[photohause]

PRAYER
"Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen."


Headquarters
Third United States Army
"To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army. I wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God's blessing rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day.

G.S. Patton, JR.
Lieutenant General
Commanding , Third United States Army
1945"


BATTLE FACTS

· The coldest, snowiest weather “in memory” in the Ardennes Forest on the German/Belgium border.

· Over a million men, 500,000 Germans, 600,000 Americans (more than fought at Gettysburg) and 55,000 British.

· 3 German armies, 10 corps, the equivalent of 29 divisions.

· 3 American armies, 6 corps, the equivalent of 31 divisions.

· The equivalent of 3 British divisions as well as contingents of Belgian, Canadian and French troops.

· 100,000 German casualties, killed, wounded or captured.

· 81,000 American casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed.

· 1,400 British casualties 200 killed.

· 800 tanks lost on each side, 1,000 German aircraft.

· The Malmedy Massacre, where 86 American soldiers were murdered, was the worst atrocity committed against American troops during the course of the war in Europe.

· My division, the 106th Infantry Division, average age of 22 years, suffered 564 killed in action, 1,246 wounded and 7,001 missing in action at the end of the offensive. Most of these casualties occurred within the first three days of battle, when two of the division’s three regiments was forced to surrender.

· In it's entirety, the “Battle of the Bulge,” was the worst battles- in terms of losses - to the American Forces in WWII.

Dad age 20
777th Battalion, Sixth Armored Division, Third Unites States Arm

 

[ispeed]

Thanks for posting this. I am really starting to find this battle interesting. I have always known that my grandfather was in this battle and his tank was hit. It was nice to read this and find out other information. As a child, teenager, and young adult I was never truly interested because my grandfather didn't like to talk about this time of the war. It was only recently since his health has started to decline that he has talked more about what happened. I know that he was a tank commander, and that his tank was hit killing everyone but him. He told me "he was left for dead" but walked for three days before finding American troops.

Thanks again for this. I think I might print this out and see if my grandfather remembers this and if he might talk to me a little more about this time of battle.

 

[ZeeRaBeet]

Nice post and great picture. Every time it snows in December and January, I think of the Bulge as well.

Just this past year I finished reading Battle of the Bulge by Danny S. Parker. Amazingly well done account. For anyone with an interest, I can't recommend it more highly.

Among the things I didn't know: Besides the well known 82nd and 101st Airborne, I didn't know there were two other battalions of airborne, the 509th and 551st. They were both so decimated by loses that units were disbanded and the survivors used as replacements to the other airborne divisions.

 

[Ogie]

That was a good post and a good picture. I worked with a guy once who had been in the 101st Airborne in Bastogne. He was a good guy!

 

[SELFDEFENSE]

My father kept his copy and I used to read it when I was little.