Racing Across France

Following the Allied breakout, the German front in Normandy collapsed with troops retreating east. Attempts to form a line at the Seine were thwarted by the rapid advances of Patton's Third Army. Moving at breakneck speed, often against little or no resistance, Allied forces raced across France, liberating Paris on August 25, 1944. The speed of the Allied advance soon began to place significant strains on their increasingly long supply lines.

Next Steps
Forced by the supply situation to slow the general advance and focus on a more narrow front, Eisenhower began to contemplate the Allies' next move. General Omar Bradley, advocated in favor of a drive into the Saar to pierce the German Westwall (Siegfried Line) defenses and open Germany to invasion. This was countered by Montgomery, who wished to attack over the Lower Rhine into the industrial Ruhr Valley. If successful, Montgomery would also be in a position to clear the Scheldt islands which would open the port of Antwerp to Allied vessels.

Operation Market-Garden
Montgomery's plan for advancing over the Lower Rhine called for airborne divisions to drop into Holland to secure bridges over a series of rivers. The plan called for the airborne to hold the bridges while British troops advanced north to relieve them. If the plan succeeded, there was a chance the war could be ended by Christmas. Dropping on September 17, 1944, American airborne divisions met with success, though the advance of the British armor was slower than expected. At Arnhem, the 1st Airborne lost most of its heavy equipment in glider crashes and encountered much heavier resistance than expected. Fighting their way into the town, they succeeded in capturing the bridge, but were unable to hold it against increasingly heavy opposition. The survivors retreated south and linked up with their American compatriots.

Grinding the Germans Down

As Market-Garden commenced, fighting continued on 12th Army Group's front to the south. The First Army became engaged in heavy fighting at Aachen and to the south in the Huertgen Forest. As Aachen was the first German city to be threatened by the Allies, Hitler ordered that it be held at all costs. The result was weeks of brutal urban warfare as elements of the Ninth Army slowly drove the Germans out. By October 22, the city had been secured. Farther south, Patton's Third Army was slowed as its supplies dwindled and it met increased resistance around Metz. The city finally fell on November 23, and Patton pressed east towards the Saar.

Battle of the Bulge Begins

As the situation in the west worsened, Hitler began planning a major counteroffensive designed to recapture Antwerp and split the Allies' forces. Hitler hoped that such a victory would prove demoralizing for the Allies and would force their leaders to accept a negotiated peace. Gathering Germany's best remaining forces in the west, the plan called for a strike through the Ardennes (as in 1940), led by a spearhead of armored formations. To achieve the surprise required for success, the operation was planned in complete radio silence and benefited from heavy cloud cover which kept Allied air forces grounded. Commencing on December 16, 1944, the German offensive struck a weak point in the Allied lines near the junction of the 21st and 12th Army Groups. Overrunning several divisions that were either raw or refitting, the Germans swiftly advanced towards the Meuse River. When the Germans demanded their surrender, the 101st's commander, General Anthony McAuliffe, famously replied "Nuts!"

Allied Counterattack
To combat the German thrust, Eisenhower called a meeting of his senior commanders at Verdun on December 19. During the meeting Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take to turn Third Army north towards the Germans. Patton's stunning reply was 48 hours. Anticipating Eisenhower's request, Patton had begun the movement prior to the meeting and in an unprecedented feat of arms, began attacking north with lightening speed. On December 23, the weather began to clear and Allied air power began to hammer the Germans whose offensive stalled the next day near Dinant. The day after Christmas, Patton's forces broke through and relieved the defenders of Bastogne. In the first week of January, Eisenhower ordered Montgomery to attack south and Patton to attack north with the goal of trapping the Germans in the salient caused by their offensive. Fighting in bitter cold, the Germans were able to successfully withdrawal, but were forced to abandon much of their equipment.

To the Rhine
US forces closed the "bulge" on January 1945 pressing forward on all fronts, Eisenhower's forces met with success as the Germans had exhausted their reserves during the Battle of the Bulge. Entering Germany, the final barrier to the Allied advance was the Rhine River. To enhance this natural defensive line, the Germans promptly began destroying the bridges spanning the river. The Allies scored a major victory on March 7/8 when elements of the 9th Armored Division were able to capture intact the bridge at Remagen. The Rhine was crossed elsewhere on March 24, when the British 6th Airborne and the US 17th Airborne were dropped in as part of Operation Varsity.

The Final Push

With the Rhine breached in multiple places, German resistance began to crumble. 12th Army Group swiftly encircled the remnants of Army Group B in the Ruhr Pocket capturing 300,000 German soldiers. Pressing east, they advanced to the Elbe River where they linked up with Soviet troops in mid-April. To the south US forces pushed into Bavaria. On April 30, with the end in sight, Hitler committed suicide in Berlin. Seven days later, the German government formally surrendered ending World War II in Europe.