Western Europe · 16 Dec 1944 – 25 Jan 1945
Battle of the Bulge
German forces broke through the Ardennes in December 1944, but Allied resistance and counterattacks stopped and then reversed the advance by 25 January 1945.
Full edition
The map is in the full edition.
Step through the battle phase by phase, with front lines and unit movements drawn on the terrain. All 50 battles, plus every past story.
First 7 days free, then $49.99 a year. Cancel before the week ends and you pay nothing.
Renews automatically until you cancel. By subscribing you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.
Already subscribed? Sign in
The German offensive opened on 16 December 1944 against a thinly held American sector in the Ardennes. The attack was launched by Army Group B, with the Sixth Panzer Army in the north, the Fifth Panzer Army in the centre and the Seventh Army in the south. The U.S. VIII Corps held the threatened sector with the 106th and 28th Infantry Divisions, a reduced 9th Armored Division and the 4th Infantry Division. Poor weather restricted Allied air operations, while German forces made their main advances westward through the American lines.
By 19 December, German forces had approached Bastogne and the VIII Corps headquarters had moved to Neufchâteau. The 101st Airborne Division reached Bastogne, while the 82nd Airborne Division moved against the northern advance. German forces continued through the centre toward Marche, bypassing Bastogne; the 84th Infantry Division moved to block the advance northwest. The town’s road junctions made its defence important to both sides.
The German salient widened around Bastogne in the following days. By 25 December, the 101st Airborne Division was encircled there, while elements of Patton’s Third Army—including the 4th Armored, 10th Armored, 26th Infantry and 80th Infantry Divisions—moved against the German southern flank. Improved weather allowed Allied aircraft to operate. On 26 December, the 4th Armored Division reached Bastogne and broke the encirclement. The German advance had stopped, though fighting continued along the salient’s shoulders.
Allied counterattacks reduced the bulge through January. The British 6th Airborne and 53rd Infantry Divisions moved against its western end on 3 January; Hitler allowed the troops at the tip of the salient to withdraw on 8 January. On 16 January, U.S. First and Third Army forces linked up again. By 25 January, Allied forces had restored the front line in the Ardennes and ended the German offensive. The campaign had cost both sides heavily; published estimates differed, particularly for total German losses.