1994 29¢ Battle of the Bulge stamp
US #2838j – The only stamp in all of the US WWII sheets to picture a winter scene.

On December 16, 1944, the Battle of the Bulge began.  It was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the war to involve the United States.

On July 25, 1944, Allied troops broke through German lines at Saint-Lo, France, and a month later, Paris was liberated after four long years of Nazi occupation.  Driving forward, General George S. Patton pushed eastward toward the Rhine River, while British commander Bernard Montgomery swept into Belgium, capturing Antwerp on September 4th.  By the late fall, the US and British forces had managed to drive the Germans back to their own borders.

2000 33¢ Omar Bradley stamp
US #3394 – Bradley commanded the US 12th Army during the battle.

Faced with disaster, Hitler made one final attempt to win the war.  Pulling together his failing resources, he planned to break through the weakly held 75-mile front of Belgium’s dense Ardennes Forest, severing the Allied forces in two.  The Germans planned their offensive with strict secrecy.  They kept radio communication to a minimum and moved troops and equipment at night.  Because the Allies were busy planning their own offensive, they failed to see what the Germans were up to.

On the misty morning of December 16th, more than 200,000 German troops and about 1,000 tanks launched their attack.  The four US units they targeted were caught by complete surprise as their superior air force was grounded by overcast skies.  The two forces collided throughout the day, but the Germans eventually broke through the American front.  They captured most of a division, as well as key roads, and then marched toward the Meuse River.  This created a large bulge in the Allied lines, which is where the battle got its popular name.

1953 3¢ General George S. Patton, Jr. stamp
US #1026 – Patton led the US 3rd Army during the battle.

Immediately, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower sent reinforcements to prevent the Germans from pushing in any further.  Days later, Patton had turned his troops around and launched a counterattack on the German flank.  The troops at the front were often isolated in the forest and unaware of the situation in the overall battle but still did their part to slow the Nazi advance.  This included moving or destroying stocks of gasoline, which the German tanks needed to advance, and keeping them away from vital crossroads.  At the Bastogne crossroads, a German commander ordered the Americans to surrender, to which General Anthony McAuliffe famously replied, “Nuts!”

The Allies also had the terrain in their favor, which set the Germans behind schedule, allowing for more Allied reinforcements to arrive.  As the weather cleared, the Allies were finally able to launch air attacks on the German forces and their supply lines, which proved to be one of the most determining factors in the failed German offensive.  By January 16, 1945, the Ardennes front had been re-established to where it had been a month earlier, though fighting continued until the last German troops withdrew on January 25.

1994 29¢ Battle of the Bulge Fleetwood First Day Cover.
US #2838j – Fleetwood First Day Cover

The Battle of the Bulge was one of the war’s largest and bloodiest battles to involve the United States.  Of the 300,000 Germans that fought, up to 100,000 were killed, missing, or wounded.  Meanwhile, the Americans, 610,000 strong, suffered 89,000 casualties.

Following the battle, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill stated, “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.”

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8 Comments

  1. I salute those who gave their lives to defend against a very evil man! Thanks again for the reminder of what it took to defend freedom loving people from those who were so evil.

  2. According to historical data, the average age of the American troops who fought during the Battle of the Bulge was 19. Barely out of high school, they held on, held out and many gave all to protect our freedoms and our way of life. Thank you to everyone of our WWII vets, no matter their age. They truly were and always will be The Greatest Generation.

      1. Michael, Susan was referring specifically to the Battle of the Bulge, not the overall WWII as you refer to. She is correct. By that point in WWII, new recruits were being heavily rotated in on all fronts as many soldiers and marines had been deployed and actively fighting for an extended period. It was near the end of a long devastating war. Susan is correct in specific mention of the Battle of the Bulge.

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