What famous WWII battle between the Germans and Allies began on December 16, 1944?

The famous WWII battle that began on December 16, 1944, was the Battle of the Bulge. It was Germany’s last major offensive on the Western Front and is also known as the Ardennes Offensive.

German forces attacked through the heavily wooded Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg, catching the Allies by surprise. Adolf Hitler’s plan was to split the British and American armies, seize Antwerp, and force the Western Allies into a negotiated peace. Bad weather initially grounded much of the Allied air force, helping the attack gain ground.

The name “Battle of the Bulge” describes the large bulge that the German advance pushed into the Allied front line on wartime maps. American troops mounted fierce defensive actions at places such as Bastogne and Elsenborn Ridge. The siege of Bastogne was broken on December 26 when General George Patton’s forces arrived.

The offensive continued until January 25, 1945, but Germany suffered heavy losses and never regained the strategic initiative in the west.