DECEMBER 16, 1944
- Thread starter Rudi
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My uncle was there. Spent the rest of his life trying to warm up.
My uncle was there. Lost several toes to frostbite. I think he had PTSD for the rest of his life, which sadly, was short. Uncle Earl didn't live to see 60.
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Find and read “ A Time for Trumpets”, best book on the Bulge.
BLACKHAWKNJ
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The Germans learned a lot from our D-Day planning. Strict commo security, setting up dummy units that generated radio traffic that created a false and misleading picture of German strength and unit locations.
The German battle plan was unrealistic, the objective-Antwerp-was too far away for the forces assigned. The farthest any unit penetrated was 60 miles.
Albert Speer wrote he visited the HQ of the 6th SS Panzer Army under Sepp Dietrich, supposed to be the main striking force. Dietrich was shockingly blunt in his criticisms of Hitler-"He refused to understand that the Americans were tough opponents, soldiers as good as our own. Even the elite divisions of the SS could not run over them with impunity."
The German battle plan was unrealistic, the objective-Antwerp-was too far away for the forces assigned. The farthest any unit penetrated was 60 miles.
Albert Speer wrote he visited the HQ of the 6th SS Panzer Army under Sepp Dietrich, supposed to be the main striking force. Dietrich was shockingly blunt in his criticisms of Hitler-"He refused to understand that the Americans were tough opponents, soldiers as good as our own. Even the elite divisions of the SS could not run over them with impunity."
I had a teacher in Jr and High school That was there. He was captured & spent some time in Germany & suffered from poor food I took ROTC that he taught for 2 years. A fine teacher that I thought a lot of. Mr. John A. Spade. I owe a lot to him. RIP.
Inusuit
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Those heroes and Patton's left turn are a couple of the things that make me proud to be an American.
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Over the years have had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Many Bulge Veterans. Every one said the Cold was what they remember the most. Many many US units fought Very well and basically blunted the Germans thrusts. Then the biggest fault the Germans had was Lack of enough fuel. Many German units simply ran out of gas. Also what most do not know it was the First time US artillery used “ posit”, proximity fuses that caused air bursts. Quite a few Veterans said flat out if not for those fuses they would not be here today. One accounted that there were several hundred Germans attacking across an open area. He called in artillery and the air burst killed most, wounded the rest, simply amazing he said. BTW, one needs to look up the kill radius of air burst 105 and 155 US artillery then…..
My father was in the 8th Air Force and was at the Bulge.
I was born on the day he left for Europe on a ship. He said they had Mutton a lot on the way over, and he would not allow anything sheep related in the house for meals.
He also wanted nothing but butter on the table. I inherited that from him as I only want butter too.
I was born on the day he left for Europe on a ship. He said they had Mutton a lot on the way over, and he would not allow anything sheep related in the house for meals.
He also wanted nothing but butter on the table. I inherited that from him as I only want butter too.
I remember my father telling me about our aircraft making a bombing run, that killed a bunch of our soldiers. He was quite angry about that.
HOUSTON RICK
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More casualties un the Nattle of the Bulge then the entire Pacific campaign. I had an uncle who was in Long Tom artillery. He did not plan on being pulled to the front line to shoot point blank at heavy German tanks. I had a geography teacher who was with the initial overrun National Guard unit who had nothing that could touch Tiger tanks. He always bragged about the lead still in his rear end, because it proved that he had the sense to run.
I also had an uncle there. Never said much about it other than he did what he was asked to do. He received a Bronze Star.
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Have read several “ accounts” that said the Allies “ should have known” the Bulge was going to happen. Many German codes had been broken at Bletchley Park and here in the US. Much of that is still classified.
Rotorhead1026
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It’s easy to dig around fifty years later and cherry pick info that “proves” somebody was asleep at the switch. In fact, deriving real facts out of the sheer volume of information collected, in real time, is nearly a black art. It’s easy to miss the “obvious”.
My late father was there as well.
Tank driver with General Patton, 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion.
79 years ago , God Bless them all !
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30-30remchester
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A member of our gun club had a father with the 101st at Bastone. He was wounded and taken prisoner and instantly put to work in the German food services. Worked for a few days when he heard the sounds of the battle revving up and German soldiers racing to the rear. He knew he didn't have long to live with the Germans no prisoner policy. He heard the sound of multiple German footsteps stopping behind him. He just waited for the inevitable, but nothing. He slowly turned around to face his fate. To his surprise, 6 German soldiers had laid down their rifles and had their hands up. They were surrendering to him. Probably the only time enemy soldiers surrendered to a man armed with a spatula.
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30-30remchester
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The man mentioned in my above post told another story of Bastone. Trapped there, the Americans were short of all kinds of supplies. Bandages were quickly in short supply and the people of Bastone were asked for their bedsheets to be used for bandaging. The Americans promised to return them when they were done with them. Of course, the people of Bastone didn't realize their sheets were being torn up and thrown away. The cost of war. After the war, soldiers returning to Bastone to visit their past, will bring bedsheets as a gift to the people of Bastone. The above man visited 3 times and each time brought 2 sets of bedsheets as gifts to their saviors.
One of my Great Uncles was wounded during the battle. I do not know what area he was in as he would only say he had been wounded and nothing else. He passed away in 1989.
I have mentioned before that my dad slugged his way through the ETO as a combat mechanic with the Third Herd.
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