Corps Commanders of the Bulge: Six American Generals and Victory in the Ardennes 

Patton stalled at the Bulge continually. Patton had less than 20 km of German held ground to cover during his actual 'attack' north towards Bastogne, with the vast majority of his move through American held lines devoid of the enemy. Yet he still took him five days to get through to Bastogne. It took Patton almost three days just to get through the village of Chaumont. In the Ardennes Patton castigated Middleton of the US VIII Corps and Millikin of the US III Corps. When his advance from Bastogne to Houffalize stalled he criticised the 11th Armoured Division for being _"very green and taking unnecessary casualties to no effect"._ He blamed everyone except himself.

communications with Hodges were never broken.

Bradley was foraws BECAUSE he was a better battle commander. Bradley's orders had been given before Ike's order. Radio communications were more than adiquate. Monty put the 1st army on the defencive, which put most of the burden on the 3d army. Monry was a child.

1:4:30 I will let the Germans have a say on the Bulge: *Genral Hasso von Manteuffel:* _‘The operations of the American 1st Army had developed into a series of individual holding actions. Montgomery's contribution to restoring the situation was that he turned a series of isolated actions into a coherent battle fought according to a clear and definite plan. It was his refusal to engage in premature and piecemeal counter-attacks which enabled the Americans to gather their reserves and frustrate the German attempts to extend their breakthrough’._ By November 1944, British SHEAF officer, Strong, noted that there was a possibility of a German counteroffensive in the Ardennes or the Vosges. Strong went to personally warn Bradley, who said, _let 'em come._ Montgomery on hearing of the attack _immediately_ took British forces to the Meuse to prevent any German forces from making a bridgehead, and moving west of the river, securing the rear. He was prepared to halt their advance and attack them. This was while Eisenhower and Bradley were doing _nothing._ _even by 19 December,_ *_three days_* _into the offensive, no overall plan had emerged from 12th Army Group or SHAEF, other than the decision to send Patton’s forces north to Bastogne. Overall, the Ardennes battle was in urgent need of grip._ _General Hodges had yet to see Bradley or receive more than the sketchiest orders from his Army Group commander._ - Neillands, Robin. The Battle for the Rhine 1944 On 20 December, Montgomery had sent a signal to Alanbrooke regarding the US forces: _Not good... definite lack of grip and control. I have heard_ -*nothing*_ _from Ike or Bradley and had no orders or requests of any sort. My own opinion is that the American forces have been cut in half and the Germans can reach the Meuse at Namur without opposition._ Omar Bradley, commander of the 12th Army Group, did very little: 16 Dec, the first day, for 12 hours did *nothing.* 16 Dec, after 12 hours, he sent two armoured divisions from the flanking Ninth and Third Armies. 17 Dec, after 24 Hours, he then called in two US airborne divisions from Champagne. 18 Dec, he ordered Patton to halt his pending offensive in the Saar. 18 Dec, he had still not established contact with the First Army, while Monty had. 19 Dec, he withdrew divisions from the Aachen front to shore up the Ardennes. 19 Dec, he had still not produced an overall defensive plan. 19 Dec, the Supreme Commander intervened directly late in the day. 20 Dec, Eisenhower telephoned Montgomery telling him to take command of the US First and Ninth Armies While all this dillying by Bradley was going on, German armies were pounding forward into his lines. British SHEAF officer Whiteley and American officer Betts visited the U.S. First Army HQ seeing the *shambles.* Strong, Whiteley, and Betts recommended that command of the armies north of the Ardennes be transferred from Bradley to Montgomery. Unfortunately only the British officers approached Beddel Smith of their recommendations, who immediately fired the pair, claiming it was a nationalistic thing. The next morning, Beddel Smith apologized seeing the three were right, recommending to Eisenhower to bring in Monty. *It was because of the shambles of the US command of the First and Ninth armies that highly professional Montgomery had to be in command.* During the Battle of the Bulge Eisenhower was stuck self imprisoned in his HQ in des-res Versailles near Paris in fear of German paratroopers wearing US uniforms with the objective to kill allied generals. He had remained locked up more than 30 days without sending a single message or order to Montgomery, and that is when he thought he was doing _ground control_ of the campaign, when in effect Montgomery was in control as two US armies had to be put under his control after the German attack, the US First and Ninth armies. The Ninth stayed under Monty's control until the end of the war, just about. Coningham of the RAF had to take control of US air force units. The only thing Eisenhower did was tell Monty to get control of two out of control US armies, tell the US 101st to go to Bastogne (who were in northern France after the buffer Market Garden was created) and men under Bradley to counter-attack. That is it.

General "Lightning" J. Lawton Collins was one of the Best Corps Commanders in the US Army!

narred - you are technically correct. "Although it didn't receive the SS designation until after the Battle of the Bulge, the SS designation came into general use in military history literature after the Second World War for the formation as assembled prior to that campaign" Info obtained through several scources.

Good presentation! Although the largest battle ever fought by the US Army was the Meuse-Argonne in World War One, not the Battle of the Bulge.

Could be prescription Golf?

They got past the rank issue in Korea by making corps commanders 3 star Generals.

What causedthe Buldge?

Attack until they turn and run. Then, pursue them, and attack them running away. It's been the core of US Army strategy since General William Tecumseh Sherman.

Top lecturer and topic. Knowledge is powerful. I have always respect the US army organization in world war 2. What out American rescuers and man power the world would have been a different place today. And last of as a none American and as a man who loves the knowledge I must say the in history of mankind we have never seen the likes of the American military organization before. One has remember that American is a little over 240 years old. In Korea American hold the line against the communist and American was light in the dark. Was found on American democracy and equality of men as human beings. It's really sad now days that mankind is uneducated and disgusting of greedy politicians and banks. Anyway enjoy this masterpiece of knowledge.

The only way the Germans could have been successful in taking Antwerp would be if they found a genie and wished the Americans away or if an Army commander did something really stupid like order an all out frontal assault into the advancing Germans.

Would any care to give an opinion on Monty and his part in the Battle of the Bulge?

It takes a lot for a yank to admit that Monty was a better General than Brad. The truth is Monty was the best allied General in the west fact.

think about it if Germany win the war ??? we be in the twilight zone episode! the world will be chaos and suffering and full of sorrow!!!!

"Its cold tonight, It was colder for the troops in Europe". Stares at the crowd. What! So somehow that is our fault. What is this a guilt trip! Please you are not still in the army and we are not in the army any more so just get on with the lecture and forget the pissing contest.