BOYNTON BEACH (FLORIDA)
Battle of the Bulge Memorial
Mémorial de la Bataille des Ardennes
Memoriaal van de Slag om de Ardennen
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Location - Localisation - Ligging: Veterans Memorial Park, 411 North Federal Highway. GPS coordinates - Coordonnées GPS - GPS-coördinaten: +26°31'48.8", -80°03'30.3" Inscription - Inscriptions - Opschriften "BATTLE OF THE BULGE DECEMBER 16, 1944 - JANUARY 25, 1945 THREE POWERFUL GERMAN ARMIES PLUNGED HEADLONG INTO THE RUGGED MOUNTAINS AND FORESTS OF THE ARDENNES DETERMINED TO BREAK THE AMERICAN LINE OF DEFENSE, TRAPPING THE ALLIED FORCES IN BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG. THEY MET FIERCE OPPOSITION THE MINUTE THEY ENGAGED THE THINLY SPREAD AMERICAN LINE, AND PAID A HEAVY PRICE FOR EVERY INCH OF GROUND. THE BATTLE RAGED FOR 3 DAYS UNTIL POWERFUL ALLIED REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVED TO JOIN THE FIGHTING, KEEPING THE GERMANS FROM BREAKING THROUGH. ON DECEMBER 17 THE GERMAN FORCES WERE ORDERED TO KILL THE ALLIED PRISONERS. 84 AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE MASSACRED IN MALMEDY. THE FIGHTING THEN CONTINUED FOR 6 WEEKS IN BITTER COLD AND SNOW, AND ALL THE GERMANS COULD ACCOMPLISH WAS TO PUT A SMALL BULGE IN THE LINE. CASUALTIES : AMERICAN : 81,000 INCLUDING 19,000 KILLED BRITISH : 1,400 INCLUDING 200 KILLED GERMAN : 101,000 [Desription of the map] A CRUCIAL CROSSROAD IN THE BATTLE CENTERED AROUND THE TOWN OF BASTOGNE. SURROUNDED FOR MOST OF THE BATTLE, THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION REFUSED TO CONCEDE. WHEN ASKED TO SURRENDER GEN. ANTHONY C. MCAULIFFE REPLIED "NUTS" COMMANDERS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER ANTHONY MCAULIFFE BERNARD MONTGOMERY (BRIT) COURTNEY HODGES GEORGES S. PATTON OMAR N. BRADLEY" Inauguration - Inauguration - Inhuldiging : 16 December / décembre : december 2014. Ce monument ne comporte pas de noms de victimes de guerre - Er staan geen namen van oorlogsslachtoffers op dit monument |
Photos - Foto's : The Sun Sentinel; Picasa pictures