On December 16 1944, Adolf Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest Europe. He attempted that with a surprise blitzkrieg thrust through the Ardennes to Antwerp. As the Germans drove deeper into the Ardennes in an attempt to secure vital bridgeheads, the Allied line took on the appearance of a bulge--hence the name of the battle.
Later that day, three German armies launched the deadliest and most desperate battle of the war in the west in the poorly roaded, rugged, heavily forested Ardennes forest. The once quiet region became bedlam as American soldiers flooded to attempt to push the Germans back. …show more content…
The inexperienced U.S 106th division was nearly annihilated, but their defeat gave Brigadier General Bruce C. Clarke time to defend St.Vith. Brigadier General Bruce C. Clarke was a United States general during World War