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The Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Final Gamble
The so-called ' Battle of the Bulge' was one of the most important battles of World War Two. It was certainly America's largest and most crucial land battle, at one stage involving half a million men.
· Contains individual stories from American, British and German combatants in the Ardennes battle · Well illustrated with photographs and battle plans
· Contains individual stories from American, British and German combatants in the Ardennes battle · Well illustrated with photographs and battle plans
- GenresMilitary History
448 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 21, 2019
A rather conflicting read during this year's Bulge weekend.
On one hand, it has the academical depth of a herring pond. The bibliography is a who-'s-who of overly familiar Ardennes books in English, with virtually everything in the winter sky pulled from Dennis Parker, albeit with acknowledgements. There's a few minor errors* and the chapter length is minute.
On the other hand ... it's simply fun. Delaforce utters a suggestive "Drama!" when Patton is told to release a division and when Monty's temporary command is debated. Those tiny chapters offer a thematic treasure above and beyond many Ardennes titles. The air war of course, with air supremacy accredited as the decisive factor to victory.
My favorite concerns the misconceptions of the U.S. intelligence , spoiled by four years of ULTRA's crystal ball glancing but unaccustomed to Germans that weren't forced into defense. The best they could figure was a build-up to contest a Ruhr crossing or, more modestly, a tactical disturbance by a few divisions towards Hodges' 1st Army. Even when breaking the railway code in late 1944 revealed 400 transports (half the real total) to the Ardennes of troops from as far as Norway, the total estimated strength in the West stood at 20 divisions - while Dietrich and Manteuffel were reconstructing 32 out of 76 remnants.
This thematic approach incorporates a geographical & chronological backbone for further reading. You always know WHERE you are and WHEN, following one unit or the other. The fabled "Screaming Eagles" share their glory in full with the 10th Armoured and whichever unit knew how to breathe fire onto the infantry-heavy German attack force 'mopping up' Bastogne while the Panzer spearpoints race ahead- until the weather clears and the 9th Tactical Air Force blunts them.
The victims of the opening assault each get their own header: the cavalry of the 14th Recon, the "Checkerboard" 99th, "Ivy" 4th and the rookie "Golden Lions" 106th infantry...On the other side of the zone, Horrock's XXX Corps shows up as less of an aftertought than in tales of Market Garden, holding the Meuse bridges in case of a penetration as early as the 21st - which would've been late according to Hitler's 4-day shedule.
Neither is it difficult to follow the separate adventures of the German 6th & 5th Armies' Tiger-studded SS Panzer Corps or the fanatically screaming Volksgrenadiers - their NCO's recollections provide a low-level reminder that cold, hunger and seeing your friend shot straight through the head were not an American prerogative. Especially not in the 7th Army, which mostly put boots on the ground in the rugged Luxemburg terrain. Peiper & Skorenzy shrink in this story, the former without a verdict on Malmédy and the latter with little to show for in terms of strategic impact.
Chester Wilmot, Charles MacDonald, Hugh Cole & others all have their say in an appendix as to why the offensive failed and the defence held. On one thing they can agree. From the first, frozen men in foxholes that survived the initial peppering by gun to see other men armed with handguns they could match, said F***you! and fought rather than flee. Those that ran... lived to fight another day, after they passed on weapons & ammo to the 10% 101st Airborne that went in unarmed - Vincent Speranza with a knife instead of an MG and his Lieutenant "Stop Bitching !" with no bullets in his .45...
*Peiper destroyed his own last vehicles; not U.S. Artillery. Skorenzy did not disguise German tanks as Shermans but as M-10s; some aircraft debuts are misdated...
On one hand, it has the academical depth of a herring pond. The bibliography is a who-'s-who of overly familiar Ardennes books in English, with virtually everything in the winter sky pulled from Dennis Parker, albeit with acknowledgements. There's a few minor errors* and the chapter length is minute.
On the other hand ... it's simply fun. Delaforce utters a suggestive "Drama!" when Patton is told to release a division and when Monty's temporary command is debated. Those tiny chapters offer a thematic treasure above and beyond many Ardennes titles. The air war of course, with air supremacy accredited as the decisive factor to victory.
My favorite concerns the misconceptions of the U.S. intelligence , spoiled by four years of ULTRA's crystal ball glancing but unaccustomed to Germans that weren't forced into defense. The best they could figure was a build-up to contest a Ruhr crossing or, more modestly, a tactical disturbance by a few divisions towards Hodges' 1st Army. Even when breaking the railway code in late 1944 revealed 400 transports (half the real total) to the Ardennes of troops from as far as Norway, the total estimated strength in the West stood at 20 divisions - while Dietrich and Manteuffel were reconstructing 32 out of 76 remnants.
This thematic approach incorporates a geographical & chronological backbone for further reading. You always know WHERE you are and WHEN, following one unit or the other. The fabled "Screaming Eagles" share their glory in full with the 10th Armoured and whichever unit knew how to breathe fire onto the infantry-heavy German attack force 'mopping up' Bastogne while the Panzer spearpoints race ahead- until the weather clears and the 9th Tactical Air Force blunts them.
The victims of the opening assault each get their own header: the cavalry of the 14th Recon, the "Checkerboard" 99th, "Ivy" 4th and the rookie "Golden Lions" 106th infantry...On the other side of the zone, Horrock's XXX Corps shows up as less of an aftertought than in tales of Market Garden, holding the Meuse bridges in case of a penetration as early as the 21st - which would've been late according to Hitler's 4-day shedule.
Neither is it difficult to follow the separate adventures of the German 6th & 5th Armies' Tiger-studded SS Panzer Corps or the fanatically screaming Volksgrenadiers - their NCO's recollections provide a low-level reminder that cold, hunger and seeing your friend shot straight through the head were not an American prerogative. Especially not in the 7th Army, which mostly put boots on the ground in the rugged Luxemburg terrain. Peiper & Skorenzy shrink in this story, the former without a verdict on Malmédy and the latter with little to show for in terms of strategic impact.
Chester Wilmot, Charles MacDonald, Hugh Cole & others all have their say in an appendix as to why the offensive failed and the defence held. On one thing they can agree. From the first, frozen men in foxholes that survived the initial peppering by gun to see other men armed with handguns they could match, said F***you! and fought rather than flee. Those that ran... lived to fight another day, after they passed on weapons & ammo to the 10% 101st Airborne that went in unarmed - Vincent Speranza with a knife instead of an MG and his Lieutenant "Stop Bitching !" with no bullets in his .45...
*Peiper destroyed his own last vehicles; not U.S. Artillery. Skorenzy did not disguise German tanks as Shermans but as M-10s; some aircraft debuts are misdated...
February 7, 2024
All along I thought the movie was a definitive account. The book is a gripping and researched account of one of the most significant battles of World War II. The author's attention to detail, combined with his ability to humanize the soldiers involved, creates a vivid and immersive reading experience. This book is a must-read for history enthusiasts and military buffs. It offers valuable insights into the strategic importance and consequences of Hitler's failed gamble.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews