Planes Filled the Sky - Remembering the Battle of the Bulge

The Weekly Standard ^ | Jan 5-12, 2014 | Warren Kozak

[dhs12345]

Apparently, Bradley underestimated the Germans and was caught off guard. It was his blunder. Also, Patton’s intelligence officer suspected that something was up but was never taken seriously.

Also, for whatever reason the British stayed out of the battle. They could have offered support but they didn’t. The American army was on its own.

[rlmorel]

IIRC, for the Germans, it was a two-fold objective:

1) Deny the port facilities to the allies

2.) Take control of the resources there (fuel, supplies, etc)

[dhs12345]

Ya. But didn’t Montgomery stay out of the battle? I read that the American army got little support from Monty.

[zot]

Battle of the Bulge ping.

[smoothsailing]

I’ve been to the Gettysburg Battlefield several times over the years. The experience has been an intense one each time. The spiritual nature of it is beyond my ability to describe, but I believe I understand what is meant by those who speak of having a religious experience in similar moments.

[yarddog]

I think it was mostly in the American area but I don’t think they would have given Montgomery command over all forces during the battle if the British were not in it.

[centurion316]

Rommel committed suicide in October 44, two months before the Bulge. He had been seriously wounded in July 44 and was essentially not in active command after that. Rommel was given a cyanide capsule as an alternative to a kanagroo court trial in front of a People’s Court.

[bigbob]

My dad is 90, and arrived in Europe just after the Battle, and took part in the mopping- up efforts in Germany and Belgium. Had he been drafted a few months earlier, who knows? His abiding memory was the heavy snow and bitter cold of the winter of ‘44-’45.

[dfwgator]

By this time we were pretty much committed to unconditional surrender, nobody had the heart by this time to cut out the Soviets, though I’m sure there were many who would have loved to do just that.

[Charles Martel]

[yarddog]

This photo of Montgomery and American General Simpson was taken by a member of my Father's Battalion.

[smoothsailing]

God Bless your dad, bigbob.

My dad has passed on but was in the Army and was actually stateside during the Bulge. He was born in 1909 and was drafted after Pearl.

[dhs12345]

My understanding was that the “buldge” was wedged between the American and British forces and Monty was in “command of the northern shoulder of American and British troops in the Ardennes.”

“Fresh from commanding the 21st Army group during the Normandy invasion, and having suffered an awful defeat in September as his troops attempted to cross the Rhine, Montgomery took temporary command of the northern shoulder of American and British troops in the Ardennes. He immediately fell into a familiar pattern, failing to act spontaneously for fear of not being sufficiently prepared. Montgomery was afraid to move before the German army had fully exhausted itself, finally making what American commanders saw as only a belated counterattack against the enemy. As the weather improved, American air cover raided German targets on the ground, which proved the turning point in the Allied victory. Monty eventually cut across northern Germany all the way to the Baltic and accepted the German surrender in May.”

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/monty-holds-a-press-conference

[dhs12345]

Indeed the Greatest Generation!

[dhs12345]

Wow! Powerful!

[smoothsailing]

Thanks for posting the prayer! B^)

[dhs12345]

Good point. He may have not contributed to the offensive. Apparently, he had a skull fracture. But in a pinch, he might have been brought into the action.

[yarddog]

Yes Montgomery took the credit and that was probably a mistake since American troops were more responsible for the victory than any other.

On the other hand, Montgomery was in fact the ground commander of all forces during the battle, including American ones, so I can see his point.

I think Montgomery was better than history has painted him.

I saw an interview of the German General in command of the entire German army. He was in prison at the time. One question they asked him was who did he think was the best Allied general. He simply answered “Montgomery and Patton”.

[dhs12345]

Interestingly, both Churchill and FDR were separately and secretly negotiating with Stalin for how to divide up post war Eastern Europe. Both were duped. Stalin made promises but had other plans.

[dfwgator]

I don’t know frankly if FDR and Churchill had much choice....there were very few in America or Britain that would have had the stomach to take on the Soviets.