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late in 1944, after five grueling years, it appeared the war in europe was finally won. the allies had truimphantly regained paris, as well as casablanca and tripoli, naples and rome. allied soldiers were breathing easier - even stopping to enjoy dances and parties. intelligence reports from the western front conveyed the picture of a german army low on men, arms and morale. it came as a total surprise when, on december 16, 1944, a savage german attack - a quarter of a million men strong - ripped through this area and pushed a 50 mile "bulge" in the allied lines.
secretly planned by hitler himself, this last german counteroffensive of world war 2 was the single biggest and bloodiest battle in u.s. military history. in sub-zero temperatures and blinding snow, american soldiers were overrun by an enemy with unsuspected reserves of well-armed men and heavy weaponry. general eisenhower threw more than half a million young men into the frigid blood-soaked battlefield. when it was over, 80,000 americans were killed of wounded; german casualties were said to be twice that.
packed with mesmerizing footage from newsreels and german and american military archives, the battle of the bulge is a compelling chronicle of war that captures both the action on the front lines and the strategy behind the scenes. in their own words, the u.s. soldiers and combat officiers in the field recount the punishing physical and psychological conditions under which they fought - as well as the horror that still haunts their memories.
