228 ENDGAME AND AFTERMATH 1944–1955
5th Panzer
Army
7th Army
6th Panzer
Army
Schnee Eifel
Our
Pr
üm
Roer
Dams
Me
us
e
Le
ss
e
Ou
rth
e
Our
the
Dinant Ciney
Celles
Ciergnon
Rochefort
Beauraing
Wellin
St. Hubert
Amberloup
Ortheuville
Bastogne
Houalize
La Roche-en-Ardenne
Dochamps
Werbomont
Manhay
Malmédy
Stavelot
La Gleize
Stoumont
Trois-Ponts
Büllingen
Monschau
Hotton
Marche-en-Famenne
Vielsalm
St. Vith
Prüm
Wiltz
Clervaux
Dasburg
Bitburg
Triers
Echternach
Martelange
Ardennes
Gouvy
Pronsfeld
Sûre
Elsenborn
Ridge
L U X E M B O U R G
G R E A T E R
G E R M A N Y
B
E
L
G
I
U
M
Dec 16–26, 1944
Dec 16–18,
1944
Panzer Lehr
Division
Oudler
Harzy
A
r
d
e
nn
es
Sûre
Celles
Dinant
Rochefort
Wellin
St. Hubert
Ortheuville
Manhay
La Roche-en-Ardenne
Amberloup
Bastogne
Harzy
Houalize
Gouvy Oudler
St. Vith
Malmédy
La Gleize
Trois-Ponts
Pronsfeld
Prüm
Libramont
Neufchâteau Martelange
Wiltz
Dasburg
Clervaux
Ciergnon
Beauraing
Marche-en-Famenne
Hotton
US 1st
Army
US 3rd Army
Pr
üm
Büllingen
Stoumont Stavelot
Vielsalm
Bitburg
Schnee Eifel
Ourthe
Our
Le
ss
e
B
E
L G
I U M
M
eu
se
Werbomont
L U X E M B O U R G
G E R M A N Y
G R E A T E R
Our
the
Monschau
German advance
Dec 17–20, 1944
Front lines Dec 20, 1944
GERMAN ADVANCE DECEMBER 17–20, 1944
The Germans pushed west for the next four days, and
attempted to deploy paratroopers behind American
lines. They had planned to take control of Antwerp
by December 20, but were held up by American
resistance, notably at St. Vith in the central sector
and Bastogne in the south, both key road junctions.
2
DEC 15, 1944 JAN 1, 1945 JAN 15 FEB 1 FEB 15
1
2
3
4
5
TIMELINE
WESTWARD PUSH
The Battle of the Bulge was fought out in the Ardennes
region on the borders of Germany, Luxembourg, and
Belgium. The German attack began on December 16,
1944, but their push westward was halted by the Allies,
who eliminated the German gains in early 1945.
KEY
EARLY ADVANCES
The most rapid German advance was in the
central sector of the bulge, where Clervaux
fell in three days.
Dec 17, 1944 German
plans to land 1,300
paratroopers behind
Allied lines fail.
Dec 20, 1944 Bastogne
is encircled. Brigadier-
General Anthony
McAuliffe famously replies
“Nuts!” to a German
demand to surrender.
Dec 17, 1944 More than 80
surrendered US servicemen are
killed by the Waffen-SS.
Dec 23, 1944 US
forces finally evacuate
St. Vith, having held up
the German advance
for four days.
Dec 24, 1944 The German
advance stalls when troops
have to retreat from La Gleize.
△ German advance halted
Captured German soldiers put their hands above their heads as they surrender to
a US soldier, January 1945. Poor weather conditions coupled with Allied resistance
at key junctions prevented the Germans reaching their goal.
THE FURTHEST POINT DECEMBER 21–24, 1944
The Germans reached the peak of their advance when
they took Celles on December 24. Still 62 miles
(100 km) short of Antwerp, the attacking units had
failed to cross the Meuse River, held back by the Allied
defensive force. The German vanguard was left
occupying a narrow neck of land increasingly under
threat from Allied pressure to the north and south.
3
German advance Dec 21–24, 1944
US counterattacks from Dec 24, 1944
German gains by Dec 16, 1944
German gains by Dec 24, 1944
German territory by Feb 7, 1945
Allied gains by Jan 2, 1945
Allied gains by Feb 7, 1945
Major battles
German
paratroop
drop zone
German armies
BLITZKRIEG DECEMBER 16, 1944
German artillery barraged an 80-mile (130-km) front
from Monschau to Echternach. Between the two lay
the Ardennes, lightly defended by Allied forces. The
6th Panzer and 7th Armies attacked in the north and
south, but were met with strong resistance. In the
center, the 5th Panzer Army fared better, punching
a hole in the stretched Allied defenses.
1
German advance
Dec 16, 1944
To Antwerp
▲
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