last major Axis counteroffensive in December 1944 against the Allied forces in western Europe; German troops gained territory in Belgium but were eventually driven back
a battle during World War II; in December 1944 von Rundstedt launched a powerful counteroffensive in the forest at Ardennes and caught the Allies by surprise
In December 1944, the German army launched a counterattack against Allied forces in western Europe. Its advance toward Antwerp, Belgium, created a "bulge" in the Allied lines. By June 1945, the bulge was contained and the Allied line was restored.
The Ardennes Offensive (called Unternehmen: Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine) by the German military Heeres Gruppe B), officially named the Battle of the Ardennes by the U.S. Army (and known to the general public as the Battle of the Bulge), started on December 16, 1944. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II; to the south Operation Nordwind began on 1 January.
Battle of the Bulge is a war film released in 1965. It was directed by Ken Annakin. It starred Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Telly Savalas, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews and Charles Bronson.
For other games with this title, see Battle of the Bulge (game)
