Tim Gosling visits the Ardennes for the 78th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
On December 16, 1944, the Wehrmacht launched a massive surprise assault on Allied forces in the heavily forested area of the Belgian and Luxemburg Ardennes. The German objective was to split the allied armies in two, capture the vital port of Antwerp and thereby deny the Allies their primary means of resupply, and thus force the British and American forces to make a peace agreement separate from their Russian allies. With the benefit of the foggy weather which grounded allied aircraft, an overwhelming tank superiority, and the element of surprise, the German attack was initially met with success.
This was not to last though, due to stubborn American resistance at the Belgian town of Bastogne, congested roads and a shortage of fuel – the offensive faltering after just 11 days. It was to be at Bastogne where the most celebrated event of the battle took place. Brigadier General McAuliffe, acting Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, received a German delegation demanding the American surrender. McAuliffe’s singleword response was “Nuts”, from which a legend was born. The annual Nuts Weekend fell on December 1…
