Battle of the Bulge - 16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945

The battle began on December 16, 1944, one of the coldest, snowiest days "in memory" in the Ardennes Forest, occupying about 80 miles of the German/Belgian border. Casualties from exposure to extreme cold grew as large as the losses from fighting.

At the end of the battle the forces included over a million men, about 560,000 Germans, 640,000 Americans (more than fought at Gettysburg) and 55,800 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.
• About 6,000 allied fighters and bombers against 2,400 German aircraft.
• 100,000 German casualties, killed, wounded or captured [80,000 captured].
• 81,000 American casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed.
• 1,400 British casualties 200 killed.
• 610 German and 730 U.S. tanks lost, 1,000 German aircraft destroyed.

Most of the American casualties occurred within the first three days of battle, when two of the 106th division’s three regiments were forced to surrender. In its entirety, the "Battle of the Bulge" was the most bloody battle American Forces experienced in WWII, the 19,000 American dead unsurpassed by any other engagement. For the U.S. Army, the Battle of the Ardennes was a battle incorporating more American troops and engaging more enemy troops than any American conflict prior to WWII.

Although the German objective was ultimately unrealized, the Allies' own offensive timetable was set back by months. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as German survivors retreated to the defenses of the Siegfried Line.
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