Battle of the Bulge begins, December 16, 1944
German artillery crews have been awake for hours, waiting for this moment. Someday they will tell their grandchildren about the great instant when they turned the tide of war in favor of the Fatherland, once and for all, with 406,000 men; 1,214 tanks, tank destroyers, and assault guns; and 4,224 pieces of artillery in the initial assault. Once the surprise attack splits the American and British armies, Hitler can sue for peace and prevent invasion into Germany. He calls the offensive Operation Watch on the Rhine. The world will know it as the Battle of the Bulge.