December 16, 2025: The 1944 Battle of the Bulge was a major operation on the Western Front during World War II. It began On December 16 ^th and ended six weeks later on January 28, 1945. This was the last major German offensive on the Western Front and when it was defeated the Allies forces were able to move into Germany and end the war by My 8 ^th . The battle took place in the forested Ardennes area of Eastern Belgium and northern Luxemburg.

The Germans called their offensive Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein. They concentrated 406,000 men and 1,200 tanks and assault guns for the attack. These were organized into 13 infantry divisions, 7 armored divisions and one armored brigade.

The German objective was to seize the Belgian port of Antwerp and disrupt Allied supplies. The Germans could then defeat or disable the Allied armies and force the Allies to negotiate a peace. The Russian offensive would not stop and it is questionable if the German forces facing the Allies, now freed to face the Russians, would be enough to stop the Russians from occupying all of Germany. It would also mean that the American atomic bombs, which were originally created for use against Germany, would be used to eliminate Berlin and other major German cities. The British, when told of the Atomic bomb, could be convinced to break the peace treaty and allow the Americans to use British airbases and British fighter escorts, to deliver the bombs and end the war on Allied terms. The Russians would be intimidated by the use of this new weapon, and cooperate with the Allies. Russian spies in the United States had already alerted the Russians about the bomb.

The American defenders in the Ardennes had 228,000 troops organized into six infantry divisions and two armored divisions. The U.S. forces that were attacked were in the area for rest and recuperation. That’s because Allied divisions chased the Germans across France after the allies broke out in August from their Normandy landing area. That breakout operation went on for over three months. The allies incurred 200,000 casualties while the retreating Germans suffered 300,000. The allied forces had outrun their supply lines and the divisions attacked in the Ardennes were exhausted and replenishing their supplies and waiting to fill out the depleted ranks of the divisions that were attacked by the Germans in December.

By December 24 the Allies had 541,000 men organized into 15 infantry divisions, 6 armored divisions and one armored brigade. The Germans had 449,000 men organized into 16 infantry divisions, 8 armored divisions and three armored brigades. The Germans were now on the defensive and most of their advances had been eliminated by advancing allied forces.

By January 2, 1945, the Allies had 705,000 troops organized into 22 infantry divisions, eight armored divisions and two armored brigades, versus 401,000 Germans organized into 15 infantry divisions 8 armored divisions and three armored brigades.

By 16 January the allies had 700,000 troops organized into 22 infantry divisions, 8 armored divisions and 2 armored brigades versus 383.000 Germans organized into 16 infantry divisions, 8 armored divisions and 2 armored brigades.

The Battle of the Bulge cost the Allies 82,000 casualties and 800 tanks. The Germans suffered nearly 100,000 casualties and 550 tanks, tank destroyers and assault guns.

By late January the Germans were retreating rapidly and the allies were racing to get across the Rhine River, which they did on March 23^rd.

Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 8, 1945.

Perspective

World War II total ETO allied deaths in 1944-45 about 750,000

World War II total ETO German deaths in 1944-45 about 250,000

World War II total Russian Front Russian Deaths 10,000,000

World War II total Russian Front German Deaths 1,400,000

ETO/European Theater of Operations

Immersion

For more details go consult these board games on the battle, all can be accessed via the internet using these URLs or doing a Google or ChatGPT search of items without a URL. Games mentioned can be purchased at ebay.com.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge_(board_wargame)

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/20133/fab-the-bulge

Battle of the Bulge 1965 Avalon Hill

Bastogne 1970 Simulations Publications Incorporated/SPI

Ardennes Offensive 1973 SPI

Bulge 1979 SPI

The Last Gamble 2025 Compass Games