The Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944–January 25, 1945) was the last major German offensive campaign of World War II. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. The surprise attack caught the Allied forces completely off guard. American forces bore the brunt of the attack.
The phrase “Battle of the Bulge” was coined by the press to describe the bulge in Allied front lines on wartime news maps, and it became the most widely used name for the battle.
Out of American 610,000 troops involved in the battle, 89,000 were casualties with over 10,000 killed or missing. It was the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the United States in World War II.
The German losses in the battle were especially critical. Their last reserves were now gone, the Luftwaffe had been shattered, and remaining forces throughout the West were being pushed back to defend the Siegfried Line.
✯ Idahoans listed as Killed / Missing in Action, Battle of the Bulge, 16 December 1944–25 January 1945 ✯