Operation "Wacht am Rhein"
December 20, 1944

Following the development of the situation at the end of 1944, Hitler saw a strategic opportunity in the west, seeking to regain the initiative. The main forces of the Allied armies grouped in Belgium and the Netherlands were supplied from the recently acquired Antwerp harbor. This goal seemed to be within reach. If hit again by the Ardennes, as in 1940, armored divisions could in a few days skip Meza and reach the city. All they needed to do was to cut off allied troops, then break them and force them to evacuate, repeating Dunkirk on a much larger scale.

Operational tasks:
- The Ardennes, lasting for 3 days, are not developing in our mind - the infantry are unable to break allied resistance points, and the tanks are stuck in traffic congestion and muddy on impassable forest roads. In addition to the 5th Armored Line, in Bastogne, the enemy managed to organize a strong resistance point that we can not leave behind. Therefore, besides the main objective - crossing the Me in Huy, Bastogne should be obtained.
