Michael Tolhurst - Bastogne Battle of the Bulge

Other guides in the Battleground Europe Series:

Walking the Salientby Paul Reed
Ypres - Sanctuary Wood and Hoogeby Nigel Cave
Ypres - Hill 60by Nigel Cave
Ypres - Messines Ridgeby Peter Oldham
Ypres - Polygon Woodby Nigel Cave
Ypres - Passchendaeleby Nigel Cave
Ypres - Airfields and Airmenby Michael OConnor
Ypres - St Julienby Graham Keech

Walking the Sommeby Paul Reed
Somme - Gommecourtby Nigel Cave
Somme - Serreby Jack Horsfall & Nigel Cave
Somme - Beaumont Hamelby Nigel Cave
Somme - Thiepvalby Michael Stedman
Somme - La Boisselleby Michael Stedman
Somme - Fricourtby Michael Stedman
Somme - Carnoy-Montaubanby Graham Maddocks
Somme - Pozieresby Graham Keech
Somme - Courceletteby Paul Reed
Somme - Boom Ravineby Trevor Pidgeon
Somme - Mametz Woodby Michael Renshaw
Somme - Delville Woodby Nigel Cave
Somme - Advance to Victory (North) 1918by Michael Stedman
Somme - Flersby Trevor Pidgeon
Somme - Bazentin Ridgeby Edward Hancock

Arras - Vimy Ridgeby Nigel Cave
Arras - Gavrelleby Trevor Tasker and Kyle Tallett
Arras - Bullecourtby Graham Keech
Arras - Monchy le Preuxby Colin Fox

Hindenburg Line by Peter Oldham
Hindenburg Line Epehyby Bill Mitchinson
Hindenburg Line Riquevalby Bill Mitchinson
Hindenburg Line Villers-Plouichby Bill Mitchinson
Hindenburg Line - Cambraiby Jack Horsfall & Nigel Cave
Hindenburg Line - Saint Quentinby Helen McPhail and Philip Guest

La Basse - Neuve Chapelleby Geoffrey Bridger
Monsby Jack Horsfall and Nigel Cave
Accrington Pals Trailby William Turner
Poets at War: Wilfred Owenby Helen McPhail and Philip Guest
Poets at War: Edmund Blundenby Helen McPhail and Philip Guest

Gallipoliby Nigel Steel

Italy - Asiagoby Francis Mackay

Boer War - The Relief of Ladysmithby Lewis Childs
Boer War - The Siege of Ladysmithby Lewis Childs
Boer War - Kimberleyby Lewis Childs
Isandlwanaby Ian Knight and Ian Castle
Rorkes Driftby Ian Knight and Ian Castle

Hougoumontby Julian Paget and Derek Saunders

WW2 Pegasus Bridge/Merville Batteryby Carl Shilleto
WW2 Utah Beach by Carl Shilleto
WW2 Gold Beachby Christopher Dunphie & Garry Johnson
WW2 Omaha Beachby Tim Kilvert-Jones
WW2 Sword Beachby Tim Kilvert-Jones
WW2 Battle of the Bulge - St Vithby Michael Tolhurst
WW2 Battle of the Bulge - Bastogneby Michael Tolhurst
WW2 Dunkirkby Patrick Wilson
WW2 Calaisby John Cooksey
WW2 Das Reich - Drive to Normandyby Philip Vickers
WW2 Hill 112by Tim Saunders
WW2 Market Garden - Nijmegenby Tim Saunders

Battleground Europe Series guides under contract for future release:
Somme - High Woodby Terry Carter
Somme - German Advance 1918by Michael Stedman
Somme - Comblesby Paul Reed
Somme - Beaucourtby Michael Renshaw
Walking Arrasby Paul Reed
WW2 Boulogneby John Cooksey
WW2 Market Garden - Hells Highwayby Tim Saunders
Poets at War: Sassoon & Gravesby Helen McPhail and Philip Guest
Wars of the Roses - Wakefield/Towtonby Philip A. Haigh

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_________________________________

Michael Tolhurst

LEO COOPER

Published by
LEO COOPER

an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Limited
47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS
Copyright Michael Tolhurst 2001

ISBN 0 85052 798 8

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from the British Library
Printed in the United Kingdom by
CPI UK

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Telephone 01226 734555

CONTENTS

It is hoped, with the aid of this book, that the reader will be helped to understand how the siege and relief of Bastogne in the cold December of 1944 came about. The Battle of the Ardennes, or as it came to be known, The Battle of the Bulge (a term given by its characteristic shape formed by the German thrust through the Allied lines), was to become one of the greatest battles fought by the US Army in Europe. This, the last all out offensive initiative of the Second World War by the Germans, although brilliantly planned and executed, was to prove to be the beginning of the end for them in the West.

During the German drive west there were many actions fought in the Ardennes region, this book is about one of them.

This part of Europe is one of the most picturesque areas imaginable. High ridges and deep ravines abound in the area criss-crossed by fast flowing rivers and streams. Everywhere is covered with trees, many of them conifers. Main roads are few and far between and generally follow the paths of the rivers through the valleys. On the Belgium-Luxembourg-German border the terrain is high and craggy. A volcanic ridge runs north to south just inside the German border and forms part of what the Germans call the Eifel Region. Winding itself through this is the River Our, which helps to make a natural barrier on Germanys frontier. This terrain stretches from Monschau in the north down to the River Moselle in the south. As if this was not a formidable barrier in itself, the Germans had constructed a line of defences along its borders from Holland down to the Swiss frontier. More than 3,000 concrete bunkers with interlocking fields of fire were built, along with anti-tank obstacles or dragons teeth, forming a barrier across the open ground. The German propaganda machine proudly labelled the defences as the West Wall, however, the Allies referred to it as the Siegfried Line.