
As a result, the Allies were able to reinforce the line using General George Patton’s Third Army and other units which combined with improvements in the weather, resulted in the German offensive failing. This resulted in pushing the German time-table to the right. Although surprised, the Allies put up stiff resistance around Bastogne, and had the advantage of superior terrain. This had grounded the friendly air forces which compounded the impact of the surprise German attack. The Germans achieved almost complete surprise against a weakly defended sector of the Allied front lines during a time of heavy overcast weather. More than 65 years after the battle, the causes of the surprise are now attributed to a lack of quality aerial recon, Allied over-confidence, and a pre-occupation with offensive plans. Although the Allies were reading the Ultra traffic by this time and the Third Army (U.S.) G2 (Intel) staff was predicting a major Nazi offensive, the Battle of the Bulge still caught the Allied Powers by surprise. The Nazis took great care to plan the attack in secret with minimizing radio traffic and only moving soldiers and gear at night. How Did the Germans Surprise the Allies at the Battle of the Bulge? Hitler could then turn and fully focus on the Eastern Front. The ultimate goal of Hitler was to force the Allies in the west to negotiate a peace in the Axis Powers’ favor.

The goal for the Battle of the Bulge was to split the American and British line in half, capture Antwerp, Belgium, and then proceed to encircle the four Allied Armies. The Battle of the Bulge occurred between December 16 th, 1944 to January 25 th, 1945 Why Did the Germans Initiate the Battle? American infantry fire on the enemy near Bastogne, December 1944īy the end of 1944, the Germans were hurting with supporting the war on two fronts. Books and Movies on the Battle of the Bulge.Battle of the Bulge Map “Erasing the Bulge”.


Who Were the Commanders During the Battle of the Bulge?.How Did the Germans Surprise the Allies at the Battle of the Bulge?.Why Did the Germans Initiate the Battle?.When Did the Battle of the Bulge Occur?.
