2. The Weather Helped in the Outcome of the Battle
Besides tanks and bullets, both sides had also to deal with the inclement weather at Ardennes. The weather was the reason why the American troops had not begun their invasion of Germany, they wanted to wait until early January for better weather. The weather was part of the reason why the Germans were able to have the element of surprise. Air reconnaissance could not see the massive force through the fog and Hitler knew that the weather would prevent the Allied forces from getting air support. However, this was a double-edged sword since it also stopped the Luftwaffe from helping in the assault. The visibility was so bad that the Allied troops on the ground did not see the massive offensive force until it was almost upon them.
As the battle continued, snowstorms and rain reduced visibility and blocked roads. The month of January in 1945 was one of the coldest in the year, and many soldiers suffered during that time. The freezing temperatures covered the ground in ice and tanks would freeze overnight. The trucks needed to be run every 30 minutes, so the oil didn’t freeze as well. Even soldiers’ guns were freezing over and in order to thaw them out quickly, the men would urinate on them. Both Germans and U.S suffered from frostbite and trench foot, while hundreds of wounded froze to death before rescue. The weather also did not allow the Germans to continue as fast as planned, with blocked roads and heavy resistance breaking their schedule.
Field Marshall Von Rundstedt remarked that “Weather was a weapon the German Army used with Success.” But the problem with weather is that it is fickle and it affects both sides the same way. On December 23rd, the weather cleared enough for the Allies to get air support and the resulting aerial attack decimated the German front lines.