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The Battle of the Bulge took place on December 16 of the year 1944 and lasted a few weeks .

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When the German army encircled Bastogne, the German commander sent a message to Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe requesting the surrender of his forces. McAuliffe famously sent back a single-word reply, "Nuts!" Summing up the do-or-die attitude of the fighting forces in Europe, this defiant response became one of the most-repeated anecdotes of the war. The German envoys, on the other hand, were unfamiliar with American idioms and the Americans had to explain to them its meaning.

When the Battle of the Bulge began, the Germans had around 200,000 troops versus 83,000 Americans. General Patton eventually was able to break through to the surrounded units, bringing more than 500,000 reinforcements along with 72,000 French and 60,000 British troops to conclusively break the German lines. In the end, the Allies lost around 90,000 men, while the Germans lost somewhere between 65,000 and 100,000. The German offensive was completely disrupted, however, costing Hitler his last chance to prevent the Allied advance.
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Who Was Involved in the Battle of the Bulge?

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When the German army encircled Bastogne, the German commander sent a message to Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe requesting the surrender of his forces. McAuliffe famously sent back a single-word reply, "Nuts!" Summing up the do-or-die attitude of the fighting forces in Europe, this defiant response became one of the most-repeated anecdotes of the war.

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The Battle of the Bulge was significant because it was a turning point for the German Nazi Army and turned out to be biggest and a tragic battle fought on the western front. Germany had failed on their surprize attack attempt to pushback/ go through the Allied army toward Belgium. This battle was to become a final and major loss for Germany that ultimately led to their defeat. During the battle, the  Allied troops were surrounded by a “bulge” of German troops, that could not achieve their goal and eventually some of the allied troops had broke through the bulge gaining the upper hand. Since the German army was unsuccessful, their advantage was compromised and made for an important surrender; this was a major turning point in the war because it stopped the Germans and made them appear vulnerable in the hands of the Allied powers. This battle set the scene for the ending and outcome of the war.

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What happened at The Battle of the Bulge

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What happened at The Battle of the Bulge

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On this day, the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, Operation Mist, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge, so-called because the Germans created a "bulge" around the area of the Ardennes forest in pushing through the American defensive line, was the largest fought on the Western front.

The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, 14 German infantry divisions guarded by five panzer divisions-against a mere 80,000 Americans. Their assault came in early morning at the weakest part of the Allied line, an 80-mile poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest (the Allies simply believed the Ardennes too difficult to traverse, and therefore an unlikely location for a German offensive). Between the vulnerability of the thin, isolated American units and the thick fog that prevented Allied air cover from discovering German movement, the Germans were able to push the Americans into retreat.

One particularly effective German trick was the use of English-speaking German commandos who infiltrated American lines and, using captured U.S. uniforms, trucks, and jeeps, impersonated U.S. military and sabotaged communications. The ploy caused widespread chaos and suspicion among the American troops as to the identity of fellow soldiers-even after the ruse was discovered. Even General Omar Bradley himself had to prove his identity three times-by answering questions about football and Betty Grable-before being allowed to pass a sentry point.

The battle raged for three weeks, resulting in a massive loss of American and civilian life. Nazi atrocities abounded, including the murder of 72 American soldiers by SS soldiers in the Ardennes town of Malmedy. Historian Stephen Ambrose estimated that by war's end, "Of the 600,000 GIs involved, almost 20,000 were killed, another 20,000 were captured, and 40,000 were wounded." The United States also suffered its second-largest surrender of troops of the war: More than 7,500 members of the 106th Infantry Division capitulated at one time at Schnee Eifel. The devastating ferocity of the conflict also made desertion an issue for the American troops; General Eisenhower was forced to make an example of Private Eddie Slovik, the first American executed for desertion since the Civil War.

The war would not end until better weather enabled American aircraft to bomb and strafe German positions.

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Battle of the Bulge - Dec 16, 1944 - HISTORY.com

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On this day, the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, Operation Mist, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium.