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- some of Hitler’s generals advised against the attack

- a group of German SS troops used stolen U.S. Army uniforms to get behind Allied lines and sabotage equipment; Americans found out and began asking trivia questions at checkpoints

- it was the first time the U.S. Army desegregated during WWII, as multiple companies of black soldiers were called to support and fight along whites

- Allied troops in the battle were generally inexperienced rookies using the Ardennes to train or rest from the front line

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- after D-Day, the Allies quickly moved toward Germany, but faced fatigue and chose the Ardennes as a resting place, defending it with a small amount of troops due to favorable terrain

- the battle was Germany's attempt to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and split Allied lines

- around 25 German divisions attacked just a few Allied divisions

- Allies were pushed back 65 miles, but quickly recovered

- Allies sent nearly 500,000 troops to the line over the month

- more than one million soldiers fought in the battle

- Americans suffered around 75,000 casualties

- highest number of casualties for America during any operation of the war

- Germany lost 80,000 to 100,000 men

- a major doom to the Germans was their shortage of fuel

- the battle drained Germany's supplies and basically left them unable to launch another offensive

- Winston Churchill called it “undoubtedly the greatest American battle” of World War II

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Dec. 16, 1944 - Nazis order "Operation Watch on the Rhine" into effect
Dec. 17 - Malmedy Massacre ~ 84 U.S. prisoners killed by Nazi captors
Dec. 18 - Town of Stavelot, Belgium, initially falls to German Army, but is recaptured by Allies
Dec. 19 - 6,000 U.S. soldiers surrender to Germans at Schnee Eiffel
Dec. 20-26 - Siege of Bastogne - American 101st Airborne division holds off German attempt to reach Antwerp harbor until relieved by Patton's 3rd Army
Dec. 23 - Bad weather clears, allowing Allies to air drop much-needed supplies
Jan. 1, 1945 - German troops begin to withdraw from the Ardennes Forest; launch unsuccessful Operation "Bodenplatte," attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces and gain air superiority to resume their advance
Jan. 25 - Germans are finally pushed back to the line prior to the launch of the Ardennes Offensive; battle ends in victory for the Allies

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- significant battle near end of the war in Europe

- the Battle of the Bulge was the last major offensive on the Western Front by Germany in WWII

- the battle took place in the Ardennes forest of Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg

- lasted from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945

- deemed the "Battle of the Bulge" because the Germans created a “bulge” in the American defensive line around the Ardennes forest