- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: The Battle of the Bulge began on this day 81 years ago...
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:41 am to RollTide1987
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:41 am to RollTide1987
My wife's grandfather was in the battle, he made the reunion trip every couple years for decades.
1
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:48 am to TulsaSooner78
quote:
Hitler's top generals were not the cream of the crop. He promoted people based on loyalty to the Nazi party, not for their strategic brilliance.
While this is true of top generals like Keitel and Jodl, the 5th and 6th Panzer armies were blessed with capable leadership, particularly at the divisional and regimental levels.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 8:49 am
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:54 am to Big Block Stingray
Great Grand was with the 83rd at Hurtgen Forrest, got pulled out for 3 days, then was sent to the Ardennes.
Got shot just a few days in. Survived and came home. He would never talk about it. After his death I went on a historical search and was able to track everywhere he had been. Even found a copy of the daily report where he was listed as wounded.
No telling what that man saw.
Got shot just a few days in. Survived and came home. He would never talk about it. After his death I went on a historical search and was able to track everywhere he had been. Even found a copy of the daily report where he was listed as wounded.
No telling what that man saw.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 8:55 am
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:58 am to RollTide1987
I think of this quote from J.B. Stokes, who was featured on Band of Brothers:
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:09 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
6th Panzer Army did later go east after Watch Am Rein failed where they were wasted in another pointless attack, this time to try to save Vienna
The German commander (Dietrich I believe) said that the reason they were called the 6th Panzer Army was because they only had six panzers in the whole army.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:13 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
the 5th and 6th Panzer armies were blessed with capable leadership, particularly at the divisional and regimental levels.
But they aren't the ones who made the decision to focus on Antwerp rather than the Eastern front.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:21 am to RollTide1987
Those 2 episodes of Band of Brothers featuring Bastogne show exactly how hellish the conditions were.
They had no winter clothing, low on food supplies, and ammunition. It was the coldest winter in decades while also being completely encircled by the nazi’s while facing constant bombardment since the nazi’s knew exactly where they were dug in.
And there orders were simple, hold the line no matter what.
“NUTS”
They had no winter clothing, low on food supplies, and ammunition. It was the coldest winter in decades while also being completely encircled by the nazi’s while facing constant bombardment since the nazi’s knew exactly where they were dug in.
And there orders were simple, hold the line no matter what.
“NUTS”
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 9:23 am
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:22 am to Toroballistic
quote:
The German commander (Dietrich I believe) said that the reason they were called the 6th Panzer Army was because they only had six panzers in the whole army.
Exactly. That’s because Hitler decided to squander the best of his remaining reserves on flights of fancy in offensives that anyone in their right mind (which Hitler was not by then) k would know ddi not have a prayer of achieving anything of worth.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:22 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
two best panzer armies
Just shells of their former selves.
To get to operational strength the LAH had to take on 1,000s of untrained Luftwaffe personnel in grenadier units. Some performed ok, some hauled arse or threw their hands up first chance they got.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:25 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
Now how would that change the post-war power structure in central Europe? That’s another question.
It's likely that Germany at least would've been much better off...we don't see a Soviet-ruled East Germany vs. Westernized West Germany situation as we did. A better Germany makes for a better Europe which leads to better economic situations for nations east of Germany trading with Germany.
You could also argue that the Soviets could've ruled with more of an iron fist without the symbolic Berlin Wall contributing to the fall of the USSR.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:26 am to Lakeboy7
quote:
Just shells of their former selves.
To get to operational strength the LAH had to take on 1,000s of untrained Luftwaffe personnel in grenadier units. Some performed ok, some hauled arse or threw their hands up first chance they got.
True. But compared to the rest of the Heer, they were the best Hitler had left at his disposal.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:30 am to Canon951
My uncle was there as a 22 year old private and saw action at Bastogne relieving the 101st Airborne. His unit was an AAA unit in England until they were cannibalized and sent to France a few weeks after D-Day. He never talked about the war.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:34 am to Tchefuncte Tiger
quote:
My uncle was there as a 22 year old private and saw action at Bastogne relieving the 101st Airborne. His unit was an AAA unit in England until they were cannibalized and sent to France a few weeks after D-Day.
Did he work one of these? This photo is from My movie Demo...
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:40 am to Chingon Ag
quote:
Thanks for posting this today. Great group of men no doubt.
Brave men that deserved better. Every Divisional Commander (US) in the area of the buildup (there were at least 3) should have been summary court martialed and put on a wall and shot.
American sentries and patrols literally saw and heard the buildup for the offensive. Mechanized armies just just show up in an area unannounced. Reports were made and disregarded.
It was Christmas and all the Divisional Staffs (to include the intel shops) were in Paris buying supplies for each Divisions Christmas party. The war was over so all the Division Commanders were going all out.
This didnt make it in to Band of Brothers but the 101 was down about 300 infantry soldiers from various maneuver units. The reason? the 101 had pulled their best athletes (best fighters) out of the line to try out for the 101 football team, the 101 was going to play one of the other Divisions on Christmas Day for the drunk Generals.
The United States has a rich, rich history of intelligence failures, Pearl Harbot, Tet, but none bigger than what happened in the Ardennes.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:41 am to WWII Collector
I don’t think so. I believe he used the heavy guns. I know he trained at Fort Ord in California, but am uncertain about his unit in Europe. 777th AA Bn is what I was led to believe. I really don't know.
ETA: I just found the 24th AAA Group which sounds a lot like what my uncle did. I think he was a gunner on a 90mm.
ETA: I just found the 24th AAA Group which sounds a lot like what my uncle did. I think he was a gunner on a 90mm.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 9:54 am
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:43 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
hey were the best
And pretty well equipped....except for that whole fuel thing.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:45 am to Tchefuncte Tiger
A little more for you Tchefuncte Tiger..
The report for December 44 of the 557 AAA - AW BN.
The hero in my movie runs into the 557th During the Battle of the Bulge.
The report for December 44 of the 557 AAA - AW BN.
The hero in my movie runs into the 557th During the Battle of the Bulge.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:55 am to blueboy
quote:
Patton was right.
Very curious death, to be sure. I guess they didn't need him talking after the war for prolonged periods.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:58 am to m2pro
Always wondered how Patton would have done in Korea? Probably would have flattened a lot of Chinese.
Before it went static that was a maneuver war.
Before it went static that was a maneuver war.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 10:20 am to Lakeboy7
Brave men indeed.
An older friend of mine's dad served and we were all visiting right after Saving Private Ryan hit the theatres. His son asked if he wanted to go see it with him. After a long pause and with a tear in his eye, he said I'm not going watch that, I lived through that.
An older friend of mine's dad served and we were all visiting right after Saving Private Ryan hit the theatres. His son asked if he wanted to go see it with him. After a long pause and with a tear in his eye, he said I'm not going watch that, I lived through that.
Page 2 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News