Hello, i live 30 miles from Bastogne, i know a lot about this battle and i can tell you that germans never went inside Bastogne. There were never street fighting in Bastogne, all the fighting took place outside the city. I see you went in the small 101 museum, that's great, it's way better than the big one. Nice video, cheers from Belgium :-)
My father was in Liege, Belgium when the battle started. He was with the 72nd Ordnance Group. His brother Mike was front line infantry near St Vith. After the Germans overran his unit’s position on the 16th of December, my Uncle Mike and other survivors were redeployed into St Vith. In the ensuing fight he was awarded two Bronze Stars. I only learned about it years later after reading a magazine account of the war experiences of Westmoreland County Pa men. When asked what he did in the war, my Uncle Mike would simply say…” I brought home a Luger.”
My father was a Sgt. in a US Army Combat Engineer Battalion and was in the battle. He took a luger off of a German artillery officer, but some other GI liked it more and stole it from him.
I knew several veterans of that terrible battle. All gone now Gone are there suffering. They admitted they were there. Would speak of it but never talked about it only amongst themselves. Wonderful gentleman would do anything to help you Never talked only how bitter cold it was. We’re blessed to have been friends with them. Ruff guys but gentle to all of us kids.
My dad fought there. He said the worst thing was the artillery tree bursts. I can't imagine living outdoors in winter under those conditions. Thanks, Dad, for your service.
Excellent video. I, too, would like to see a similar video on the northern shoulder of the Bulge. My dad, was in the 99th Infantry Division. They were moved into the northern part of the Ardennes in November of 1944. G-2 (Intelligence) had told the 99th that there was one horse drawn artillery piece across the Siegfried line from them. On the 16th of December, the 99th Division and surrounding US forces, endured the longest German artillery barrage, on the Western Front, during WWII. One GI was heard to say, “They’re sure working working that horse to death!” Dad’s regiment, the 394th, held out for two days in the crossroads town of Losheimergraben. During the night of the third day, they began a “strategic withdrawal” back to the west and the twin villages of Rocherath-Krinkelt. It was there, Dad told me, that the soldiers of the 99th Division found out that the Russian invention of the Molotov Cocktail, (gasoline in a bottle with a rag lighted on fire), worked well on German armor, when deployed from above. The 99th eventually was moved to the Elsenborn Ridge. On the high ground there, American artillery destroyed the German advance. The road net west of the towns of Spa and Liege, gave the Germans the shortest route to Antwerp. The actions of the 99th Division, along with other US forces, prevented the Germans from using the roads in that area. While the 101st Airborne, gets the majority of press, and rightly so, the 82nd Airborne was extremely important to holding the northern shoulder. Because of the size and weight of many of the German armored vehicles, only certain roads and bridges could be used in their advance. The actions of many US Engineer units, prevented the Germans from using those roads and bridges. The line most often heard from German commanders was, “The damned engineers!” What the Germans didn’t have was time and gasoline. An excellent museum in the northern shoulder of the Bulge, is at La Gleize, Belgium. Here, Kampfgruppe Peiper, ran out of time and gas. There is a King Tiger tank on display outside the December 44 Museum in La Gleize. The tank wasn’t destroyed by American action but was abandoned after the Germans ran out of fuel. The Battle of the Bulge was won by the Americans because of small unit actions and courage and resourcefulness of the American soldiers.
And Montgomery took over command of US 1st Army on December 20th and immediately made important and sound decisions, such as to pull back from St Vith to superior defensive positions, rather than get surrounded like at Bastogne.
@ With as much animosity American troops had toward General Montgomery, he did make some critical decisions early in the attack. You are correct in your statement. Monty should have kept his mouth shut after the Bulge had stabilized. He had made the statement that he had won the Battle of the Bulge. It took Winston Churchill, in a speech in the House of Commons, to give full credit to the American troops. My dad’s division, the 99th, was one of the US divisions that was under Courtney Hodges and Omar Bradley before the Bulge, under command of Bernard Montgomery during the Bulge and in their movement to Bavaria late in the war, they were in the 3rd Army under George Patton. Dad always said they could have been under command of Napoleon but the average GI in the line didn’t know or care who the general was. 1st Sargents had more direct involvement than the commanding general for the line soldiers.
My dad was 99/393 1Bt, Baker Co. on the line on the 16th. Made it back to Elsenborn after a strategic withdrawal at night from behind enemy lines. He and about 20 other riflemen from the entire 1st battalion (the rest either killed or captured) survived to repel them at Elsenborn Ridge. I keep waiting for someone to 'highlight' the 99th, the north shoulder, and Elsenborn Ridge.
@ Excellent information. My Dad was in the 394th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company A when the Bulge started. The 294th was at the very southern end of the 99th’s deployment. On the right flank was the 14th Calvary group. They were a light reconnaissance unit, not a heavy equipped force. They got rolled up up early in the battle and left the southern flank of the 99th wide open. If you ever get a chance, take a tour of the Bulge sites. My wife and I did that in 2018. Very interesting and very moving. We did the tour through the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Highly recommended.
Most of the soldiers in the Ardennes forest were exhausted troops that were sent there to get rest in a relatively light combat zone. They were out numbered out gunned and warn out from previous combat engagements. Combat engineers saved the day blowing up bridges and preventing the German advance.
Well photographed, well edited, well scripted and well narrated, with a fitting score to boot. Great job for an overview video, just right for the 80th anniversary!
Well done , excellent photography and editing Two correctable small correctable errors in script, Bastogne, no street battle but there was plenty urban fight in Cleraux ,St Vith and many other smaller towns, Clervaux was HQs for 110th RGT of 28th Div, Div HQs was a few miles back in Wiltz
Thanks for the added information. I do my best to give a general overview, but not being an expert in the topic, I just hope people are compelled to explore the battlefield and the region and learn the details themselves.
Great work, i visited the Bastogne area, Foy, Malmedy (massacre place) an a big American cemetery in Neupré in the summer and must say when you are standing on this grounds all i can think off is to thank the brave man who liberated us from the Germans, i also went to the Hurtgen forest, Vossenack, Kall-trail, Hill400 etc. area aswell, also there is the same feeling, we can't thank them enough for this. maybe an idea to make a video about the Hurtgen forest aswell? I would be happy to guide you to this places. Greetings
@@daviddickey1748 Indeed, walking there in the area makes it even more understandable. Thanks to the brave Soldiers, we can't thank them enough, greetings
You forgot,the day after Christmas glider pilots voluntary flew through a hail of enemy ground fire and delivered medical supplies and ammunition way ahead of Patton's tanks.
My Uncle Tony was an infantryman in the 101st....he was right in the middle of all this and was confirmed by the author of this book as I had the pleasure to speak with him years ago... Battered Bastards of Bastogne Paperback - December 12, 2011 by George Koskimaki ...my Uncle survived and I have his brass plate that says nuts on display in my house...
It has been reported that Patton was the commander who 1st initiated and voluntered his troops to make the thrust from their position in the South to relieve Bastone vs. being "tasked" with that movement...? That movement in the dead of winter was logistically considered by most to be almost impossible. Still, the determination of the surrounded defenders can never be downplayed: all units involved performed heroically!
There's a Mark Felton video in which he describes the Germans dropping parachutists from JU52s during the early days of the offensive, which was a surprise to me. ua-cam.com/video/tj7La7_u_ao/v-deo.html
The book “ A Feast of Trumpets” s a very detailed book on the battle that delves into the battle in great detail and tells the story in gritty detail from both sides of the conflict. A horrendous battle, the story is told through official combat reports from US Army records, the author being a former company commander who fought in the battle himself. Highlights recommended reading.
My Uncle Harold Haupt who was in the Big Red 1 was killed Dec. 24th. Iam told he was captured and executed. His body was brought home by his brother and is buried In Lackawaxen PA.
Yes it went next to nowhere for six months and wasted hundreds of thousands of men in pointless secondary campaigns like the Hurtgen Forest, Lorraine and Alsace. The allied armies shook have stuck together and been concentrated in the north, as Montgomery proposed in August 1944. He proposed that 40 divisions in 4 armies (1 British, 1 Canadian and 2 American) all drive together across northern Germany instead of being dispersed everywhere down through southern Germany. First objective, the Ruhr to kill German industrial production. There was little of strategic importance in southern Germany.
It's nice to see the memorials. The problem here - is that you didn't cover anything but Bastogne. A major success on the part of the Americans - was the 82nd holding the Northern Shoulder of the battle and the American Engineers blowing all the bridges so the German tanks couldn't get across. This was nice for what it is - but - it's incomplete. .
Good presentation. However, too heavily focused on Patton and the 101st around Bastogne. Bastogne was not in the most important sector of the Battle of the Bulge. It was on the southern periphery. The majority of German, and American, forces were to the north and west. The battle was really won and lost elsewhere. The US 1st Army, which did the majority of the fighting, was commanded by Montgomery from December 20th. Patton had a smaller and less significant role than Montgomery. Cheers.
You look at these peaceful land and forests now, but in 1944 it was a destructive place, with many small battle, that had a massive effect on the German advance and Piper tanks never crossed the River Meuse to get to Antwerp. Bastogne were the Americans held made sure the German never got in. Patton relieved Bastogne. Hitler last throw of the dice failed. Thanks to brave men.
Nobody ever covers the TRUTH about the northern shoulder. The TRUTH destroys the British myth about Monty saving the day. It was USA 2nd armored division who STOPPED and destroyed 2nd ss panzer at Celles, then went on to destroy 2nd panzer at Humaine that stopped the german drive. It was USA 3rd armored, along with 82nd airborne who stopped sepp Detreichs armor drive north. Between USA 2nd & 3rd armored, and MANY other USA units, they STOPPED and destroyed the German attack. A few brit units came in BEHIND 2nd armored at Celles then pushed south to mop up. But as Churchill publically said in parliament when he admonished Monty for trying to take credit, this was one of the largest American battle an victories of WW2. The 2nd & 3rd armored division history books cover the Bulge in depth. But they are very hard books to find. I have them as my Grandfather was with 2nd armored from start to finish. 1942 to 1945. He said the worst part if the war was the bulge. Because we used so much artillery & air that the bodies & body parts were everywhere. And without looking very closely, which they DIDNT, you couldnt really tell WHO they were. Ours, theirs, civilians. He said it was really bad. And finding body parts in the tank tracks which had to be cleaned daily so the tracks wouldnt freeze, was just horrendous.
Montgomery wasn't just commanding the British forces in the Ardennes. Eisenhower asked Montgomery to take over command of US 1st and 9th Armies. Montgomery came down and directed the majority of the American forces in the Ardennes from the 5th day onwards . General Hasso von Manteuffel: ""The operations of the American 1st Army had developed into a series of individual holding actions. Montgomery's contribution to restoring the situation was that he turned a series of isolated actions into a coherent battle fought according to a clear and definite plan. It was his refusal to engage in premature and piecemeal counter-attacks which enabled the Americans to gather their reserves and frustrate the German attempts to extend their breakthrough."" Montgomery brought a sense of order and cohesion out of a disjointed mess and his immediate actions, such as the quick decision to pull back from St Vith to superior defensive positions, saved thousands of American troops. General Hasbrouck of the US 7th Armored Division said Montgomery's decision saved his division from annihilation. General Gavin of the US 82nd Airborne said that while he hated withdrawing, Montgomery's decision was the correct one and of far greater benefit to his decision. As I said, Montgomery was commanding the US 1st Army from December 20th, after Hodges fled his HQ in panic and Bradley dithered and did nothing. Montgomery was the first commander to actively get a tough grip on the situation. Montgomery's actions in the north and west were more significant and immediate than the over exaggerated battle around Bastogne involving Patton.
@@lyndoncmp5751 that right there is the Monty MYTH recited to a T. Congratulations 😂😂😂😂..nothing but LIES and rubbish. You would think the British would STOP LIEING after 80 years. Funny how both the 2nd & 3rd army division history books tell a completely different story WITH attraction reports. 1. Monty ordered 2nd armored commander Ernie Harmon to retreat at Ciney. Harmon refused. Harmon attacked 2nd ss panzer at Celles and destroyed it. A battle the British pretend never happened. But that doesnt explain the large memorial to USA 2nd armored that you can see on Google street view does it? 2. Harmon then attacked Humaine where USA 2nd armored attacked and destroyed 2nd panzer. A battle so fierce, the town was never rebuilt and still sits destroyed. 2. Hodges never left his headquarters either. MORE BRITISH LIES. 3. Gavin already had permission to withdraw to higher ground, and did so until USA 3rd armored got there, then both 3rd armored and 82ab attacked. Monty didnt save anything because nobody listened to him. 😂😂😂😂. The US ARMY has ALL the records and after action reports to PROVE who saved the bulge and stopped the German spearheads. Monty has nothing but British lies. Which you seem to know all of them. 😂😂😂😂
And THERE it is. 😂😂😂. The Brit lies & they cant prove any of it. I think you forgot the one where Hodges was drunk. 😂😂😂 You would think after 80 years the Brits would stop lieing about WW2. How utterly pathetic. 😂😂😂
The book “A Feast of Trumpets” covers the battle very well in all its minute detail. It was equally harrowing and fiercely fought on both sides. Both sides were fighting for their lives and not just territory.
Yeah, you mentioned that one M-4 Sherman tank that was so important in holding off the Germans! What, the 101st Airborne didn’t have any tanks! Yes, like most coverage of the battle no one mentions who was there before and after the 101st. Who’s General Mc Aufille said they never seems to get any credit but we could not have held out without them! They were here before us and stayed here after us. Who? Combat command B 10th Armored Division! Even in the movie the band of brothers that medical evacuation point where the mayor’s daughter worked as a nurse and was destroyed by a German bomb was housing 10th Armored Division soldiers! We will never forget our brother tankers! “Death before dismount!” Real TC, C-33 3rd battalion 63rd Armored brigade formed from the 745th tank battalion of WWII!
But of U.S. national parks are your thing, what prompted you to do this? Was it the 80ty Anniversary? An intention to get a lot of hits, likes, and increased profits from Your Tube?
I’ve spent a lot of time in Europe lately, and it’s still American history. I’ll get back to National Parks in the near future. I’ll be branching out and covering. More history and museums alongside the parks.
For depicting such a historically important event, you make a significant mistake by showing Panzer IIs (being 1939-40 tanks) instead of: Tiger II, Tiger I, Panther, Panzer Mark IV, Hetzer, Jagdpanther, Stug III and IV, Nashorn, Sturmtiger, SkDfz 162 IV/70, and Jagdtiger.... all being later War vehicles. Facts like these make a difference.
You missed the bit where the US was warned by the English with their Enigma ,that the German's were about to attack but for whatever reason they ignored it.😢 Many Americans would die because of the failings of the higher-ups.
One reason for this was that they did not want the Germans to know they solved the secret of the enigma at the time, so they chose to defend sparingly what they knew, unfortunately I don't think they knew at they time how large this counter offensive was, one part of this could be because of what @shanedinkle6902 said, the Germans weren't sending complete messages about this.
My Uncle Harold Haupt who was in the Big Red 1 was killed Dec. 24th. Iam told he was captured and executed. His body was brought home by his brother and is buried In Lackawaxen PA.
Hello, i live 30 miles from Bastogne, i know a lot about this battle and i can tell you that germans never went inside Bastogne. There were never street fighting in Bastogne, all the fighting took place outside the city.
I see you went in the small 101 museum, that's great, it's way better than the big one.
Nice video, cheers from Belgium :-)
I appreciate the information: hopefully people will visit themselves and learn much more than I was able to provide
@megatheriumclub true words. There is so much to cover during the battle of the bulge.
Thank you for being polite in your correction of a major error in this otherwise reasonably good video.
@bbakkum you know, when you love history every truth is important.
C O R R E C T... Germany launched several independent attacts from outside the perimeter, but NEVER coordinated.
My father was in Liege, Belgium when the battle started. He was with the 72nd Ordnance Group. His brother Mike was front line infantry near St Vith. After the Germans overran his unit’s position on the 16th of December, my Uncle Mike and other survivors were redeployed into St Vith. In the ensuing fight he was awarded two Bronze Stars. I only learned about it years later after reading a magazine account of the war experiences of Westmoreland County Pa men. When asked what he did in the war, my Uncle Mike would simply say…” I brought home a Luger.”
My father was a WW2 combat veteran. He too avoided talking about the war
My father was a Sgt. in a US Army Combat Engineer Battalion and was in the battle. He took a luger off of a German artillery officer, but some other GI liked it more and stole it from him.
I knew several veterans of that terrible battle. All gone now Gone are there suffering. They admitted they were there. Would speak of it but never talked about it only amongst themselves. Wonderful gentleman would do anything to help you Never talked only how bitter cold it was. We’re blessed to have been friends with them. Ruff guys but gentle to all of us kids.
Thanks for sharing
My dad fought there. He said the worst thing was the artillery tree bursts. I can't imagine living outdoors in winter under those conditions. Thanks, Dad, for your service.
Excellent video.
I, too, would like to see a similar video on the northern shoulder of the Bulge.
My dad, was in the 99th Infantry Division. They were moved into the northern part of the Ardennes in November of 1944. G-2 (Intelligence) had told the 99th that there was one horse drawn artillery piece across the Siegfried line from them.
On the 16th of December, the 99th Division and surrounding US forces, endured the longest German artillery barrage, on the Western Front, during WWII. One GI was heard to say, “They’re sure working working that horse to death!”
Dad’s regiment, the 394th, held out for two days in the crossroads town of Losheimergraben. During the night of the third day, they began a “strategic withdrawal” back to the west and the twin villages of Rocherath-Krinkelt. It was there, Dad told me, that the soldiers of the 99th Division found out that the Russian invention of the Molotov Cocktail, (gasoline in a bottle with a rag lighted on fire), worked well on German armor, when deployed from above.
The 99th eventually was moved to the Elsenborn Ridge. On the high ground there, American artillery destroyed the German advance.
The road net west of the towns of Spa and Liege, gave the Germans the shortest route to Antwerp. The actions of the 99th Division, along with other US forces, prevented the Germans from using the roads in that area.
While the 101st Airborne, gets the majority of press, and rightly so, the 82nd Airborne was extremely important to holding the northern shoulder.
Because of the size and weight of many of the German armored vehicles, only certain roads and bridges could be used in their advance. The actions of many US Engineer units, prevented the Germans from using those roads and bridges. The line most often heard from German commanders was, “The damned engineers!”
What the Germans didn’t have was time and gasoline. An excellent museum in the northern shoulder of the Bulge, is at La Gleize, Belgium. Here, Kampfgruppe Peiper, ran out of time and gas.
There is a King Tiger tank on display outside the December 44 Museum in La Gleize. The tank wasn’t destroyed by American action but was abandoned after the Germans ran out of fuel.
The Battle of the Bulge was won by the Americans because of small unit actions and courage and resourcefulness of the American soldiers.
And Montgomery took over command of US 1st Army on December 20th and immediately made important and sound decisions, such as to pull back from St Vith to superior defensive positions, rather than get surrounded like at Bastogne.
@ With as much animosity American troops had toward General Montgomery, he did make some critical decisions early in the attack. You are correct in your statement.
Monty should have kept his mouth shut after the Bulge had stabilized. He had made the statement that he had won the Battle of the Bulge. It took Winston Churchill, in a speech in the House of Commons, to give full credit to the American troops.
My dad’s division, the 99th, was one of the US divisions that was under Courtney Hodges and Omar Bradley before the Bulge, under command of Bernard Montgomery during the Bulge and in their movement to Bavaria late in the war, they were in the 3rd Army under George Patton.
Dad always said they could have been under command of Napoleon but the average GI in the line didn’t know or care who the general was. 1st Sargents had more direct involvement than the commanding general for the line soldiers.
My brother was in battle with the 99th. Never talked much about it but did receive a bronze star for his part.
My dad was 99/393 1Bt, Baker Co. on the line on the 16th. Made it back to Elsenborn after a strategic withdrawal at night from behind enemy lines. He and about 20 other riflemen from the entire 1st battalion (the rest either killed or captured) survived to repel them at Elsenborn Ridge. I keep waiting for someone to 'highlight' the 99th, the north shoulder, and Elsenborn Ridge.
@ Excellent information. My Dad was in the 394th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company A when the Bulge started. The 294th was at the very southern end of the 99th’s deployment. On the right flank was the 14th Calvary group. They were a light reconnaissance unit, not a heavy equipped force. They got rolled up up early in the battle and left the southern flank of the 99th wide open.
If you ever get a chance, take a tour of the Bulge sites. My wife and I did that in 2018. Very interesting and very moving. We did the tour through the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Highly recommended.
Most of the soldiers in the Ardennes forest were exhausted troops that were sent there to get rest in a relatively light combat zone. They were out numbered out gunned and warn out from previous combat engagements. Combat engineers saved the day blowing up bridges and preventing the German advance.
Excellent work! Thanks, appreciate it a lot 👍
Greets from the Netherlands 🇳🇱, TW.
Our pleasure!
My Uncle Louis Novak was Killed in Action on January 5th. 1945 in a town called Beffe, his brother Bob fought in Italy all the way up into Germany.
Great video! The sacrifice is hard to grasp. All respect to those who have served in every war or conflict. 🇺🇲❤
Well photographed, well edited, well scripted and well narrated, with a fitting score to boot. Great job for an overview video, just right for the 80th anniversary!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Well done , excellent photography and editing
Two correctable small correctable errors in script, Bastogne, no street battle but there was plenty urban fight in Cleraux ,St Vith and many other smaller towns, Clervaux was HQs for 110th RGT of 28th Div, Div HQs was a few miles back in Wiltz
Thanks for the added information. I do my best to give a general overview, but not being an expert in the topic, I just hope people are compelled to explore the battlefield and the region and learn the details themselves.
Great tribute to all the soldiers who served and died there!
Amazing video!
Thanks!
Great video. I sure would like to go there some time. Thanks
You should!
Nice work! Like to see you cover the 'Northern Shoulder' next.
I’m not sure I know enough about it to do justice
Great work, i visited the Bastogne area, Foy, Malmedy (massacre place) an a big American cemetery in Neupré in the summer and must say when you are standing on this grounds all i can think off is to thank the brave man who liberated us from the Germans, i also went to the Hurtgen forest, Vossenack, Kall-trail, Hill400 etc. area aswell, also there is the same feeling, we can't thank them enough for this. maybe an idea to make a video about the Hurtgen forest aswell? I would be happy to guide you to this places. Greetings
Thank you
Ich hoffe du fährst auch mal nach Chenogne bei Bastogne, wo die "Befreier" an die Hundert deutsche Landser massakrierten.
Hurtgen Forest was another devastating slug out on both sides and deserves much more attention then it gets.
@@daviddickey1748 Indeed, walking there in the area makes it even more understandable. Thanks to the brave Soldiers, we can't thank them enough, greetings
I had a math teacher who was a Tank commander in the Battle of the Bulge. You should have seen his scars.
Thanks for sharing
Great video 🙏🏼I visitid almost all the places shown over the the last years .
Awesome! Thank you!
That was well done, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Salute boys! Thank you to my friends Don (101st) and Ted (82nd) . I'll never let your memories die.🙏
Thanks for sharing
I was in Bastogne this past September. 101st Airborne Museum and Luxemburg cemetery.
You forgot,the day after Christmas glider pilots voluntary flew through a hail of enemy ground fire and delivered medical supplies and ammunition way ahead of Patton's tanks.
I was aware of this, but didn’t know how to fit it in
Very well done indeed.
I appreciate you saying so. Thanks for watching
Your poignant narration nailed it.
Kind of you to say
Very well done .
Many thanks!
Very nicely done!
Can you please confirm name of music track during
St. Michael's Grotto until end?
Beautiful and Humbling
My Uncle Tony was an infantryman in the 101st....he was right in the middle of all this and was confirmed by the author of this book as I had the pleasure to speak with him years ago... Battered Bastards of Bastogne Paperback - December 12, 2011
by George Koskimaki ...my Uncle survived and I have his brass plate that says nuts on display in my house...
Il faudrait évoquer tout les zones des combats autres ,stavelot, st vite,Rochefort, surtout à ce 80 em.
Thank you for bringing them up!
Those tanks, and their markings, while traveling on the Summer, all seem quite unconvincing.
Best available footage I could find. It’s an overview, not a reenactment.
the panzer I and II were from 1940
Good job.
Thanks
Semper Iratus Fidelis
Thank you!
Look up Combat Command B 10th Armored Division at Bastogne
Very informative
Thanks for watching
It has been reported that Patton was the commander who 1st initiated and voluntered his troops to make the thrust from their position in the South to relieve Bastone vs. being "tasked" with that movement...? That movement in the dead of winter was logistically considered by most to be almost impossible. Still, the determination of the surrounded defenders can never be downplayed: all units involved performed heroically!
The key factor other than the lack of fuel for the Germans was the weather clearing up and the allies getting back their air superiority .
I mentioned that later in the video. Thanks!
The key factor was that it was never going to succeed. It was a pipe dream of Hitler's.
There's a Mark Felton video in which he describes the Germans dropping parachutists from JU52s during the early days of the offensive, which was a surprise to me. ua-cam.com/video/tj7La7_u_ao/v-deo.html
good job
Thanks!
My uncle Krause dropped with the 101st. He was at the bulge as well. What a tough man.
Thanks for sharing
The book “ A Feast of Trumpets” s a very detailed book on the battle that delves into the battle in great detail and tells the story in gritty detail from both sides of the conflict. A horrendous battle, the story is told through official combat reports from US Army records, the author being a former company commander who fought in the battle himself. Highlights recommended reading.
We owe these brave men a debt we can never repay but we can always remember what they endured and never forget what they did
You can visit too and learn more!
Father was in the 99th div. 393 infantry .
My Uncle Harold Haupt who was in the Big Red 1 was killed Dec. 24th. Iam told he was captured and executed. His body was brought home by his brother and is buried In Lackawaxen PA.
The broad front strategy was a mistake.
Yes it went next to nowhere for six months and wasted hundreds of thousands of men in pointless secondary campaigns like the Hurtgen Forest, Lorraine and Alsace.
The allied armies shook have stuck together and been concentrated in the north, as Montgomery proposed in August 1944. He proposed that 40 divisions in 4 armies (1 British, 1 Canadian and 2 American) all drive together across northern Germany instead of being dispersed everywhere down through southern Germany. First objective, the Ruhr to kill German industrial production. There was little of strategic importance in southern Germany.
It's nice to see the memorials.
The problem here - is that you didn't cover anything but Bastogne.
A major success on the part of the Americans - was the 82nd holding the Northern Shoulder of the battle and the American Engineers blowing all the bridges so the German tanks couldn't get across.
This was nice for what it is - but - it's incomplete.
.
It’s meant as an overview so people can visit themselves.
Good presentation. However, too heavily focused on Patton and the 101st around Bastogne. Bastogne was not in the most important sector of the Battle of the Bulge. It was on the southern periphery. The majority of German, and American, forces were to the north and west. The battle was really won and lost elsewhere. The US 1st Army, which did the majority of the fighting, was commanded by Montgomery from December 20th. Patton had a smaller and less significant role than Montgomery.
Cheers.
Thanks for watching! And for the added context
You look at these peaceful land and forests now, but in 1944 it was a destructive place, with many small battle, that had a massive effect on the German advance and Piper tanks never crossed the River Meuse to get to Antwerp. Bastogne were the Americans held made sure the German never got in. Patton relieved Bastogne. Hitler last throw of the dice failed. Thanks to brave men.
Nobody ever covers the TRUTH about the northern shoulder.
The TRUTH destroys the British myth about Monty saving the day.
It was USA 2nd armored division who STOPPED and destroyed 2nd ss panzer at Celles, then went on to destroy 2nd panzer at Humaine that stopped the german drive.
It was USA 3rd armored, along with 82nd airborne who stopped sepp Detreichs armor drive north.
Between USA 2nd & 3rd armored, and MANY other USA units, they STOPPED and destroyed the German attack.
A few brit units came in BEHIND 2nd armored at Celles then pushed south to mop up.
But as Churchill publically said in parliament when he admonished Monty for trying to take credit, this was one of the largest American battle an victories of WW2.
The 2nd & 3rd armored division history books cover the Bulge in depth. But they are very hard books to find. I have them as my Grandfather was with 2nd armored from start to finish. 1942 to 1945.
He said the worst part if the war was the bulge. Because we used so much artillery & air that the bodies & body parts were everywhere. And without looking very closely, which they DIDNT, you couldnt really tell WHO they were. Ours, theirs, civilians. He said it was really bad. And finding body parts in the tank tracks which had to be cleaned daily so the tracks wouldnt freeze, was just horrendous.
Montgomery wasn't just commanding the British forces in the Ardennes. Eisenhower asked Montgomery to take over command of US 1st and 9th Armies. Montgomery came down and directed the majority of the American forces in the Ardennes from the 5th day onwards .
General Hasso von Manteuffel:
""The operations of the American 1st Army had developed into a series of individual holding actions. Montgomery's contribution to restoring the situation was that he turned a series of isolated actions into a coherent battle fought according to a clear and definite plan. It was his refusal to engage in premature and piecemeal counter-attacks which enabled the Americans to gather their reserves and frustrate the German attempts to extend their breakthrough.""
Montgomery brought a sense of order and cohesion out of a disjointed mess and his immediate actions, such as the quick decision to pull back from St Vith to superior defensive positions, saved thousands of American troops. General Hasbrouck of the US 7th Armored Division said Montgomery's decision saved his division from annihilation. General Gavin of the US 82nd Airborne said that while he hated withdrawing, Montgomery's decision was the correct one and of far greater benefit to his decision.
As I said, Montgomery was commanding the US 1st Army from December 20th, after Hodges fled his HQ in panic and Bradley dithered and did nothing. Montgomery was the first commander to actively get a tough grip on the situation.
Montgomery's actions in the north and west were more significant and immediate than the over exaggerated battle around Bastogne involving Patton.
@@lyndoncmp5751 that right there is the Monty MYTH recited to a T. Congratulations 😂😂😂😂..nothing but LIES and rubbish.
You would think the British would STOP LIEING after 80 years.
Funny how both the 2nd & 3rd army division history books tell a completely different story WITH attraction reports.
1. Monty ordered 2nd armored commander Ernie Harmon to retreat at Ciney. Harmon refused. Harmon attacked 2nd ss panzer at Celles and destroyed it. A battle the British pretend never happened. But that doesnt explain the large memorial to USA 2nd armored that you can see on Google street view does it?
2. Harmon then attacked Humaine where USA 2nd armored attacked and destroyed 2nd panzer. A battle so fierce, the town was never rebuilt and still sits destroyed.
2. Hodges never left his headquarters either.
MORE BRITISH LIES.
3. Gavin already had permission to withdraw to higher ground, and did so until USA 3rd armored got there, then both 3rd armored and 82ab attacked.
Monty didnt save anything because nobody listened to him. 😂😂😂😂.
The US ARMY has ALL the records and after action reports to PROVE who saved the bulge and stopped the German spearheads.
Monty has nothing but British lies.
Which you seem to know all of them. 😂😂😂😂
And THERE it is. 😂😂😂. The Brit lies & they cant prove any of it.
I think you forgot the one where Hodges was drunk. 😂😂😂
You would think after 80 years the Brits would stop lieing about WW2. How utterly pathetic. 😂😂😂
The book “A Feast of Trumpets” covers the battle very well in all its minute detail. It was equally harrowing and fiercely fought on both sides. Both sides were fighting for their lives and not just territory.
nice video, happy to not hear a AI narrrator. But you do NOT pronunce the s in Ardennes -- it is silent.
Noted!
Never forget or history will repeat itself
Yeah, you mentioned that one M-4 Sherman tank that was so important in holding off the Germans! What, the 101st Airborne didn’t have any tanks! Yes, like most coverage of the battle no one mentions who was there before and after the 101st. Who’s General Mc Aufille said they never seems to get any credit but we could not have held out without them! They were here before us and stayed here after us. Who? Combat command B 10th Armored Division! Even in the movie the band of brothers that medical evacuation point where the mayor’s daughter worked as a nurse and was destroyed by a German bomb was housing 10th Armored Division soldiers! We will never forget our brother tankers! “Death before dismount!”
Real TC, C-33 3rd battalion 63rd Armored brigade formed from the 745th tank battalion of WWII!
It sounds like you have a lot of additional information on the subject. Thanks for sharing
But of U.S. national parks are your thing, what prompted you to do this? Was it the 80ty Anniversary? An intention to get a lot of hits, likes, and increased profits from Your Tube?
I’ve spent a lot of time in Europe lately, and it’s still American history. I’ll get back to National Parks in the near future. I’ll be branching out and covering. More history and museums alongside the parks.
@megatheriumclub , thank you for doing this, never seen your channel before, now I hope more of your videos pop up in my feed.
Tony McAuliffe forever!
Thanks for watching
All those people suffered and died ... stupid war
Overall Good minus the Patreon style clips.
Which clips are you referring to?
For depicting such a historically important event, you make a significant mistake by showing Panzer IIs (being 1939-40 tanks) instead of: Tiger II, Tiger I, Panther, Panzer Mark IV, Hetzer, Jagdpanther, Stug III and IV, Nashorn, Sturmtiger, SkDfz 162 IV/70, and Jagdtiger.... all being later War vehicles. Facts like these make a difference.
I agree. I used the footage that was available. Not perfect, but it gets the larger point across.
My dad up front protecting general Patton with marksmen. Not a pleasant site
You missed the bit where the US was warned by the English with their Enigma ,that the German's were about to attack but for whatever reason they ignored it.😢 Many Americans would die because of the failings of the higher-ups.
Thanks for the added information. I’m sure I missed a ton. Hopefully this video inspires people to learn more.
Enigma played no part the German were not sending anything on the radio
One reason for this was that they did not want the Germans to know they solved the secret of the enigma at the time, so they chose to defend sparingly what they knew, unfortunately I don't think they knew at they time how large this counter offensive was, one part of this could be because of what @shanedinkle6902 said, the Germans weren't sending complete messages about this.
@@shanedinkel6902 So, you're saying the English made that up?
Wake me when the intro is over........
The video is time stamped. Feel free to skip ahead
@@megatheriumclub I enjoyed the whole video and had no trouble staying awake.
My Uncle Harold Haupt who was in the Big Red 1 was killed Dec. 24th. Iam told he was captured and executed. His body was brought home by his brother and is buried In Lackawaxen PA.
Thanks for sharing