the Baranuv bridgehead. His influence immediately affected the Western Front. We have long been anxiously awaiting the transfer of our troops to the East, and now it was carried out with the utmost speed. The 6th SS Panzer Army was transferred there with separate units of army subordination, two corps headquarters and four SS Panzer divisions, the Führerbegleit brigade and the grenadier brigade, as well as all their artillery and crossing facilities.
By January 15, 1945, the formations of the 1st and 3rd American armies advancing from the north and south connected north of Bastogne in the area of ​​​​the cities of Houffalize and Noville. Half of the Ardennes ledge was recaptured. The 101st Airborne Division was transferred near Colmar to the 6th Army Group. On the night of January 18, the 12th Corps of the 3rd American Army, unexpectedly for the enemy, crossed the Sur River.
On January 22, the British Chiefs of Staff Committee stated: “The new Russian offensive has dramatically changed the situation. According to the most likely assumptions, the end of the war can be expected in mid-April.
On January 23, troops of the 1st American Army liberated the city of Saint-Vith. The 12th Army Group began preparations to storm the Siegfried Line.
The offensive of the Soviet troops, which began on January 12, inflicted a crushing defeat on the main forces of the Wehrmacht. Almost all German mobile formations were transferred to the Eastern Front. Only a few battered infantry divisions remained on the Western Front. During the 21 days of the Soviet offensive during the Vistula-Oder operation, Soviet troops passed from the Vistula to the Oder and captured several bridgeheads on its left bank. In early February, there were only 60 kilometers from the bridgeheads on the Oder to Berlin. At the same time, Soviet troops were advancing in East Prussia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. German troops lost up to half a million people, while German losses in the Ardennes operation amounted to less than 100 thousand people.
By January 28, the Allied forces completely eliminated the Ardennes ledge, formed by the German offensive in the Ardennes. On January 29, the Allied forces launched an invasion of Germany and moved towards the Rhine.
Operation Watch (Guard) on the Rhine (Wacht am Rhein) ended in a crushing defeat and became the last major German offensive in World War II. The Ardennes operation delayed the Allied invasion of Germany for several weeks, but the German troops wasted military resources, especially armored vehicles, aircraft (including jets) and fuel, which could have been used to effectively defend the Siegfried Line. Thanks to the German offensive in the Ardennes, the American-British troops suffered fewer losses: the main German forces were defeated outside the defensive fortifications of the Siegfried Line, where a victory over the enemy would have cost the Allied forces much greater losses.
After the defeat in the Ardennes offensive, the German armed forces were no longer able to organize any offensive operation, limited to small counterattacks that could no longer affect the situation in Central Europe (counterattacks in Alsace in January 1945 and on Lake Balaton in March 1945 G.). The strategic initiative finally passed to the allies.