This book is a comprehensive, highly illustrated, account of the German attempt in 1944 to thrust through the Ardennes and seize the port of Antwerp, thereby splitting the Allied forces and stemming the flow of equipment and men - its failure was the beginning of the end for Hitler's Third Reich. In December 1944, the German Army launched an attack through the Ardennes forest that aimed to seize the port of Antwerp and cut the Allied supply lines, hoping to force the Western Allies either to delay their advance or agree to a peace settlement - this is the comprehensive history of Hitler's last offensive in the West, the failure of which undoubtedly hastened the end of the war. The book begins with a study of the background to the battle and a description of events in the West leading up to the offensive, the poor state of the Allies' defences and the low quality of the American troops on the front line in the Ardennes as well as the special tactics used by the Germans, notably Skorzeny's commandos dressed in US uniforms. A bitter struggle developed for the key town of Bastogne, the offensive lost momentum and, once the skies cleared, the Allies brought the full weight of their airpower to bear. The authoritative text is complemented with detailed maps that explain the troops' movements, plus appendices with information on orders of battle, losses and equipment.

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