Why did the Germans attack the allies at the battle of the bulge?

Answer 1

to drive a wedge between American and British forces

Answer 2

The Germans had no chance of defeating the Allies at the first time. They had air superiority at the first place. The only thing that was keeping the Allies at bay from the Germans was because of the harsh winter. When clear skies came at December 26, the Germans were battered until they reverted back to their retreating position.

Field Marshal Model understood that the Wehrmacht was lacking in every area to include Armour, Fuel, Aircraft, Soldiers, Artillary, and etc.... He proposed a smaller scale operation to Hitler, who adamantly opposed Models suggestion. Model understood that the terrain limited the heavy tanks, which the operation depended on, to a few narrow roads which bridges had to be secured in advance of the armour to insure they werent blown. Due to shortage of aircraft, fuel, and the limited time to train the German paratroopers, this was a doomed operation. The fallschirmjager from Crete and Eban Emael, had been bled white from working on the Eastern Front as Fire Brigades as well as in Italy. But this is another subject altogether.

Model, who had performed miracle after miracle on the eastern front understood from the beginning that it had no chance of success. The only chance of success, that the Germans had, which Hitler had squandered, was to crush the Allied invasion of Normandy and then concentrating everything on the eastern front. With a failed allied invasion, it would have been another 2 years until the allies could stage antoher invasion. And during this time there were negotiations going on between Germany and Russia for a armistace.

Answer 3

The Germans hoped to break through the Allied line and drive all the way to Antwerp, which is one of the very largest ports in the world, and was just coming online as the Allied supply depot for the eventual drive into the heart of Germany. The attack fell almost entirely on American troops, with the spearpoint at the juncture between the US 9th Army to the north and US 1st Army to the south. Perhaps some Germans dreamed of being able, after breaking through, to turn forces both north and south and "roll up" both segments of the now severed Allied line, but this was hardly realistic. (The British and Canadians were to the north of the US 9th Army, at the extreme northern end of the Allied line). The Germans gathered a powerful force for the attack, but one feature of their plan points up the desperation of the entire shceme: its success depended on capturing enough Allied gasoline to keep their tanks moving, because they had very little of their own. As events played out the attacking Germans, though they did break through, were never able to get past the next natural obstacle in their path, the Meuse River.

Answer 4

Another huge mistake by Hitler. He thought by splitting the Americans from the British forces and going all the way to the Port at Antwerp, he could obtain a separate peace from the British and Americans and concentrate on the Eastern Front. It was disastrous. He lost many experienced fighting men, materiel, and most of all his strategic armored reserve. I think the war would have lasted a little longer in Europe had he not done that.

Answer 5

to drive a wedge between American and British forces