...Costliest Battle of World War II By the end of World War II, numerous battles had been fought and millions of soldiers had lost their lives defending their countries. Due to the large number of battles that took place, only a portion of the battles, especially the major ones, were recorded. One of these major battles is the setting for the novel Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes. A large portion of this novel takes placing during one of the final and important battles of World War II. This battle is known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of the Bulge, also called Ardennenoffensive by the Germans, was a major German offensive launched on December 16, 1944 towards the end of World War II. This battle, the only major German offensive of the war, was launched by Adolf Hitler as a last attempt to reverse the decrease in his fortunes that had begun on D-Day. He sought to accomplish this by splitting Allied troops through an assault in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium. After splitting the Allied troops, Hitler planned to then proceed to and capture Anterwep, Belgium, destroying the enemy troops stationed there. This, he believed, would force the Allies to form a peace treaty that would favor the Axis Powers. However, the fighting that ensued after Germany’s initial attack in the Ardennes Forest did not result in Hitler’s predicted outcome. The location Adolf Hitler had decided upon for the launch of his attack, the Ardennes Forest, was a dense forest with few roads that stretched...
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...The Battle of the Bulge The battle of the Ardennes is a battle that happened on December 16, 1944 through January 25, 1945. It was also known as the battle of the Bulge. It was the largest battle fought on the Western Front in Europe during World War ll: it is also the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army. Three to five battalions, approximately 1500 to 4000 soldiers, comprise a brigade. The size of a division varies from about 10000 to 18000 soldiers, and most divisions have three or more brigades of roughly equal size. During the Battle of the Bulge, combatants not only fought each other but the brutal weather during this time. It was the coldest weather so far in history. At 5:30 a.m. on December 16, 1944, the temperature...
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...There were many battles during World War II. There were two theaters of the war. In the European Theater of War had a total of seven battles. The second theater, Pacific Theater of War, had a total of six battles. All thirteen battles played a significant role in World War II. The Battle of Britain took place in the skies over the United Kingdoms in the summer and fall of 1940. It was a significant turning point of World War II. The battle was a struggle between the German Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air force. The Germans Luftwaffe commander was Hermaan Goring. The British Royal Air force's commander was Sir Hugh Dowding's. The Battle of Britain ended when Germany's Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force....
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...operations. While this doctrine is based off of the Field Manual 100-5 which was introduced in 1993, the operations processes and the principles outlined in it have always been in line with Army thinking. The terminology has shifted over the years but no matter how it is described we can use many of these terms to highlight Patton’s genius on the battlefield. Leading up to and during the Battle of the Bulge and specifically the Battle of Bastogne General Patton used his vast knowledge of history and his entire staff to plan the mission and make informed decisions....
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...The Battle of the Bulge proved to be one of the largest battles to ever take place during World War Two. It was located in Antwerp in the Netherlands around the northern part of Europe. It stretched eighty five miles through Belgium and Luxemburg. It got its name from the bulge the US put up against the German forces that stretched more than fifty miles wide. The battle took place from December sixteenth, 1944 through January sixth, 1945. After winning a battle in the southern part of Europe, Hitler and the German army wanted to focus on taking the northern part of France. After the defeat in Stalingrad by Soviet forces, Germany’s advantage into Eastern Europe had failed. Hitler wanted to recapture Antwerp in the Netherlands to deny Allies the use of the ports facilities. He thought launching a surprise attack on the Allied forces would split them up throughout the Ardennes Jungle where he could gain control of...
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...me means a lot of cursing.” “That’s because you were in the Army -- things always seem different than they really are when you’re in the Army.” Libra comes back with a bang. “What do you know about the army, Tugg? -- Other than the fact that it’s the Army that does all the dirty work? When the Air Force, Marines, and Navy guys are nightie-night, we’re usually out there cleaning up your mess.” “My point-” “No, I think that was my point, Robbie.” Libra goes into her favorite subject, why the Army is better than the Navy. Robbie decides to take her on. “Oh, you want to start the ‘Army - Navy’ thing again?” “Everybody knows the Navy is for wimps -- don’t start that Navy Seal noise. They’re all over the news -- Army Rangers rule! -- Battle of the Bulge -- U.S. Army. Invasion of Normandy -- U.S. Army -- you guys just dropped us off, fired big guns from the safety of fifteen miles. Gettysburg, the Civil War for that matter -- U.S. Army, baby -- The liberation of Europe...
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...and the chief Panzer division was General von Manteuffel’s 7 th Panzer division. An interesting component of the German’s army was that they used soldiers, who were fluent in English and knew American slang, and distributed them behind the Allied lines, equipped with American uniforms and Jeeps, in order to disrupt and confuse their enemies (Battle of the Bulge, History Learning Site). As for the Americans, their plan was to form a line and concentrate their soldiers to the northern and southern ends, as they thought this was the least likely area for an attack. Instead, they thought the most...
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...Essay on Battle of Bulge The Battle of Bulge was fought between central and the allied powers for four months. The battle started on December 16th 1944 and ended on April 16th 1944. This battle was also known as ‘Hitler’s desperate gamble’, as Hitler attempted to use Battle of Bulge to turn the tide of World War II. The battle of Bulge, which was a major offensive campaign by Nazis, was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, down to Ettelbruck in the middle of Luxembourg and then finally reaching France. It extended on an eighty-mile front. There are various reasons of why the battle was fought at this specific location. Firstly, it was the shortest route to reach Paris by land. Secondly, the winter weather was in Hitler’s favor. Low cloud and fog would not allow attacks by ‘the superior air force’ of the allies. Another reason is that the “tank busting Typhoons of the RAF or Mustang fighters from the USAAF could not be used against the German tanks”. Battle of Bulge was connected to the larger war as it was a last chance that Adolf Hitler had to push back the allied forces. This is why many people call battle of Bulge as ‘Hitler’s desperate gamble’. Germany directed an ambitious counteroffensive with the objective of capturing Antwerp and splitting the American and British armies in the area. It would then deprive the Allies of a badly needed seaport on the Meuse River. Germany also wanted to negotiate peace by force. To fulfill...
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...Resiliency can be defined as the ability to quickly overcome difficulties or overall toughness. Using this personal skill on the battlefield can prove to be tough, but is something soldiers and senior leader’s experience, and use on a daily basis. How leaders, no matter what rank, use this skill to influence their Section, Platoon, Battery, or Battalion speaks volumes to how our Army lead’s the way in battle/combat. World War II is still a prime example of how resiliency on the battlefield proved to be beneficial to win the war overall. Specifically, artillery units during the “Battle of the Bulge” were extremely resilient on the battlefield. In detail, we will discuss specific moments during this battle that artillery units had to be...
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...By December 21, the Germans had encircled the town. It took a historic effort by the 101st Airborne Division to hold off the German Panzer Corp. The Germans, believing their efforts in Bastogne were enough to cause an American surrender, sent a delegation to negotiate with American command. “But calling themselves the “Battered Bastards of Bastogne,” the 101st U.S. Airborne Division refused to surrender— Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe's answer to a German delegation was “Nuts”—and held down five German divisions.” (Chambers II, 2000). On December 23, the weather began to clear, and the Army Air Force began flying for the first time. Much needed supplies were air dropped to the men still waging battle in Bastogne. Despite the supplies reaching the 101st Airborne Division, the fighting was still intense and severe. On December 26, relief finally came in the form of GEN George Patton’s Third...
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...The most important battle/ campaign in the European theater is Germany’s surrender and Hitler’s suicide. After realizing from previous battles (Battle of the Bulge) that they were losing the war, Germany surrendered and Hitler had taken his life, ending World War II. (1) The second most important battle in the European theater is the Battle of the Atlantic. Before this battle, the U.S. was unable to send supplies and troops to Europe. We wanted to help and supply our allies throughout Europe, which was allowed after the Battle had occurred. Allies would not be able to help fight against Germany and would be unable to win the fight. (2) The third most important campaign in the European Theater is the North African Campaign. It allowed us to...
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...Running Head: BATTLE OF ELSENBORN RIDGE THE BATTLE OF ELSENBORN RIDGE 12 The Battle of Elsenborn Ridge SSG Correa SSG Hlebinsky SSG Smith, Jonathan SSG Smith, Joshua 13B Senior Leadership Course: Class The Battle of Elsenborn Ridge The Battle of Elsenborn Ridge, part of the Battle of the Bulge, was a major battle during World War II (WWII) between the enemy troops of Germany and American troops. The Battle of Elsenborn Ridge took place in the Ardennes region, where Adolph Hitler planned for his troops to pull a surprise attack and then advance to Antwerp. The battle began on December 16th, 1944, and only lasted ten days; yet, it was one of the most iconic turning points of World War II claiming another victory for the United States...
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...divisions. This way the additional fire support went where it was needed quickly. During the Bulge, many of these Corps units were on the move every 12 to 24 hours. The shift of several large caliber artillery units, particularly segregated African American battalions, to Bastogne during the first 48 hours of the battle helped save the city from capture.”(“Artillery Battalions in WWII) The restructure of battalions to the support larger elements was a major factor in effectiveness of fire...
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...tank has never been seen on the battlefield before, with the ability to knock out any allied tank that can be throw at it. This was the case, as Germany’s Furher, Adolf Hitler, was fond of the Tiger and used it in most large scale battles that occurred after 1942. It is evident that without the Tiger Tank at Hitler’s disposal for the latter part of World War II, Germany would have suffered defeat much earlier than 1945 because of the tremendous punch, and technology that the Tiger utilized. The invention of a German heavy tank was not even discussed until 1941, when during a meeting with arms dealers across Germany, Hitler ordered for a tank creation whose main armament would be extremely effective at penetrating an enemy tank, blaze ahead of other tanks with lightning speed, and equipped with heavier armor. The main technological advancement that Hitler desire to see on this tank was a powerful main gun; and he was not disappointed when the 88mm aircraft gun was conceived to attach to...
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...The Second World War was the bloodiest conflict in human history due to the world's superpowers fighting.There were many conflicts, like The Battle of the Bulge and Iwo Jima, but the most important was the Invasion of Normandy.This is the battle that helped the Allies win the war in Europe.This was the biggest amphibious invasion in military history. The great battle started June 6th 1944.The Invasion of Normandy was the most important battle of World War II due to the fact that it dealt a crippling blow to the Nazis in Western Europe while also taking pressure off the Russians and it stretched German supply lines thin from transferring Russia to France. Invading Europe has been on the Allies mind since 1941 when America entered the war in December of the same year. One reason this was the most important battle of world war 2 the sheer size of the invasion. It was the biggest amphibious...
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