Most epic battle of WWII?

My grandfather fought there. He said it was just mindblowing. 24 hour fighting. I think the biggest surprise for the Americans about the bulge was that everyone thought Germany had no fight left in her.
I remember reading about Patton joking that the allies should let Germany go all the way back to Paris to give them "false hope" before they beat them back again.

 

I humbly want to thank your grandfather for what he did for my people!! Do you know where and what unit he fought with?

It was a huge surprise indeed, the more so as the attack made no sense! And "Old Blood 'n Guts" was right, instead for going for Bastogne they should have cut off the salient on the line Vianden-Prüm, the GI's would have been in Berlin by the end of March!

 

Unfortunately I dont know what unit he fought with. Next time I see him I'll have to write this stuff down.
Yeah both my grandfathers fought. One in the infantry and one was a tail gunner on a B-17. They both saw a lot of action.

I got this on youtube. Him talking about the Bulge if your intereted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe3YuFoyMxI
I should really get some more stuff from him since he's getting old.

 

Now I am not a Bulge expert like you but I assume you are referring Allied counter attack in January 1945 ? If so I think Allied meet up to cut Bulge in two by marching Houffalize made more sense (from perspective of a armchair general like myself. I am not even living there ) I have been in the Ardennes region last summer and read John Toland's "Battle" along the way. In January 1945 Most of Allied forces were gathered in Bastogne salient to resist German pressure and only viable road network was going from there to north towards Houffalize. Weather was atrocious , roads were in bad shape , Germans were resisting along the way leaving no gap to exploit in their lines and most importantly mechanized Allied armies were mainly road bound. Their vehicles were not good in cross country operations. Counter attack Vielsam - Prüm route at the battle of Bulge was a good idea in theory and it is nice to think GI's would be in Berlin in March (nope won't happen it was already agreed in Teheran in 1943 Germany's Eastern regions would be left to Russians. Entering their occupation zone would create a diplomatic and political conflict which Nazis pined their all remaining hopes until last moments of their life ) but switching axis of 1st and 9th Armies to further west would be first time consuming , second chaotic (Germans were still counter attacking in Bastogne in hope of capturing the city between 1-5 January) third harder to hide. Besides everyone from Ike to Bradley to Patton was insisting an immediete counter attack against German penetration in Ardennes. Best way to to that as soon as they insisted was marching from Bastogne to north to meet up with 1st and 9th Armies in Houffalize. Not to mention Bastogne Hoffalize rote was much shorter...

Everyone just forgets one fact that Hitler already gave permission to withdraw to Model Army Group B Commander on 8th January. A withdrawal Model insisting for days since he could read a map and he saw Bulge had turned to trap for German Armies , initiative had passed to Allies and his best strike for 6th SS Panzer Army was ordered to Hungary. They moved too swiftly using bad weather which they were accostumed to due to their Eastern Front experiences and less motorized infrastructure of their armies. Allies were still learning to trap , to encirclement battles. They could do that only when Hitler absolutely forbade to withdraw like in Tunisia 1943 or Rhineland-Ruhr in 1945.

 

Great post!!! This thread will be pulled in many directions, but you may have swayed me. After deliberating about the questions above I landed on Stalingrad, but your point is an excellent one.

 

Thanks for the kind words, KJ.

Don