Special Missions: Battle of the Bulge

Five Things About the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge: The Struggle for St. Vith

On December 16, 1944, in the dense misty forests of the Ardennes, Belgium, German forces carefully concentrated in secrecy. Their mission was to surprise the Allied forces with a powerful attack and to drive a wedge between them; their ultimate goal was the recapture of the Port of Antwerp. It was the start of what would later be known as the Battle of the Bulge, the bloodiest battle for U.S. forces in Europe during World War II.

For the 77th anniversary of the historic battle, we've got six special missions that yield a variety of customization items and consumables.

We've also got a historical timeline that features key events from the Battle of the Bulge.

Battle of the Bulge Missions
MISSIONS BEGIN:	MISSIONS END:
Thursday, Dec. 16 at 03:20 PT \| 05:20 CT \| 06:20 ET	Monday, Dec. 27 at 03:20 PT \| 05:20 CT \| 06:20 ET

Stoumont

St. Vith

Meuse River

Foy

Elsenborn Ridge

Bastogne

Pre-Battle
Elsenborn Ridge/Northern Portion: Dec. 16–31, 1944
Bastogne: Dec. 16–30, 1944
Jan. 2–25, 1945
Aftermath

DEC. 15	In preparation for their offensive, the Germans have moved elements of Army Group B including the 5th Panzer Army, the 6th Panzer Army, and 7th Army positioned along the Ardennes. The Allied line in the path of the German attack is held by the U.S. Army VIII Corps, including the 106th Infantry Division, 28th Infantry Division, 9th Armored Division (depleted by previous fighting), and 4th Infantry Division. The southern edge is held by elements of the U.S. 1st and 2nd Armies.

DEC.

In preparation for their offensive, the Germans have moved elements of Army Group B including the 5th Panzer Army, the 6th Panzer Army, and 7th Army positioned along the Ardennes. The Allied line in the path of the German attack is held by the U.S. Army VIII Corps, including the 106th Infantry Division, 28th Infantry Division, 9th Armored Division (depleted by previous fighting), and 4th Infantry Division. The southern edge is held by elements of the U.S. 1st and 2nd Armies.

DEC. 16	The German assault begins at 05:30 with a massive artillery barrage of the U.S. troops facing the 6th Panzer Army.
	By 08:00 all three German armies are attacking. The 6th Panzer Army assaults the Losheim Gap and the Elsenborn Ridge. In the center, the 5th Panzer Army attacks towards Bastogne and St. Vith. In the south, the 7th Army pushes toward Luxembourg in order to secure the flank.
	The 6th Panzer Army in the north is stalled by fierce resistance from the U.S. 2nd and 88th Infantry Divisions.
	An entire German battalion is held up for 20 hours by a single 18-man intelligence and reconnaissance platoon from the 99th Infantry Division.
DEC. 17	The Germans launch Operation Stosser: 1,300 Fallschirmagern take off during a powerful snowstorm. Many land far from their designated drop zones. By noon a group of 300 are able to assemble. By chance, the German mis-jumps confuse the Americans and cause them to divert troops away from the front.
DEC. 17	A group of German soldiers are able to hold the Baraque Michel crossroads. This hampers the Allies’ ability to bring troops and supplies into the area.
DEC. 18	Allied troops in the town of Stavelot fight street by street to hold off German forces. The Germans manage to take the city, but the Allies refuse to allow them to advance any farther.
DEC. 19	Two components of the U.S. 106th Division in the Schnee Eiffel region are surrounded by the Germans.
	Close to 6,000 American troops surrender to encircling German forces at Schnee Eiffel.
	In intense block-by-block fighting, the Allies recapture the town of Stavelot.
DEC. 23	The German advance stalls short of the Meuse River. Allied forces begin a counterattack.
DEC. 23	Allied fighter-bombers assist U.S. infantry and armor units in attacking German armor, helping halt the enemy advance.
DEC. 28	Hitler orders no further advances but will not order a retreat of his forces. This leaves the German forces stretched thin and open to counterattacks along their front.
DEC. 29	Counterattacks by the U.S. 2nd, 9th, and 99th Infantry Divisions cause the Germans to realize they cannot reach their objective of Antwerp.
DEC. 31	Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive, is launched 30 minutes before midnight, focusing north against Alsace and more importantly Strasbourg. With heavy snow, it takes soldiers closer to a half hour or more until attacks began.

DEC. 18	The 5th Panzer Army attacks positions of the U.S. 28th and 106th Infantry Divisions, eventually surrounding two regiments of the 106th Division and forcing their surrender.
DEC. 19	The 101st Airborne Division arrives to reinforce Bastogne.
DEC. 20	The German Army completes the encirclement of U.S. forces in Bastogne.
DEC. 21	The American defenders at St. Vith finally withdraw to avoid encirclement. Nevertheless, their prolonged resistance has disrupted the German timetable.
DEC. 22	A delegation of four German soldiers delivers an ultimatum to U.S. forces in Bastogne: surrender or heavy artillery will fire on the town. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division, sends back a defiant reply: "Nuts!"
DEC. 23	Allied troops in Bastogne receive airdrops of much-needed supplies.
DEC. 26	Besieged U.S. forces in Bastogne, Belgium, receive a belated Christmas present: M4 tanks, the spearhead of Patton's Third Army, fight their way into the town from the south. This marks the end of the Siege of Bastogne, but heavy fighting continues.
DEC. 27	Allied forces are able to break the German encirclement, allowing supplies and reinforcements to pour into the Bastogne pocket. A wider counterattack begins to push back the German forces.
DEC. 30	U.S. forces in Bastogne are reinforced; the German attack is recognized as a failure.

JAN. 02	Elements of the 6th SS-Gebirgsdivision "Nord" (German Mountain Division "Nord") begin arriving to help the German offensive. These are seen as the most important source of German reinforcements as they are both battle hardened and well equipped for both the terrain and weather.
JAN. 03	With the German assault in full swing, French forces demand that Strasbourg be well defended. Understanding the French plight, Eisenhower agrees.
JAN. 04	Hitler admits the Ardennes offensive is a failure. He orders German forces from the Eastern Front to also attack over the Rhine.
JAN. 05	German forces establish a bridgehead over the Rhine north of Strasbourg near Gambsheim.
JAN. 06	The focus of Operation Nordwind shifts from Bitche to Hagenau. The 21st Panzer-Division and 25th Panzergrenadier-Division, which are severely diminished, begin to move towards Hagenau Forest.
JAN. 07	The first phase of Operation Nordwind is complete with mixed results and little to show in the sense of victory for the Germans.
JAN. 08	U.S. 12th Armored Divisions begins initial attacks against the Gambsheim bridgehead but is pushed back after a day of fighting.
JAN. 09	A week-long battle begins between German forces and the U.S. 14th Armored Division over control of Hatten-Rittershoffen and the gateway through the Hagenau Forest.
JAN. 10	Elements of the 315th Infantry arrive and begin to reinforce the American attacks on the village of Hatten. These are promptly beaten back by the German forces.
JAN. 11	German forces attempt to circumvent the stalemate at the village of Hatten by taking Rittershoffen to the west. Both locations turn into killing fields, with German and U.S. elements engaged in fierce fighting but not able to effectively overwhelm the other.
JAN. 12	While waiting for further troops to be committed, German and U.S. forces alike at Hatten-Rittershoffen attack over the "pool table," a wide-open space that becomes a killing field.
JAN. 13	Reinforcements from both sides begin to arrive at Hatten-Rittershoffen. These elements boost the fighting power of the forces at both locations.
JAN. 14	The Red Army attacks central Germany, forcing German divisions away from the effort on the Rhine.
JAN. 14	German forces at Hatten-Rittershoffen are able to beat and push back the American reinforcements.
JAN. 15	The fighting at Hatten-Rittershoffen intensifies. German Flammpanzer 38(t) are sent in to burn the U.S. infantry out of their holdings in cellars and dug-in positions.
JAN. 16	The U.S. 12th Armored Division resumes attacking the German-held Gambsheim bridgehead near Herrlisheim. Through heavy fighting the U.S. 12th Armored Division is beaten back.
JAN. 17	The 10th SS-Panzer Division joins the fighting at Herrlisheim. With their firepower, two U.S. battalions are completely wiped out.
JAN. 18	In the predawn hours, the 17th Armored Infantry Battalion positions in Herrlisheim are completely overrun and the battalion commander captured.
JAN. 19	Although attempts are made to dislodge the Germans at Herrlisheim, the German bridgehead remains. The 10th SS-Panzer Division is shifted to the Hagenau front.
JAN. 20	The 1st French Army launches the opening phase of their Operation Cheerful with the goal of reducing the Colmar Pocket.
JAN. 21	The 3rd Division of the US XXI Corps begins attacking towards Colmar.
JAN. 22	German military forces group on Alsatian plain but are unable to push past the Moder River line. The French II Corps begins attacking the Erstein bulge on the northwestern portion of the Colmar Pocket.
JAN. 23	The U.S. 30th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division is able to push through to the Ill River where they find a small bridge. There they engage German forces but are beaten back and some units were routed.
JAN. 24	The next day German and U.S. forces clash again at the bridge over the Ill River. The battle shifts back and forth until finally the U.S. 15th Infantry Regiment, with tank support, pushes the Germans back.
JAN. 25	Hitler calls off the German offensive. This marks the end of major fighting of Operation Nordwind. Battle lines began to return to roughly their positions prior to the start of the operation.

Special Missions: Battle of the Bulge

Never Surrender: Wear McAuliffe's Defiance!

Historical Timeline