World War II and Kentuckians: Voices of a Generation
Introduction
The Enemy
The Homefront
Campaigns
The Warriors
Women in War
German soldiers advance through the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.
The 5th Panzer Army attacked through the center towards Bastogne and St. Vith, both road junctions of extreme strategic significance.
In the south, the 7th Army pushed towards Luxembourg to secure the flank from Allied attacks
Hitler believed it would take days before Eisenhower realized the attack on the Ardennes was a full out attack, however ? ignoring advice from his staff ? ordered vast reinforcements to the area. Within a week 250,000 troops had been sent, many via the previous supply system, The Red Ball Express.
The German assault began on 16 December 1944 at 0530 hrs with a massive artillery barrage on the Allied troops facing the 6th Panzer Army. Within three hours all three German armies attacked through the Ardennes. The 6th SS Panzer Army then attacked the northern sector at Losheim Gap and Elsenborn Ridge to break through to Liege.
On 19 December General Eisenhower asked General Patton how long it would take to turn his 3rd Army, which was located in south-central France, north to counter-attack. Patton replied that it would take only 48 hours to have his army in position much to the disbelief of his fellow generals present. Little did they know that Patton had already ordered his staff to prepare to turn north, and by the time Eisenhower asked him how long it would take, the movement was underway.
When the German commander offered General McAuliffe terms of surrender, he sent back his reply as,
To the German Commander,
Nuts!?
- The American Commander.
