I have watched various Hollywood movies of this battle, but this graphic telling of it definitely put things into perspective for me.

“HITLER TOLD SKORZENY THAT HE WOULD TRAIN AND LEAD GERMAN SOLDIERS WHO SPOKE PERFECT ENGLISH TO MASQUERADE AS AMERICAN SOLDIERS. THEY WOULD WEAR AMERICAN UNIFORMS AND DRIVE AMERICAN VEHICLES AND WOULD CAPTURE BRIDGES, CHANGE ROAD SIGNS, AND SPREAD FALSE RUMORS AND PANIC IN THE AMERICAN REAR LINES. “(8) Hitler would not budge on his “Watch the Rhine” plan in December 1944, even though “FIELD MARSHAL GERD VON RUNDSTEDT …AND FIELD MARSHALL WALTER MODEL… FELT THE PLAN WAS TOO AMBITIOUS…” (9)

The retelling of this piece of war history goes back and forth between the German and American forces’ various victories, surrenders, defeats, massacres, and lack of food, fuel and supplies. Week by week, sometimes day by day, sometimes hour by hour, and even inch by inch the troops moved from one strong hold to another. The graphics in this retelling are as much about facial expressions, body postures, and tank and troop movements, as it is about the dialog of various generals. “TO THE SOUTH, PATTON GATHERED HIS FORCES TO DRIVE IN THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF WHAT IN NOW CALLED, “THE BULGE.” THESE FORCES INCLUDED TH 26TH AND 80TH INFANTRY DIVISIONS, BUT IN THE FRONT WAS HIS VERY ABLE 4TH ARMORED DIVISION.” (46) The scope of sequence of these weeks in the snow and cold of December 1944-January 1945 (differing from the warm summer/fall weather of D-Day) are much more understandable than I have ever experienced through any other retelling. The Battle of the Bulge ended January 16, 1945, with Germany surrendering a few months later on May 7, 1945.

Casualties for the Americans, British and Germans are each listed in wounded, killed, and missing. The numbers are in the tens of thousands. Then, there is a brief  “AFTER THE WAR, THE PEOPLE OF BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG BEGAN THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING THEIR HOMES AND VILLAGES, THE MARSHALL PLAN, WHICH BEGAN IN 1948, WAS AN AMERICAN INITIATIVE TO AID AND REBUILD WAR-DEVASTATED EUROPE, MODERNIZE AND BUILD EUROPEAN INDUSTRY AND TRADE, AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF SOVIET COMMUNISM.” (94)

Page 96 lists the Allied and Axis Divisions, with pages 97-101 illustrating the different U.S. and German tanks used in this battle.