Bulge, Battle of the

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In World War II, Hitler's plan (code-named ‘Watch on the Rhine’) for a breakthrough by his field marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, aimed at the US line in the Ardennes from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945. Hitler aimed to isolate the Allied forces north of the corridor which would be created by a drive through the Ardennes, creating a German salient (prominent part of a line of attack, also known as a ‘bulge’). There were 77,000 Allied casualties and 130,000 German, including Hitler's last powerful reserve of elite Panzer units. Although US troops were encircled for some weeks at Bastogne, the German counteroffensive failed.

The Germans deployed three panzer armies in the operation and initially made good progress along a 113 km/70 mi sector of the front. However, once the Allies had recovered from the initial surprise of an attack along a previously quiet section of the front, they launched a serious counterattack to the north and south of the ‘bulge’. Improvements in the weather also allowed Allied air support to take effect and by January most of the German attack had been contained and repulsed.

Red and white are the national colours, derived from a 13th-century emblem bearing a white eagle on a red field. Effective date: 23 March 1956. >>