Why Germany Lost the Battle of the Bulge (4K WW2 Documentary)

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The Battle of the Bulge was one of the last German offensives during the Second World War. It caught the US Army off guard in the Ardennes sector but ultimately the Allies prevailed. But did Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein ('Operation Watch on the Rhine') ever have a chance to succeed and reach Antwerp?
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John Ozment, Stephen Parker, Mavrides, Kristina Colburn, Stefan Jackowski, Cardboard, William Kincade, William Wallace, Daniel L Garza, Chris Daley, Malcolm Swan, Christoph Wolf, Simen Røste, Jim F Barlow, Taylor Allen, Adam Smith, James Giliberto, Albert B. Knapp MD, Tobias Wildenblanck, Richard L Benkin, Marco Kuhnert, Matt Barnes, Ramon Rijkhoek, Jan, Scott Deederly, gsporie, Kekoa, Bruce G. Hearns, Hans Broberg, Fogeltje
» SOURCES
Beevor, Antony: Die Ardennen-Offensive 1944 - Hitlers letzte Schlacht im Westen, C. Bertelsmann Verlag, München, 2016.
Caddick-Adams, Peter: Snow and Steel - Battle of the Bulge 1944-45, Oxford University Press, New York, 2015.
Parker, Danny: Fatal Crossroads - The untold story of the Malmedy Massacre at the battle of the Bulge, Da Capo Press Verlag, Boston, 2013.
Kershaw, Ian: Das Ende - Kampf bis in den Untergang; NS-Deutschland 1944/45, Dt. Verlags-Anstalt, München, 2011.
Rush, Robert: A different Perspective - Cohesion, Morale, and operational effectiveness in the German Army, Fall 1944, in: Armed Forces & Society, Vol. 25, No. 3, Washington DC, 1999.
Scherer, Wingolf (Hg.): Die letzte Schlacht - Eifelfront und Ardennenoffensive 1944/45 - Zeitzeugen berichten, Helios Verlag, Aachen, 2004.
Schrijvers, Peter: The Unknown Dead - Civilians in the Battle of the Bulge, University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, 2005.
Schrijvers, Peter: those who hold Bastogne - The true story of the soldiers and civilians who fought in the biggest battle of the bulge, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2015.
Westemeier, Jens: Himmlers Krieger - Joachim Peiper und die Waffen-SS in Krieg und Nachkriegszeit, Ferdinand Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn, 2014.
Wijers, Hans: Die Ardennenoffensive - Band I: Angriff der 6. Pz.Armee und amerikanische Abwehr
im Bereich der 99. US-Inf. Div., 277. Volksgrenadier-Division, 12. Volksgrenadier-Division, 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division und der Pz. Brigade 150 - Augenzeugenberichte, Helios Verlag, Aachen, 2014.
»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: David Lang, Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Above Zero
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller
Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: above-zero.com
Digital Maps: Canadian Research and Mapping Association (CRMA)
Research by: David Lang
Fac Checking: Florian Wittig
Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster
Contains licensed material by getty images
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2022

[@realtimehistory]

Sign up for Nebula and watch Rhineland 45: nebula.tv/realtimehistory Or watch another excellent video on the Bulge: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d56Wn4aIrNJlh6c

[@QuizmasterLaw]

probably not; the entire plan depended on high mobility, but was best by problems with traffic jams from the start, and many units were only horse-mobile. meanwhile, a big part of the plan depended on capturing oil depots, some of which were! but it was not enough. Joachim Peiper literally ran out of fuel. This is without considering air superiority. Reaching the Meuse was a realistic goal, reaching Antwerp was not.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Hey! You belong in that other world war! Go on! Git! ;) great video, had no idea it was You! Really well done!

[@alexanderboquist2601]

Sorry to say but if the fact check of this video standard of nebula I will not join. Wrong numbers and numbers that doesn't match the different part of the video.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

@@alexanderboquist2601 I think the part at the end on casualties doesn't match the middle because the middle counted "missing" but most "missing" are in fact dead and not deserters.

[@user-qw8hh7fj3w]

i want to ask if your nebula videos have subtitles and if so in what language

[@johndilday1846]

My father was with an anti-aircraft battalion located in Belgium during this time. He was on sentry duty in the courtyard of a castle seated at a table with a switch to activate an alarm during the wee hours of the morning. He said that several inches of snow covered everything and it was very cold. He said that there were only a few other sentries on duty, and none were close by, when he heard a series of rips to the camouflage netting covering the vehicles parked in the nearby courtyard, followed by ominous thumps. He said that his mind raced with wondering what could be the cause of the sounds, and he rapidly came to the conclusion that it could only be German paratroopers landing on the nets, then, falling heavily to the ground as their weight caused the netting to tear. Pops said that he recalled seeing the movies of the time showing sentries getting knifed to keep them quiet, and decided that instead of investigating on foot, he would just throw the switch. He said he figured that if he were wrong he could apologize later, but if he were right and didn’t sound the alarm, that the Germans would overrun them. He said that he threw the alarm and shortly thereafter, all he’ll broke loose as his outfit fought German paratroopers right in their bivouac. He said a number of his fellow GIs were dressed only in their underwear due to the lack of time to prepare, but they didn’t notice the cold at the time. He said that it took a while, but they were able to successfully defend themselves against the Germans.

[@realtimehistory]

thanks for sharing

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

Hurraaaaaaahhhh!

[@louisavondart9178]

The last parachute assault by Germans was in Crete in 1941. Their losses were so high that Hitler ordered that no further drops were to be contemplated. Nice story but not credible.

[@TeaParty1776]

Soldier, you are out of uniform!

[@block8893]

@@ArmitageArchives anime is for losers

[@jonerickson2358]

In high school, my best friend's dad had been in the Battle of the Bulge. He lost part of his hand. Never talked about it. But the movie came out so we figured this would get him to open up. We waited anxiously for him to come home after the show. He walked in and we asked him, "Hey Howard, How was the movie." "Not enough snow!" was all he offered.

[@jakesheldon7637]

What movie?

[@Mr110074]

Was it the 1966 film? They filmed it in Spain which didn’t look at all like Belgium in the winter.

[@jonerickson2358]

@@jakesheldon7637 The Ghost and Mr Chicken with Don Knotts, of course!!!

[@marc2638]

Not enough snow lmfao!!!!! What a generation lol shakes off die hard combat and says not enough snow lmfao

[@REALdavidmiscarriage]

hey he might have lost his hand but at least he didn’t lose the bulge! 😂

[@keaganthegreat]

My grandfather was in the battle. He was injured by a mortar round and took shrapnel to the left knee. His squad couldn't get him out, so instead they buried him alive in the snow to hide him from the German scouts. Six hours, buried, bleeding, and freezing in the snow, and the Americans came back and dug him up alive. He went home shortly after and walked with a limp for the rest of his life.

[@electrolytics]

That's amazing.

[@kevinhendrix8786]

The snow and cold weather likely slowed his bleeding down and quite possibly saved his life.

[@BoneCK15]

That's pretty cool

[@Eric-mc5to]

@@BoneCK15 p

[@cernunnos_lives]

A man harder than the snow that killed everyone else.

[@williamsnape4296]

My uncle was in a tank destroyer in the Battle of the Bulge. He said when they were hit all he could remember was " A Limey pulling me out and waking up in a hospital in England." He lived with shrapnel in his back, which couldn't be removed, for the rest of his life. Became a lineman for the telephone company, married, raised a family.

[@paulrinehart5557]

My wife's grandfather was in the US army and about to be thrown into the battle. His CO pulled him off the truck and told him that he knew most of the men were not going to live, but because he had a child he was keeping him back. He shared a lot of war stories before he passed away and I could tell that he wanted to unburden himself.

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

Oh wow , a thoughtful CO no doubt 😳

[@whitezombie10]

Yeah… unfair and illegal

[@NettyASH]

@whitezombie10 yea but don’t let it bother you … plenty others perished if that makes you feel better

[@Alsemenor]

@@NettyASH I don't think it makes anyone feel better that people died, but it is unfairly arbitrary that some men get to die and other live. But that's in the nature of war I guess.

[@HowlingWo1f]

@@Alsemenor Just as we want to protect women and children, it’s understandable one Would want to spare the pain of a child losing their father.

[@jamesbannerman4804]

My step father was involved with 82nd Airborne, his first combat...he was 17. He was about to write a book about his experiences when he passed away. He left a lot of documentation and photos as well as his medals. I treasure these as I did him.

[@christianschulz1443]

sure buddy

[@OCDadal]

don't you want to publish the book even if half written on amazon?

[@michaelmarama-de4gx]

Bullshit boy

[@cobbler9113]

I mean, if your plan is dependent on the weather being terrible and on catching enemy supply depots before they can be destroyed, you’re clearly in great shape and can expect immediate victory…

[@El_Presidente_5337]

That comment strongly reminds me of one of the missions in the game R.U.S.E..

[@BjornHeiden]

There was literally no other option, the allies and the Soviet Union agreed there would be no peace with Germany until utter annihilation and unconditional surrender in 1942.

[@randompillow5146]

Desperate times call for desperate measures lol

[@andrewrobertson3894]

@@BjornHeiden Of course. You're correct. It was certainly not the first nor even the last gamble attempted by Germany.

[@DrJones20]

@@BjornHeiden In 1943, not 42

[@alsanchez5038]

My father was part of the 12th SS Panzerdivision and was badly wounded in the way back and saved by the Americans. He managed to destroy 2 Shermans in close combat before. 60 years after the war he still got nervous when he could hear an excavator with metal tracks

[@maximusjackassicus3042]

You're very brave to admit that your father was a war criminal.

[@nzmonsterman]

Much respect for your father. It is no small feat to destroy two tanks of any type in close combat. It takes nerves of steel. I am pleased he survived the war.

[@CaptJack-dx8vq]

@@maximusjackassicus3042 who said he was a war criminal!!?? We here in Europe well know the American double standards.... Your soldiers were just as muchwar criminals as the worst of the SS!! Wakeup to truth you stooge!

[@geewhiz5926]

@@maximusjackassicus3042 who cares 🤷‍♂️

[@BiggestCorvid]

Thumbs up for your grandfather being traumatized.

[@tonyhaines1192]

My uncle died during this battle on December 31st, 1944. He was with the 55th AIB, 11th. Armored Div. He was my mom's kid brother. The family assumed the war was winding down and there was little to worry about. Needless to say we know little about his final days and hours. This show helps me fill in some blank spaces. Thank you.

[@billk9583]

My dad's oldest brother was killed at the Battle of the Bulge on the same day as your uncle, December 31. My dad was a 19-year-old tank driver. He said when the Germans advanced they were ordered to turn around from their previous target and fire at the German positions. When he sketched it all out on a map for his grandson, he didn't mention the battle by name. It was only later when looking at his sketches that I realized I was looking at the Battle of the Bulge, but he was outside the bulge so he is not listed as one of the soldiers in the battle. After years of searching online for any information about Uncle Joe, I finally found his grave online at an American cemetery in Ardennes, Belgium. You should look into that if you haven't already. You can even download a photo of the headstone.

[@juniorkeize459]

@@billk9583 a1ý

[@scottswan7830]

All most as many US soldiers were killed in this one battle as the entire Korean war.

[@eamonjang9425]

？\

[@fishytautog]

My father (rip) arrived at the Battle of the Bulge along with the 101st, they were in the same area. He was an engineer and did what he knew best, blowing up bridges. He never ate chocolate and at his grandsons birthday party one year I asked him why. His response was that he swore if he made it out alive, he would never eat chocolate again. The look on his face showed how terrified he probably was.

[@robertwindedahl4919]

Yes Piper was a true war criminal he should have been executed after the war but he lingered on only to become assassinated while living in France via firestorming his home

[@robertwindedahl4919]

One must realize War itself is a crime

[@tomfuelery2905]

My grandfather lost all of his teeth due to surviving on chocolate for so long. He would never talk about the war.

[@pieterfischer9638]

@@tomfuelery2905 We underestimate the impact that the company of death and trauma brings on a mans mind and his soul over a prolonged period of time.

[@user-rx162]

@@robertwindedahl4919 slavery is the alternative.

[@johnnytoobad4287]

Had a friend whose dad was there. He once told us that he was with others walking the perimeter at night. They met a German group walking their perimeter. They walked by each other watching for any hostile action. There was none. He said " it was too cold to die that night."

[@djquinn11]

That’s an amazing story, I never would have expected that at this point in the war.

[@kurtschlesinger8257]

yer same thing happend to my dad h e walk into a usa barracks the guard dropped his smoke they just walk past each other

[@kurtschlesinger8257]

was that in st lo

[@darko714]

That’s not unusual. German and Allied reconnaissance patrols were usually under orders to not engage the enemy unless necessary for self-defense. When patrols blundered across one another, no one wanted to start a firefight and ruin the mission.

[@Atreus21]

@@darko714 I wonder sometimes if there was any fraternization among such patrols. Trading cigarettes or newspapers or whatnot.

[@shaggyrumplenutz1610]

My papa was a howitzer gunner in this battle and the Ardienne Forest. He helped liberate a concentration camp and stayed two years after the war to help take the camp survivors back to their homes. Many found their homes, villages and everyone they knew were gone from this Earth. He never spoke of any of it.

[@RAND0MHERO]

Your pronunciation of foreign names and terms is so nice to hear. The first video I watched of yours was Napoleon’s invasion into Russia, and it was great to see you not shy away from pronouncing French and Russian, you clearly took your time on that. Thank you.

[@DutchGuyMike]

Yeah, he does it really well!

[@stevemuller3324]

Totally agree. The pronunciation is superb, and really adds to the authenticity.

[@EagleOneM1953]

I agree... I'm originally from Belgium, now living in the US for almost 30 years and indeed de way he says Bastogne as well as Houffalize and the German terms and names of the German officers is impeccable and not with the dreadful American twist... We livd a 2 hr drive from the Ardennes and went to hike there in the forests often, but never in the winter. Winters in the Ardennes are beyond brutal. I can imagine how miserable the troops must have been in their trenches...

[@ThugShakers4Christ]

My wife's grandfather never really talked about his service, but after looking up his unit, I understood why. His unit was stuck behind enemy lines at the Battle of the Bulge for two days. Half his unit was captured and executed, but he was among those who fought their way out. Later, his unit helped liberate Dachau. Given what he must have seen, I understand why he didn't care to talk about it.

[@Bahamut3525]

Well he probably committed war crimes at Dachau, executing prisoners.

[@johny11150]

@@Bahamut3525 Fuckem. They deserved it.

[@Fallout3131]

@@Bahamut3525 It’s only war crimes if your side loses 😉

[@greentara291]

@@Bahamut3525 , executing prisoners? Allied troops executing prisoners at Dachau? There were SS killed by US soldiers and prisoners of the camp....

[@crazygamingyt7245]

@@Bahamut3525who cares back in 1940 everyone was committing war crimes

[@bigsarge2085]

As a 101st vet, I appreciate the comprehensive coverage of The Bulge. I've been to Bastogne, fascinating place.

[@realtimehistory]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@paveloliva3098]

We also here in czech rep know much about 101specially from the tv documents,also i remember one man talking about every winter when he sees snow behind his window he was talking to himself glad that im not in bastogne,so when i hear about Bastogne,i remember this,also on this place let me mention that we here in czech republic are very obliged to your young boys that came to our And lost their lives for our Freedom,in Born in 1976,So i do not remember war,but we will never forget

[@visassess8607]

@@paveloliva3098 That man saying he's glad he's not in Bastogne is from the Band of Brothers documentary BTW.

[@bigsarge2085]

@Dan Beech One does not have to be old to be a 101st vet. I myself was deployed to Iraq.

[@whyis45stillalive]

Thanks for your service brother. 327th inf 101st ID 1/15 inf 3rd ID

[@barrylaferriere896]

My father was a member of a US Army mortar crew that was captured during the Battle of the Bulge. He suffered frostbite and was a POW until the war's end, and he NEVER spoke of his experiences. Back in the day, one night, he sat with my siblings and me and watched "Hogan Heroes," which, at that time was a new situation comedy on TV. Partway through the show he started laughing hysterically and ran out of the room because he was so overcome by emotion.

[@songjunejohnlee2113]

I remember that show well, it was a farcical comedy and probably couldn’t be any further than the reality of what he experienced

[@xerxess1115]

My great grandfather was in this battle as a Kradmelder on the german site. He once told me that from like 20 promised Tiger I only one arrived with enough fuel to keep up with the regular troops pushing forward. Later he saw it completly shatered but still firing with the 8.8. The fighting he told me about was very intense.

[@BoneCK15]

That's pretty cool

[@arctic4299]

Sometimes I wanna hear about ther German side of things you know?

[@redcell9636]

​@@arctic4299 Usually when people talk about the German side of things, you get this flood of "holier-than-thous" dehumanizing their experience. Like in one of the comments above about their father having been in the Waffen SS. People need to shove their petty ideology aside so I and others can see and read the history.

[@srj607able]

As Belgian I can still tell you, chainsaws are still big sellers in the Ardennes. You can't imagine the amount of shrapnel that has been shot into the forest...

[@louisavondart9178]

lol... you think the trees there are the same ones as during the battle? All the forests there are managed and harvested every twenty years.

[@GamerMike413]

My great grandfather was a rifleman and fought in the bulge. I never got to meet him as he passed before I was born but my grandmother said he had nightmares until the day he died and would wake up screaming in the night. I still have his helmet. There’s a big dent in it from what I assume to be either shrapnel from mortars or a bullet, regardless it’s interesting when I touch the dent to think without that steel hat I would have never been born.

[@threefiveseven]

My great-grandfather was paralyzed from the waist down from a german flak88 shell hitting near him. He died when he was in his late 30s after the war. He was at the bulge. 310th Infantry 78th divsion.

[@janblackman6204]

My father was in the batle of the bulge. He didn’t talk about it much he hated chocolate bars because he said that was all they had to eat during the battle. It lasted a long time. He spent the next months in a hospital and then managing a hotel in Paris. He actually developed a head wound from concussions of the shells. They eventually sent him home with a full pension. He kept telling the veterans administration that he was able to work but they wouldn’t stop the checks. I think he felt very guilty about that

[@songjunejohnlee2113]

Interesting! this is another comment about a bulge veteran and chocolate, the other said he made a vow to never eat it again if he made it out alive. Maybe he was also sick of them too tho!

[@tB3o3tR9o9]

did he ate too much german Scho-Ka-Kola or what?

[@jplonsdale7242]

@@songjunejohnlee2113 yeah it's the third comment so far on this video I've seen about chocolate. I think it's all they had to eat

[@mckessa17]

He shouldn't feel guilty, he paid a high price.

[@kurtschlesinger8257]

wow what a nice man

[@browngreen933]

My father was in the US 5th Armored Division stationed near the German Schwerpunkt area. One day he saw a German observer plane. He reported it but was laughed at because there was no German activity in that quiet sector. But he was a dedicated duck hunter with lots of practice identifying them and knew he saw a German plane. His Division was then moved 30 miles away. Shortly thereafter the Germans attacked in the sector where he had seen the enemy plane. Luckily, by then he was no longer in the Schwerpunkt area. (I have 4 hours of taped interviews with him.)

[@saimalishahid1406]

It would be cool if you publish them in some form.

[@lunafringe10]

you mean he was a dedicated Duck murderer,

[@browngreen933]

@@saimalishahid1406 I have it typed out over 60 pages single spaced. From the Normandy beachhead to Paris to the Elbe River.

[@saimalishahid1406]

@@browngreen933 Very nice

[@chasekemp6915]

@@lunafringe10duck H-U-N-T-E-R. Where’d you learn to read?

[@extrahistory8956]

For as hyped up as the Battle of the Bulge is, I actually don't really have much knowledge about it. Looking forward towards learning more about it for sure.

[@realtimehistory]

we noticed this too among the team, of course we all know the famous battles, but we don't actually *know* them especially considering that there usually is a lot of newer research on them.

[@floydvaughn9666]

I recommend watching the film Battleground for a fox hole view. No, really.

[@galatians-2.20]

@@floydvaughn9666 battleground the 1949 film?

[@floydvaughn9666]

@@galatians-2.20 yes.

[@bensparks6623]

John Toland’s book “The Story of The Bulge” is a must read if you want to know more about this battle. He researched it for 15 years and interviewed thousands of participants.

[@darrylmuse9948]

My buddy’s grandfather turns 98 this month and he fought in the Bulge it’s great that I know someone who served there .

[@julia-6195]

It wasn't just this offensive. The entire war was doomed from the start. Germany lacked oil and its economy was on the verge of collapse.

[@breakingbombast4439]

Hearing the stories from my grandfathers there at the time (US Army: one in the Army Corps of Engineers, the other with Patton’s 3rd Army)…the forces of the Allies were totally overwhelming. Though the Bulge had them retreating in certain sectors, and the Army was unsure about that period - overall, the morale and superiority had the men pretty sure of total victory - eventually.

[@TeaParty1776]

One 101st Airborne Ranger at Bastogne said that they stopped the Germans without Patton's help. Some time later, all members of the US Army got Ranger training. And did McCauliffe really say "Nuts?" Or something more emotional?

[@DutchGuyMike]

"the forces of the Allies were totally overwhelming" Yeah, it was all planned well in advance, same as Napoleon. Starve the main army against the east's endless numbers and then invade and do the "mopping up".

[@diddlypoop4722]

@@TeaParty1776 He didn’t “say” nuts. The Germans sent a message demanding he surrender and he sent one back saying “NUTS”

[@TeaParty1776]

@@diddlypoop4722 Said or written, its a strangely mild expression for a warrior, especially such an aggressively confident one, in the midst of a do or die battle. Patton would never use it and I question the conventional view.

[@diddlypoop4722]

@@TeaParty1776 I disagree. It’s very laconic. You don’t need to write a paragraph talking about how stupid the enemy is for demanding surrender and glorifying yourself when you can just make them look stupid by saying NUTS

[@Harry11152]

Thank you for this video. I had a great uncle that was killed during the battle of the bulge and this video taught me a lot about his experiences. RIP to all who died cause of the atrocious war.

[@brianborstein8456]

My grandfather was a tank commander in the Battle of the Bulge. There was a real fear of being ill equipped to fight off the Germans as they were low on ammo and fuel. Thankfully, those and other supplies reached them in time.

[@renecordova325]

My father was with Patton's 3rd armor, his tank was hit but he escaped with wounds and was sent back home. I was born in December of 1946

[@johnmcnulty4425]

My Dad was a forward observer with the 99th Infantry division in the northern sector of the Ardennes. He lead his company with three of their four 105 howitzers when they were ordered to fall back and reported to 2 star General Black who had them redeploy on Elsenborn Ridge. After the battle he received a battlefield commission and became an officer having gone into the Army as a 20 year old farm boy private from Ohio. My Dad's name was Joe.

[@tokencivilian8507]

Another fantastic episode RTH and Jessie. Well done. And yes, the outtro was totally worth waiting for.

[@gordonmacdowell8117]

An older friend of my dad's was at Bastogne. One of the secrets to their successful defence was the use of electronic warfare. They'd monitor enemy comms to pull forces from their positions to reinforce positions where they could tell the enemy was preparing to attack, because they didn't have enough to troops to defend from all directions. It worked great for them until the Germans launched simultaneous attacks from different directions, at which point the veteran said they had a tougher time of it.

[@jakobschoning7355]

My Grandma experienced the Battle. They where living in Büllingen at the time (mentioned at 14:22)

[@williamashbless7904]

Nicely done. My big takeaway from the offensive was the critical need to secure Elsenborn Ridge on the first day of the operation. They never took the strategic crossroads and tried to wend their way over narrow forest tracks and trails to try to reach the Meuse.

[@DutchGuyMike]

Yeah, which was confounded by having little fuel.

[@johnschuh8616]

The Germans underperformed there. Wonder why?

[@jasoncabral3831]

One American soldier here in the Ardennes was Melvin Kaminsky, a Jewish combat engineer, who after the war would gain fame under his stage name: Mel Brooks

[@clovergrass9439]

His tribe started that awful war.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

@@clovergrass9439 lol

[@clovergrass9439]

@@GooseGumlizzard Thomas Dalton puts together all the names. Makes sense considering all the other evil stuff they have done throughout history.

[@perrymorris3554]

My father was in this battle. He never told many stories about it nor did he complain about being deaf due to artillery fire. Truly the greatest generation. He did mention that the Germans used wooden bullets in town fighting.

[@castielsgranny4308]

My dad was there, too.

[@primmakinsofis614]

Any offensive plan that requires you to capture a large portion of the fuel you need to conduct that offensive is doomed to failure.

[@sargepent9815]

Had a chance to speak to a veteran who was a fresh replacement the night the battle started. He had just gotten some hot soup and coffee and went to his foxhole and the guy there with him then got up to go get his....and then all he'll broke loose. He got as low in his hole as he could at the woods around him were blown to smithereens. When the shelling stopped, the trees were gone and more than 2/3 of his company were either killed or missing. He said if he had been just 5 min later getting to that fighting position, he'd have been killed

[@huntclanhunt9697]

Always take post war German general's memoirs with a grain of salt. They basically turned any defeat germany suffered into being purely Hitler's metteling.

[@Bahamut3525]

Well yes the German general staff were exclusively aristocrats (commoners were not allowed to attend the academy in Berlin), And they despised Hitler who was not Prussian (Austrian) and not an aristocrat (commoner and enlisted man during WW1). This is also why the common German soldier liked Hitler. Because he was seen as one of the people. Unlike the generals who ate in their private tents in porcelain dishes, and never addressed an enlisted man.

[@flakka1685]

Most of the important turning point battles like Stalingrad were lost because of Hitler

[@huntclanhunt9697]

@@flakka1685 The push into Stalingrad was approved by his entire top brass, most of whom kept telling him it was still possible to win until only a couple weeks before the end.

[@qualicumjack3906]

@@flakka1685 Stalingrad was already doomed before Hitler’s intervention. All Hitler did was prevent the retreat of an army which had already lost, turning it into a complete loss. There was never a chance that the Axis would win while outnumbered 2 to 1 and fighting on 2 fronts

[@ovidiudiumea4012]

@@Bahamut3525 They despised Hitler also because he was a raving madman who was damning Germany by the day. Which is why a considerable number of them were willing to risk their lives to kill him.

[@williamgaston9812]

Great production quality! best I've seen on KZbin and very entertaining ! thank you.

[@cd5433]

Thank you guys for all the great content. I love all the primary sources you guys use like that guys diary. It’s amazing thanks so much 🎃🎉

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

Jesse is by far my favorite historian and narrator. Thanks for the upload and thank your team for all the hard work. BTW i got a nebula subscription just to watch Jesse's phenomenal presentation of 16 days in Berlin , it was fantastic.

[@realtimehistory]

thanks! and check out Rhineland 45 too if you liked 16 Days

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

@@realtimehistory I'm on episode 2 actually. Saving them for when the children are sleeping so I can focus. 😂

[@kingleech16]

I know I’ve been watching too many history vids when I read “Jesse” like “Hesse”.

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

@@kingleech16 😂

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

@@kingleech16 I have such a bro crush on Jesse, when he first took over after indy I knew by the 2nd episode he would be the greatest.

[@eliech7112]

thank you fantastic work as usual

[@8Nguy1948]

My father was part of the 77th Evacuation Hospital and the only time he was issued a firearm ( being a non combatant he wasn't allowed to have a weapon) was during this battle. The Germans had closed to within a mile of the hospital and they weren't sure that our troops could stop them . He was issued a .45 and told to empty his file cabinet and turn over his gasoline stove and burn his tent if they didn't get them stopped in 15 minutes. ( He was an officer and had a tent with a wooden floor) They would try to reassemble in another town in France and how he got there was his problem. Our troops stopped the Germans with about 3 minutes to go .

[@Jarod-te2bi]

11:03 this is why I love the channel you give written words of the people involved form the high command to the ordinary people.

[@billk9583]

Tony Haines, my dad's oldest brother was killed at the Battle of the Bulge on the same day as your uncle, December 31. My dad was a 19-year-old tank driver. He said when the Germans advanced they were ordered to turn around from their previous target and fire at the German positions. When he sketched it all out on a map for his grandson, he didn't mention the battle by name. It was only later when looking at his sketches that I realized I was looking at the Battle of the Bulge, but he was outside the bulge so he is not listed as one of the soldiers in the battle. After years of searching online for any information about Uncle Joe, I finally found his grave online at an American cemetery in Ardennes, Belgium. You should look into that if you haven't already. You can even download a photo of the headstone.

[@LichsuhoathinhDrabattle]

Amazing video. Videos of channel helps linking so many little historical anecdotes together and interesting✨😎‼

[@nickpaine]

Just excellent ! Clear, concise, exceedingly well produced and narrated! Thanx!

[@goldblackbrownwhite]

The Ardennes offensive was just the last bloody hooray - the German army was well beaten before, and ran out of fuel and able men before 1944. A last desperate attempt to turn the tide in a lost cause. Even if the Wehrmacht had succeeded in this battle, it would have just prolonged the war for a month or two... In 1944 more people died than in the five years of war since 1939...imagine the assassination attempt by Claus von Stauffenberg would have succeeded on the 20th July 1944...countless lives could have been spared. The whole Second World War - utterly and completely pointless in itself. Like the first World War too... Excellent video as always! Cheers

[@VictoireOuMort]

Having my great grandfather fight in this battle makes it interesting for me, and war stories I have heard passed down as well as historical accounts interest me on a battle that in the grand scheme of things seems useless. Although the offensive was doomed from the start it is impressive just how far Axis lines were able to extend despite all the factors at play especially fuel, although by January 1945 the lines reverted back to how they were before the offensive and many resources were wasted which could have been used defending the Rhineland. During the initial stages of the offensive many German soldiers believed that the tide of the war was changing and Germany could still achieve victory. Even if somehow the allied fuel depot at Bastogne was seized and Antwerp was reached this would delay the allied push into Germany but they would not surrender. The soviets on the other hand would still capture Berlin and most likely more territory as the western allies advance would have been delayed.

[@ultrametric9317]

Really superb short report about the early phase of the battle. A companion piece about the costly mop-up and restoration of the start line would be nice to see.

[@julio5prado]

Excellent summary! Thanks for the great work

[@seaknightvirchow8131]

My dad was in the 75th Div and my father-in-law was a plt commander in the 2nd Div at Elsenborn. My dad lost hearing due to a German grenade thrown into the room where he was. Others died.

[@pitch1691]

The best battle of the bulge explanation on KZbin hopefully the video is going to get a spike in views and get atleast 1 million

[@KingOfTheCapybaras]

You were right,its at 999,663 just 337 off 1 million currently

[@hokie7373]

So awesome to see this covered. Both my grandfather and my wife’s grandfather were in the us 9th army. Her grandfather was wounded in the initial German artillery barrage.

[@MrUnimport]

Just wanted to say I deeply appreciate the impeccable pronunciation of place names and foreign terminology. Neither overstrained nor Anglicized; perfect.

[@mohameddjadlou3172]

The way you pronounce the names of towns and villages in German and French is very accurate. Greetings from Bastogne.

[@FirstLast-di5sr]

Still one of the best history channels, internet or otherwise! Thank you!!

[@realtimehistory]

Wow, thank you!

[@RickJZ1973]

Excellent presentation! Well done.

[@Spinonemaster]

My uncle was 19 in the battle of the bulge, Ardennes with the 3rd Army .. many were fighting in summer uniforms ... he made it thru to the retaking Bastogne ... covered in shrapnel wounds and frostbite on hands and feet he finally was hospitalized and had many surgeries and partial loss of toes .... he returned to Belgium shortly after the war and rescued a few Bouvier des Flandres (dog of flanders) and helped reestablish the almost extinct regional farm breed here in the US ... 2 WW wars in 30 years had destroyed much of Belgium and that breed ... he rarely spoke of the horrors he witnessed ... he became quite successful ... and passed away at home with 2 of his trusty Bouviers at his side .... he was plagued by nightmares for many years after the war ... and slept with a loaded Colt .45 on his nightstand for years ... old habits die hard

[@IFIXCASTLES]

My father in law was a sergeant in the US army carrying a Thompson submachine. He was given a fantastic heroes ceremony at his funeral..and laid to rest at the National Cemetery here on Long Island NY ,with another beautiful ceremony. He never spoke about his exploits killing the enemy in the Arddienes forest. He died with shrapnel still in his body. Bless him.

[@allencollins6031]

Calverton?

[@IFIXCASTLES]

@@allencollins6031 Farmingdale NY

[@allencollins6031]

@@IFIXCASTLES gotcha. From kings park originally. Have family there too.

[@americanpatriot2422]

Always an outstanding video and presentation.

[@bmhh123]

I love your content, as always.

[@scottyprice1787]

Great documentary like always keep it up guys!!

[@realtimehistory]

thanks, we will

[@scottyprice1787]

@@realtimehistory thank you guys really I'd love to see some more on the Byzantine and Belasarius I really admire 6th century but all your work is hella great guys

[@jfvodden]

Thank you for these great history lessons. Hopefully history won't repeat itself.

[@donreed]

EXCELLENT narration. Thank you!

[@user-yv4mm6bx3c]

My grandfather was only 18 when he was fighting in The Bulge. He didn't talk about it much. He saw a lot of people die and only mentioned that they were surrounded. At some point he was hit by some shrapnel in his head and eventually sent home. It's more than likely that his injury caused some mental issues. He certainly suffered from undiagnosed PTSD. I wish I could have known him more to talk about it. He passed away in 92 when I was only a kid.

[@keithorbell8946]

My grandfather was a transport and logistics officer in the 51st Highland Division in 1944. In December 1944 his unit was on RR in Brussels. He was Orderly Officer the night to orders came through to get to the Ardennes front. He had to drag all the Glaswegian soldiers out of the bars and brothels of Brussels, issue them with their weapons and ammunition and get them on the trucks to the front. These soldiers really did sew razor blades into their tam o’ shanters for bar fighting! In May 1944, after VE Day Grandad had to arrange for them to hand back their weapons and ammo. Most of them had not drawn any extra ammo since December, but had been through at least two bayonets. The moral of the story is don’t disturb a Glaswegian’s leave!

[@realtimehistory]

The 51st Highland Division also fought in the Rhineland campaign, right? Think we covered them in our documentary Rhineland 45.

[@christianvincentcostanilla8428]

Make a video : That's falsie pocket 1944

[@christianvincentcostanilla8428]

People in Germany call it : Stalingrad in the west

[@retiredboxingref7620]

My Dad was with the Big Red One. He had Two bronze stars. (One with an oak cluster???) I knew he had been in the middle of the 'Bulge' but I never knew much of anything else. He just said one that, 'it was them, or us.' When the war ended. He was still not 19 years old.

[@klaasj7808]

my grandfather fought with the waffen ss in during this battle. actually he was from d-day up until april 1945 almost in non stop battle. he was glad the never send him to the eastern front, but instead to the obersalzberg. but in summer 44 was replaced

[@kurtschlesinger8257]

MY father fought in easten front then they moved him said it was alot better the st lo and normany when 1000 bomber drop bombs on your head

[@Wifgargfhaurh]

I'm so glad that people are still documenting this war so heavily. Maybe the most pivotal time in our history

[@shipleyberg]

Even if they reached the coast and encircled the northern allied forces they could not have effected a surrender. The encirclement would have been short lived.

[@mathiasmueller9693]

yeah and those troops there would shortly become surrounded by the allies

[@ianoneal3543]

Agreed

[@dougieranger]

This was fantastic. Subbed.

[@timeno1763]

Walter K. Smith, who jumped with the 101st on D-Day was there. At the end of the war, he was one of three men in his original company on D-Day to have survived the war.

[@linleyredford1354]

Honestly feel that even had it gone perfectly, the premise of 'splitting the allies' was always doomed. Britain had to see the whole thing through, 1940 wasn't a distant ghost. Americans don't accept defeats, I can't possibly imagine Patton or Bradley losing heart entirely. It was a desperate throw of the dice at best but could more accurately be called an act of desperation from a deluded leader who thought he could at least bring some of the powers against him to the table if he had another Allied rout. The Allies in 1944's Western Front wasn't the French army of 1940. I don't think anyone in high command was foolish enough to lose their entire force. Like so many desperate plans, it needed the Allies to be passive participants in their own battle.

[@extrahistory8956]

Perhaps a _Hail Mary_ ? Please, I demand Potential History to make a video on this battle.

[@Bahamut3525]

Even if it had succeeded, the communist Russians were moving forward in the East, despite horrendous losses which they could replenish. The Americans being successful simply meant that the Russians could not plow through all of Western Europe, which they would have done.

[@Jesse_Dawg]

Another amazing episode! Please make more

[@cosmodog1803]

What a great presentation of this event. I learned a lot.

[@TheAmazingSpiderman87]

Dunno if it's Hollywood embellishment or factual truth but apparently one of the few allied commanders to see this attack coming without any concrete evidence was Patton. Hence why he was able to pull out of his previous offensive and move north rapidly enough to relieve Bastogne.

[@MsZeeZed]

Its Hollywood embellishment by Patton himself. He wanted to cross the Rhine in the North immediately and attack Germany, Eisenhower wanted to liberate France first. So Patton was further South conducting an offence, while in the Ardenne the troops deployed weren’t built to hold against Panzer divisions. American command didn’t think the German’s had the ammunition & fuel to counter-attack successfully and they were right. Germany achieved nothing by this offensive similar to a counter-attack in Hungary a few months later that also went nowhere.

[@floydvaughn9666]

Yes, but if you ask me, Ike read his Sun Tzu. The real hazard from the Germans was Operation Nordwind.

[@factsdontcareaboutyourfeel7204]

All BS

[@somaday2595]

Patton considered this to be a spoiler intended to divert his advancement towards the Saar, so he at first argued strongly against withdrawing and redeployment towards the north. Perhaps the impending reassignment of American divisions from Bradley to Montgomery was enough of a catalyst to pivot towards Bastogne in lightning time.

[@DOI_ARTS]

So Henry Fonda's role was Patton in real life?

[@rafanifischer3152]

You should use standard unit symbols to make the maps readable. The Allies and German corp symbols look almost the same. Remember one side should be blue and the other red but in your maps both sides are blue and just adding a star or a cross does not help.

[@TheBanjoShowOfficial]

yeah I find myself having to decipher whether I'm looking at a stahlhelm or an M1 helmet

[@hiuku8890]

My great grandfather fought and died here. Thank you for making this video man

[@obi-wankenobi4959]

Excellent in depth video! Thank you.

[@redaug4212]

The German offensive was fundamentally defeated in the first 4-5 five days at the town of Krinkelt-Rocherath, on the northern shoulder of the bulge. American resistance put up in this sector denied the Germans use of any roads leading through Elsenborn Ridge, and consequently foiled their timetable by forcing the 6th SS Panzer Army's units to divert to the south into the 5th Panzer Army's lines; creating further logistical complications and traffic jams until eventually they ran out of fuel, the skies cleared, and the US brought up reinforcements. Bastogne was important too of course, but it wasn't considered a pivotal node by the German forces until later in the offensive.

[@jacobdewey2053]

Bastogne may not have been a critcal objective at the time for the germans but it was a vital spot for the americans to defend. It was a major fuel depot and losing it would have cost the allies any real plans of an offensive in January/February

[@Masonjar94]

That’s just lack of German planning and picking the wrong place to attack

[@redaug4212]

@@Masonjar94 It would have been the right place to attack had they broke through Elsenborn Ridge. In fact it would have been catastrophic because of the huge supply depots at Liège and Spa. But the Germans didn't expect US forces to put up determined resistance, especially not from the 99th ID which was a green unit holding a thinly defended area of the front.

[@mxblyxky]

The Battle of the Bulge was doomed from the start. There was only the initial surprise of the weak American troops who were in a rest area. It was a huge concentration of German troops in a very restricted area. All this mass of troops and vehicles had to move along roads and there were not enough roads. The bridges were destroyed early on. On the other hand, there was not enough fuel and the available fuel did not reach the paralyzed vehicles, due to the immense traffic jam. The Waffen SS troops leading the offensive were stopped by the explosion of the bridges. And finally, when the initial surprise ended, American armored troops came from other sectors and, mainly, the weather opened allowing the sortie of American planes, since the Allies had absolute air dominance. Without the Luftwaffe to defend them from air attacks, the German offensive did not hold. It was too ambitious a plan and the Germans didn't have enough troops, reserves and fuel to carry it out and especially the lack of air support sealed the end of the offensive.

[@slimvillan]

Brilliant content,thank you

[@JohnHopkins-hn7hu]

Super video, most informative.

[@waduwill1332]

Ive watched this documentary about 12 times and i love ir

[@kiky2232]

It is fascinating to me that the same area fooled allies 3 times in ww1 and 2.

[@strictly_fades]

Explain ?

[@AYVYN]

Ardennes wasn’t a blunder in the Battle of the Bulge. Logically, it was the safest terrain available for some quick resupplying due to decreased mobility. It’s a double-edged sword.

[@carlevans5760]

I greatly enjoyed your documentary on Napoleon, as well as this one. Thank you, a job VERY well done.

[@Applecompuser]

(I love the map animation in this film. Would love to know how it was done, or it it was an animator, who it was. I ask as I would like to share info about my uncle's unit. Thanks very much for sharing.)

[@bogipepper]

Proximity fuses in American artillery were a major player in the battle.

[@pfcsantiago8852]

Reminds me of the Great War spring offensive operation Goergette, similar outcome too.Would of been much harder to cross the Rhine if these troops where used to defend it instead.

[@richardrichard9953]

My Uncle was a Tank Commander with Pattons third armored division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. His Career ended in Korea when his legs got ran over by a tank

[@dellananjo4379]

Very informative video! Liked it.

[@Sabelzahnmowe]

Excellent, as always

[@somewhere6]

The only chance for the Germans to actually get across the Meuse in force was a quick breakthrough at Elsenborn Ridge. It wouldn't be easy but there was no other fast route that also held large amounts of supplies that could be captured. As it was, 3 US infantry divisions, 2 of whom were veteran plus a corps headquarters plus the terrain proved to be too much. It was predictable but that was the gamble that was necessary. Sending the SS divisions further south would have produced a great breakthrough there but it would have had a lot further to go and even with a deep advance could not produce the big strategic victory required. I don't see how they would have crossed the Meuse and continued further especially when Allied air power finally came into play.

[@notapilot1]

I like to think of the Battle of the Bulge, and particularly the Battle for Bastogne, as a measure of the American fighting soldier. At other times and places American air strength and seemingly unlimited supplies are touted as reasons for victory. But in the Battle of the Bulge, Americans and Germans met on a level playing field, without air support or supplies, and the Americans prevailed.

[@millik8523]

Im happy the germans lost, let that be said, but I still think the Americans only won that battle because they had fresh troops and were well supplied. It´s undeniable that the US is a military powerhouse, because you guys just have shittons of OP weaponry and a huge amount of troops, war is more than just men and supplies tho.

[@jacobdewey2053]

@@millik8523 The german troops were about as fresh as most of the american units. The 101st had only been away from the front for a couple of weeks max at this point and most of the german units either hadn't seen combat or had the same chance to rest that the American's did.

[@DS8G10]

Every nation had unbelievably fierce and brave fighting soldiers. People talk of British or American exceptionalism. It's the human race which is exceptional, it's just it can also be exceptionally cruel.

[@Baerenritter]

I think, the battle of the Hürtgen Forest is more suitable to make a comparison between the fighting capabilities of the US Army and the Wehrmacht, because there the fighting lasted longer.

[@Hollylivengood]

We have a family friend who fought in the Battle of the Bulge under general Patton. He said that when people knew they were going to die, they tried to throw themselves into the treads of the German tanks, hoping to fowl the wheels. Imagen dyeing that way, but they did it, and it worked a little. Ed and bunch of other guys had figured out that German tanks had a blind spot directly in front of them , so they would lay on the ground and play dead until they felt one rumbling closer, and jump up and onto the tank, to throw hand grenades into the tank. These guys did this! Amazing.

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@warrenlewis3977]

Everybody's grandfather was everywhere at every battle...

[@xoXoKillingXoxo]

I know right?

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

Realistically the Operation never had a chance to succeed. 1)Conducting a lightning assault with light and medium tanks in summer of 41 vs trying to do the same thing with heavy tanks in winter of 44 were two very different prospects, with the second being unrealistic. 2)Added to this was that even with unrealistically overoptimistic goals any gains would be erased by pressure from the flanks and the Allied air supremacy. 3)It did not address the virtual implosion of the Eastern Front.

[@joeshmoe8345]

Really cool, thanks for sharing with us big dog.