In December 1944, the German Army launched an attack through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium that aimed to seize the port of Antwerp and cut the Allied supply lines, hoping to force the Western Allies either to delay their advance on Berlin, or even agree a peace settlement. The Battle of the Bulge is a comprehensive history of Hitler’s last offensive in the West, the failure of which undoubtedly hastened the end of World War II. The book begins with a study of the background to the battle, and a description of events in the West leading up to the offensive, including the Allied landings in Normandy on D-Day and Operation Market Garden. The lack of Allied readiness for a surprise attack and the tactics used by Otto Skorzeny’s commandos are covered in depth. After initial success, the Germans became bogged down in a siege of the crucial communications hub at Bastogne which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division and other scratch US forces. The book describes how the attack lost vital momentum that was compounded when the weather cleared by the superiority of Allied airpower, and the final chapter discusses the far-reaching implications of the battle for the Germans and the Allies. The book’s authoritative text is complemented with appendices with information on orders of battle, losses and equipment.
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