bigpigeon.us webpage WWII - Germany > ETO > Enemy Counteroffensives > The Bulge Eliminated, updated by RAC 21 Jul 2022.  Incomplete.
After ten days of German advances, the Bulge reached its maximum size around 25 December, 1944. 
Much is written about those first ten days, but relatively little about the more than a month of combat that followed before the Bulge was gradually reduced and finally eliminated.
During this second stage of the Battle of the Bulge, few German forces were trapped in the Bulge. Rather, they were slowly squeezed out, retreating back behind the Siegfried Line (also known as the West Wall, as shown on the accompanying map).

The Battle of the Bulge was officially declared over on January 25, but some land lost to the Wehrmacht in mid-December wasn't retaken until around the end of January.

A concerted operation to close the Bulge began in early January. The main pincers consisted of the Third Army's VIII Corps advancing north from Bastogne and the First Army's VII Corps moving south from _____. US forces met near Houffalize on 16 January, but by then most Germans in the western part of the Bulge had escaped eastward.

This was followed by First and Third Army units moving northeast to St. Vith, which was liberated on ___ January, and then continuing eastward with small gains until the First Army portion was halted in early February to prepare for operations further north.
  • The Third Army portion continued into February with the VIII Corps advance on Prüm.
  • Meanwhile Third Army's XII Corps was advancing northward, and would turn east in mid-February to cross the Our and Sauer Rivers from Luxembourg into Germany.
Recovering from the German Ardennes counteroffensive
Battle of the Ardennes, 26 Dec 1944 - 28 Jan 1945 - second stage, recovering from the German counteroffensive
About the accompanying map:
  • Manhay, in the north, was lost on Christmas eve.
  • A battalion of the Third Army's 4th Armored Division had first forced its way into Bastogne from the south on 26 December. However, not until January was there a secure route into Bastogne from the south. 
Advances 29 Dec - 9 Jan
Advances 29 December - 9 January
Sources for the Enemy Counteroffensives > The Bulge Eliminated webpage:
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - Enemy Counteroffensives > The Bulge Eliminated: 03-06 - Enemy Counteroffensives > The Bulge Eliminated (19 dead, updated 25 Jul 2022)
† Brown, Cecil LeRoy, SN 37-697-684, US Army, Cass Co.
  • 23rd Inf. Regt., 2nd Inf. Div., V Corps, First Army (23rd Inf. Regt. attached to 1st Inf. Div. at time of death); KIA 24 Jan 1945 near St. Vith, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Carter, Meredith M., SN O-1176509, US Army, Pott. & Shelby Cos.
  • Battery B, 14th Armored Field Artillery Bn.; 2nd Armored Div., VII Corps, First Army; KIA 9 Jan 1945 Dochamps, NW of Houffalize, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Hansen, Lawrence George, SN 37-120-519, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • 32nd Armored Regt., 3rd Armored Div., VII Corps, First Army; WIA; DOW 10 Jan 1945 in hospital, Vielsalm, W of St. Vith, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Hansen, Robert Victor, SN 37-472-746, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Co. E, 346th Inf. Regt., 87th Inf. Div., VIII Corps, Third Army; KIA 9 Jan 1945, Jenneville, W of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Lee, Delbert Donald, SN 17-040-250, US Army, Cass Co.
  • Co. A, 610th Tank Destroyer Bn., attached to 80th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; KIA 8 Jan 1945 Dahl, SE of Wiltz, Luxembourg (Wiltz is E of Bastogne); Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† McLoud, James Fredrick , served as Long Fred O, SN 37-442-043, US Army, Pott. Co. & Washington Co., OK
  • 328th Inf. Regt., 26th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near Arsdorf, Luxembourg, S of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.​
† Muller, Harland Max, SN 37-478-022, US Army, Cass Co.
  • 194th Glider Infantry Regt., 17th Airborne Div., VIII Corps, Third Army; KIA 4 Jan 1945 W of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Osler, Floyd Wayne, SN 37-476-459, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Co. A, 357th Inf. Regt., 90th Inf. Div., III Corps, Third Army; KIA 9 Jan 1945 near Berle, Luxembourg SE of Bastogne & SW of Wiltz; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.​
† Plummer, Kenneth Frank, SN 37-680-558, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 424 Inf. Regt., 106 Inf. Div., XVIII Airborne Corps, First Army; attached to 7th Armored Div. at time of death; KIA 28 Dec 1944 near Manhay, W of Vielsalm, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
  • Notes: When the German Ardennes Counteroffensive began on 16 Dec 1944, the 424th Inf. Regt. was at Winterspelt, Rhineland-Palatine, Germany, near the Belgian border. The other two 106th Inf. Div. regiments, the 422nd and 423rd, were in the Schnee Eifel to the north and were encircled and surrendered on 19 Dec. Meanwhile, the 424th had withdrawn from Winterspelt NW across the Our River to St. Vith, Belgium, where it was attached to the 7th Armored Division and joined the defense of St. Vith. Around 21 Dec, the 424th joined the American withdrawal from St. Vith further west to Manhay.
† Rauterkus, Robert Richard, SN 37-483-565, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 48th Armored Inf. Bn., 7th Armored Div., XVIII Airborne Corps, First Army; KIA 21 Jan 1945 near Born, N of St. Vith, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Reifschneider, Donald Walter, SN 37-490-340, US Army, Montgomery Co.
  • Hq. Co., 3rd Bn., 26th Inf. Regt., 1st Inf. Div., First Army; KIA 30 Dec 1944 near Bütgenbach, N of St. Vith, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated (Battle of Elsenborn Ridge).
† Simpson, Harold Elwood, SN 37-698-983, US Army, Montgomery Co.
  • Co. G, 329th Inf. Regt., 83rd Inf. Div., VII Corps, First Army; KIA 12 Jan 1945 near Petite-Langlire, SW of Vielsalm, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Stout, Richard Clyde, SN 37-692-125, US Army, Montgomery Co.
  • unit unknown; KIA 26 Dec 1944 in Luxembourg, bullet wound; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Taylor, Leon Francis Hough, SN 37-120-190, US Army, Polk & Harrison Cos.
  • 36th Armored Inf. Regt., 3rd Armored Div., VII Corps, First Army; KIA 3 Jan 1945 NW of Houffalize, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Vanderpool, Clifford S., SN 37-739-404, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE
  • 15th Tank Bn., 6th Armored Div., III Corps, Third Army; KIA 7 Jan 1945 E of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Vaughan, Orel E., SN 37-451-222, US Army, Pennington Co., SD
  • Medical Detachment, 357th Inf. Regt., 90th Inf. Div., III Corps, Third Army; KIA 11 Jan 1945, near Doncols & Sonlez, NW Luxembourg, SE of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.​
† Vermuele, Lyle W., SN 37-694-509, US Army, Carroll Co.
  • Co. B, 318th Inf. Regt., 80th Inf. Div., III or XII Corps, Third Army; DOW 27 Dec 1944 S of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Viether, Earl Edward, SN 36-782-812, US Army, Cass Co. & Rock Island Co., IL
  • 330th Inf. Regt., 83rd Inf. Div., VII Corps, First Army; attached to 3rd Armored Div. at time of death; KIA 6 Jan 1945 near Malempre, SE of Manhay & W of Vielsalm, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.
† Walling, Garrett Alma, SN 2-074-538, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 506th Parachute Inf. Regt., 101st Airborne Div.; KIA 14 Jan 1945 NE of Bastogne, Belgium; Enemy Counteroffensives > Ardennes - The Bulge Eliminated.