Hitler’s Winter: The German Battle of the Bulge

By the end of 1944 the Allies stood poised to enter Germany. Hitler conceived a last-ditch effort to change the course of the war in the West by striking at the weakly defended American positions in the Ardennes forest and recapture the vital port of Antwerp. Military historian and journalist Tucker-Jones (Churchill, Master and Commander) masterfully explores the German side of the Battle of the Bulge. To ensure the success of Hitler’s last major offensive in the West the German armed forces bulked up their fighting strength by pulling units from the Eastern front, conscripting young boys and old men into hastily constituted units, and diverting supplies and reinforcements to units earmarked for the attack. Despite these efforts German forces began woefully short of men, materiel, and fuel which hampered operations and plagued German efforts. Stiff American resistance prevented the Germans from achieving their goals such as crossing the Meuse or securing the crossroads at Bastogne. Based on a wide range of secondary sources the problems faced by German forces are laid bare.