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Hippikos · 08-09-2006, 08:37 AM

Inches was meant metaphorically of course and hindsight is always 20/20. The situation was not easy rosy as you suggest. Standing the Meuse the German armor losses was little. Yes, it was fuel shortage that killed the offensive. On most of the narrow roads low gears had to be used resulting in high fuel usage. It also caused enormous road blockades. And if the Jagdtigers with 128 mm guns were deployed instead of being set idle near Aachen than the situation would be quite different.

Stimson called Marshall on Dec.27, 1944 fearing that the German Ardennes offensive could lead to more deployment of US divisions which decision may have been stopped by the US Congress if the German would have been victorious.

One of the alarmists perhaps was Churchill who called Stalin on Jan.6 to start the eastern frontoffensive earlier in order to keep the entire Sixth SS Panzer Army which Guderian wanted to deploy on the Western Front? Again proof that without Russia war would have been completely different.

Anwyays, no doubt Hitlers Ardennes offensive was highly risky depending on bad weather, fuel from the opponents and underestimating by the Allies. Fortunately Eisenhower dismissed the advise of his staff and immediately sent reinforces.

The Me109 would’ve been replaced by the more modern Heinkel high altitude fighters and Fock Wulf fighters by 1941 and although I doubt their similar short range would’ve won them the Battle of Britain(at least with the incompetent Goering and entourage in charge, it probably would’ve delayed Allied control over the skies of Europe and would’ve made a difference in Africa and definately the Russian front where liquid-cooled engines suffered more than air-cooled.

08-09-2006, 08:37 AM	#42
Hippikos Flocci Non Facio Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In The Line Of Fire Posts: 571	Inches was meant metaphorically of course and hindsight is always 20/20. The situation was not easy rosy as you suggest. Standing the Meuse the German armor losses was little. Yes, it was fuel shortage that killed the offensive. On most of the narrow roads low gears had to be used resulting in high fuel usage. It also caused enormous road blockades. And if the Jagdtigers with 128 mm guns were deployed instead of being set idle near Aachen than the situation would be quite different. Stimson called Marshall on Dec.27, 1944 fearing that the German Ardennes offensive could lead to more deployment of US divisions which decision may have been stopped by the US Congress if the German would have been victorious. One of the alarmists perhaps was Churchill who called Stalin on Jan.6 to start the eastern frontoffensive earlier in order to keep the entire Sixth SS Panzer Army which Guderian wanted to deploy on the Western Front? Again proof that without Russia war would have been completely different. Anwyays, no doubt Hitlers Ardennes offensive was highly risky depending on bad weather, fuel from the opponents and underestimating by the Allies. Fortunately Eisenhower dismissed the advise of his staff and immediately sent reinforces. The Me109 would’ve been replaced by the more modern Heinkel high altitude fighters and Fock Wulf fighters by 1941 and although I doubt their similar short range would’ve won them the Battle of Britain(at least with the incompetent Goering and entourage in charge, it probably would’ve delayed Allied control over the skies of Europe and would’ve made a difference in Africa and definately the Russian front where liquid-cooled engines suffered more than air-cooled.