AT 4 morning 16 December 1944 g. advanced American units on the quiet section of the Western Front woke up in a cold sweat.
«Flee, Save yourselves, ittzu come!» – they shouted the people in the form of the US Army, rushing to the rear on the American Jeep. «by the way, this bridge while retreating to blow prohibited – orders from headquarters!»
So for the first time against the Anglo-Americans was applied «Fuhrer's secret weapon» – saboteurs of the order «vulture». Notorious obershturmbannfyurer (lieutenant colonel) SS Otto Skorzeny two months before it gained the English-speaking soldiers in all parts of the Wehrmacht. US intelligence knew about it, but I decided, that we are talking about interpreters to work with prisoners…
Ever since the invasion of Normandy in the summer 1944 g. US allies of the USSR anti-Hitler coalition and the United Kingdom were significantly superior to the Germans in the number of soldiers and military equipment. The odds were so great, that the staff officers allies and forgot to think about, that the Wehrmacht was still able to something, except defense and retreats. And in vain. 16 December Nazis on the Western Front held their first with 1940 g. strategic offensive. true, She also became the last.
Ardennы – mining and forest on the border of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, which is still considered «lungs of Europe». AT 1944 g. The road there was even less, than now, and natural barriers for the offensive – even more. Allied defenses in the Ardennes held 4 American division (about 80 thousand. human), two of which had no combat experience, and two previously suffered heavy losses and were withdrawn in «quiet area» to recuperate. they were opposed 20 Wehrmacht divisions and the SS, including 7 armored, later added more 7! In total, the Germans withtook 300 thousand. human, more 1000 tanks and assault guns.
Hitler's idea, originally given to adventure, was that, to arrange allies bloodletting and thus force them to sit down with the Germans at the negotiating table. After that, he thought, it will be possible to transfer all the power to the Eastern Front and stop the advance of Russian…
In the early days, the Germans had a three-fold advantage over Americans. Because of this, but also because of low clouds, Chained Allied forces to land, Nazis at first with success. The offensive was so unexpected, that the news of it reached Dwight Eyzenhauera, Supreme Commander of the Expeditionary Forces in Europe, only in the evening. In the German rear of the column reached the American prisoners.
The advent of the Nazis could only be stopped by 10 days, its way from other sectors 30 divisions. 3 January allies went on the offensive and to 25 January regained all the territory, captured by the Wehrmacht during the «Watch on the Rhine» – so they named their operation Germans. Both sides lost about 100 thousand. human, US troops this operation was the bloodiest of the war.
Elena Milёhina
