World War II · Film · 1965
Battle of the Bulge
An American intelligence officer is sure the Germans are about to strike in the quiet Ardennes, but nobody listens until King Tiger tanks come roaring out of the winter fog.
Where it happened
Follow the story across 3 places.
Stop 1: Schnee Eifel ridge
Green German replacements hint that an attack is coming, and then the King Tigers overrun the American outpost on the Siegfried Line.
Stop 2: Baugnez crossroads, Malmedy
Misled by switched road signs, a column of American soldiers is captured near Malmedy and gunned down by SS troops.
Stop 3: Stavelot and the Amblève valley
Key location
Short on fuel, Hessler's panzers make for an American fuel depot, and the fate of the offensive comes down to a race for the gasoline.
What really happened
On 16 December 1944 Hitler launched his last great western offensive through the thinly held Ardennes, aiming to split the Allies and retake Antwerp. More than 200,000 German troops achieved total surprise, and commandos in American uniforms under Otto Skorzeny sowed confusion behind the lines.
SS Kampfgruppe Peiper, the model for the film's Colonel Hessler, drove west through Malmedy and Stavelot but ran short of fuel and was trapped at La Gleize. By late January the bulge was gone; the US Army had suffered around 89,000 casualties, its costliest battle of the war. The film compresses the campaign, stages its tank battles on open Spanish plains instead of snowy forest, and invents most characters.
Where to watch
Checking streaming services…
Full details
- Original title
- Battle of the Bulge
- Directed by
- Ken Annakin
- Countries
- United States
- Languages
- English, German
- Released
- 1965
- Period
- –
- Theaters of war
- Western Europe
- Themes
- Combat
