How was the Meuse River important during the Battle of the Bulge?

Answer 1

When the Germans attacked their first main objective was to seize the crossings of the Meuse. Then they hoped to push on and capture Antwerp. Antwerp is one of the world's major ports and was just being put back in condition to receive supplies. The Allies had to have Antwerp to be able to bring in enough supplies for the drive into Germany. To this point in the campaign in Europe, Allied operations had been limited by the lack of port capacity to bring in sufficient supplies. If the Germans were to retake Antwerp the Allied supply picture would continue to be grim. Supplies were still being brought in over the invasion beaches and had to be trucked hundreds of miles to the front, causing severe wear on trucks and consuming oceans of scarce gasoline just to deliver supplies. Antwerp was about to alleviate all this and allow the Allies to accumulate sufficient supplies and fuel to finish off the Germans.

Additionally if the Germans succeeded in driving to Antwerp they would divide the Allied armies, isolating the British and Canadians, along with the US 9th Army to the north of the German breakthrough from the rest of the Allies - the US 1st, 3rd and 7th Armies, along with the French 1st. The Germans could then in theory roll up the Allies by turning in either direction they chose.

To achieve any of this, the Germans had first to reach the Meuse River and seize crossings. As events played out, they never reached the Meuse. The German plan was one of desperation, and depended for success on capturing sufficient Allied fuel to keep their tanks and vehicles moving. The stubbornness of individual Americans, hanging on with grim determination, at Bastogne and a dozen other locations, held the Germans up long enough for reinforcements to arrive and begin to contain the breakthroughs and reverse the situation. The high command had failed the soldiers in not anticipating the German attack, and ignoring warning signs. Some pundits wonder whether the American soldier relies too much on material superiority, and the defenders of the Bulge have given us an answer.