(Jiashen winter early), December 16, 1944, the Germans in the Ardennes "Griffin" counterattack plan. counterattack the Germans






put into day and night for 12 December 250,000 people
1944 years, the senior commanders of the German West line was suddenly summoned to the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the west line Lun Side Marshal.
Hitler the enactment counterattack "Griffin" bold, arrogant and simple: the Allies not rely on sealift to maintain forward operating it out all the way Jones destroy Belgium Dagang Antwerp, seize Allied major offshore supply base, oppression off of the forage Allied retreat, lifted the threat of Germany's western frontier, and then turn around and concentrate on dealing with the Russians. The postwar Allied generals commented, Hitler click staggering quasi Eisenhower at that time so see: Allied afford to make any large-scale attack in Antwerp did not fix before.
to seize Antwerp, it is necessary to break through the Allied line of defense, Hitler to his habit of thinking, a phase of an old place, and this is the Ardennes.
Ardennes since ancient times for the China-EU strategic location, it is in the southeast of Belgium, Luxembourg in the north and the northeast of France, an area of ​​about 10,000 square kilometers. Because here more than the forest, also known as the Ardennes forest, Nazi Germany had used this strategic location, line of defense of the French army, suddenly out of army tanks in the Ardennes breakthrough in June 1940, off the Antwerp Allied posterior, resulting in Dunkirk retreat and the French surrender. Hitler the Ardennes forest as a German blessed, this time from this blaze SHOWTIME, threw herself in Antwerp. Since late autumn, he "Griffin plans look everywhere for the remnants of more than pawn, actually put together more than 2,000 vehicles new or modified tank, concentrated after the force of 34 divisions. Goering also promised to Couchu 3000 aircraft.
At such times, the Allied high command is doing what? Nothing to do. Western military history scientist in finishing this period the Allied high command file, found in an embarrassing letter, letter Eisenhower wrote to Montgomery, U.S. generals to the British Marshal bet that can end the war before Christmas this quite seriously laid down a small ransom. Time, either American or British, everyone did not think, just before Christmas, the Allies would have been the biggest crisis since Dunkirk retreat since a. Ardennes counteroffensive started
16 at dawn. Germans artillery gongs, V-1 rocket roared, dragging a long tail flame, paddled big arc toward the Allied positions.
guns Allied awakened from their sleep. Them sleepy hazy rushed positions, the 14 divisions of the German attacking forces from the dawn fog the Ardennes forest. Allied defense quickly collapsed. German Field Marshal
commanding the attack Mundie. He was only 44 years old, and Rommel, born poor, is not the way out of the officer corps, but most adept at combat predicament, Hitler called "firefighters". And the past, "lightning war", the key to success in his plan of attack is a sudden and speed. Not, the Germans have little stamina, suddenly the momentum and speed, there will be no lasting will gradually evolve into a competition for the battle of the road, on the intersection of the road will deduce The most intense fighting.
the news of the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes until the afternoon before reaching the Allied high command. But several leading figures of the Allied the moment unknown Baide Jun intent guess to be a long time not to have lent. The next day, they came to understand where the direction of the German assault. Antwerp! When they realized this point, the vanguard of the German broke into Belgian territory of more than 30 km to reach the vicinity of the U.S. Army Command. More serious is near a giant oil library. Fortunately, the temporary involved in sporadic troops and reinforcements began to arrive, only slightly slow down the progress of the German army. the
While Allied high command to troop movements gap clogged A Dengsen forest direction, had the already chaotic rear, military transport and total chaos. Turned out a large number of German soldiers wearing U.S. military clothing to sneak into the Allied rear, disguised as gendarmes on duty in the road at the intersection of U.S. military vehicles in the past indicates the wrong direction, and intercepted U.S. military personnel put forward all the tough questions, such as could not answer that spy be punished spot shot. Allied high command found Enraged command gendarmerie vigorously searching for German soldiers wearing the uniforms of the United States, has been captured, immediately shot. A small amount is not executed immediately also executed after trial. The enemy spy
battlefield executions is permitted by international law, and the execution of prisoners of war is not allowed by international law. However, the U.S. military executed the German spy, Hitler ordered the German soldiers to take retaliatory action to fully indulge their brutality. In places far away from Malta MacDermid, 84 U.S. soldiers captured in battle stormtroopers were massacred, and the morgue wilderness. It is necessary to mention the postwar trial of this incident has caused the a Congressional uproar, so involved in this atrocity parties subject only to a very light penalty.
Hitler boasted that the Ardennes counterattack is successful. Cow blowing too early. The Germans counterattack only broke through a section of the Allied line of defense, still cling to the position of the Allied breakthrough at both ends of the lot, so the Germans only from this hole filling into advancing along a narrow breakthrough Strip. In front of the Panhandle, there is a small town called Bastogne, it is the intersection of roads, railways and roads like spokes from the same stretch in all directions. As in the rear of the front, so the Allies did not stationed here formed units, arranged for some staff officers. From now on, this humble town lie in the German advance on the road, will be the two sides have invested heavily competing for land.
Germans vanguard commander Feng - Fremantle Phil claimed, now, between the German tanks and Antwerp, only one obstacle that is Bastogne. He ordered von - Ludwig rate his troops three divisions to win at all costs Bastogne.
goal is not a ghost town of combatants. Aligned with this objective, the Germans and the Allies launched a march of a game. December 18 morning, the Germans 24 km away from Bastogne, to midnight, shorten the distance to 12 km.
but Americans never race of the players, they step faster from the start. The 10th Armored Division of the U.S. Army's first Germans step to ���˹����. Then, the U.S. 101st Airborne Division rushed to the scene. They are starting from 180 km away from the French territory, a large truck lights on, uninterrupted run for 24 hours.
the Allies a step early, but the forces on the two qualified teachers. The German Although late by step, but the total number of the great advantages. They siege of the small town, so the defenders get such a firing command: "opened fire in all directions! In December 21, the German side offensive edge pinched encirclement, forcing the U.S. military to retreat back foot a foot.
December 22, the defenders seem to have been back in the end. 10:30 Ludwig to the U.S. military issued an ultimatum: either surrender immediately or completely destroyed. A few hours later, the U.S. military commander General McCormack Reeve wrote back a reply. This letter after the war by most of the world's SMS in the Guinness Book of Records, it is only one word: Yuck! At this time,
Southern Patton led the 3rd Army to Bastogne rush to the rescue. Eisenhower gave him a brief command: fast! But no matter how fast the 3rd Army should travel 160 kilometers on the icy roads. Only 30 km away from Bastogne, the 3rd Army we are faced with a rare snowstorm, U.S. soldiers block the cold they have never encountered before.
Bastogne gunned the urgent airdrop supplies. However, in fog and snow, transport aircraft takeoff action impossible. The the (TodayinHistory.cn)
the morning of 23 May, overcast sky or did not see the shadow of the aircraft, the besieged soldiers thought they were forgotten.
days finally cleared up, since the Germans launched the Ardennes offensive, this is the first time. C-47 transport aircraft dropped hundreds of parachutes, mortar shells and machine gun bullets, gas masks, medical supplies, bandages, batteries, first aid plasma whole. There are Christmas gifts falling down from the sky. The Air Force would like to, quite comprehensive.
this Christmas, they will not be home for the holiday. But their battle in the sky snow prevented Hitler's desperate, so he was not able to give the promised share of the special German Christmas gift. the
On the eve of Christmas, everything seemed so silent, so still unsettling, this is a unique utterly still before the general offensive. Christmas to
. In the early morning of that day, the Germans launched a powerful offensive, and finally knocked on the line of defense of the Bastogne Western U.S.. Torn down this hole, the Nazi infantry inside Bay, until 3 kilometers from the city center was only to stop living.
Bastogne an emergency! The Barton rate 3rd Army to go all out to move forward in time. The tanks throw off the infantry, from a gap in the German lines interspersed go from destination only a dozen kilometers. [����d��y����h�� $ �Ө�ry.c��m]
Germans now difficult. They have to stop 3 Army while keeping live Siege of momentum, but the two are off the air.
second day of Christmas, the 3rd Army tanks rolled into Bastogne, to join with the defenders. To the infantry after another came, so strong guard force, not the Germans can shake Bastogne finally Huanguo Lai to the.
Hitler do? For him, a face problems. He has vowed to hit Antwerp, I did not expect to be far away from the port of Antwerp Bastogne to stop living. He swallow this tone, who advised not listen, January 3, 1945, the Germans concentrated nine divisions continued onslaught Bastogne, which launched the the Ardennes counteroffensive most intense fighting. But when the Bastogne Patton's 3rd Army reinforcements, the Germans made no progress. Not only that, it broke into a long, narrow corridor, we do not withdraw will gradually move closer over the Allies to surround and annihilate. So, Ardennes counteroffensive launched on January 16, 1945, exactly one month, the Germans back to their starting positions month ago.
Ardennes offensive of World War II, the last German counterattack results ending with the dead and injured 12 people. Hitler spell the family property to give it a shot, and he lost his shirt, "Griffin plans completely reimbursed.
a photography masterpieces: the German soldiers
Ardennes counterattack the Germans issued an ultimatum to the U.S. encirclement
standing on Hitler's side is his subordinates Otto Nova mining Nepal , The Nazi officer license in 1943 to rescue over Mussolini and famous. Ardennes counterattack war, he commanded about 800 able to speak English, German soldiers wearing U.S. military uniforms harassment penetrate into the American lines later, the U.S. military once chaos. History today www.lssdjt.com
captured U.S. military