Thursday, 25 January 1945 — The Battle of the Bulge

Day forty-one of the Ardennes campaign. German forces were engaged in an orderly retreat back toward the West Wall. The 6. SS-Panzerarmee was being pulled out for redeployment to the Eastern Front. SS Panzer divisions were heavily depleted, with the 1. SS-Panzer-Division reporting four Panzers and the 12. SS-Panzer-Division reporting six.

The Front Line — Thursday, 25 January 1945

Traced from: U.S. 12th Army Group, Situation Maps, 1200 hrs daily, 16 Dec 1944 – 25 Jan 1945. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, G5701.S5 (LoC ict21195–ict21235). Approximate positions; interpolated between key dates.

V Corps maintained its counter-offensive drive toward St. Vith. The 424th Infantry Regiment continued patrolling and consolidating its regimental zone. The overall Allied counter-offensive, which commenced on 3 January, was winding down. Operation Nordwind in Alsace ended on this day.

Northern Shoulder

Elsenborn Ridge

V Corps maintained its counter-offensive drive toward St. Vith. The 424th Infantry Regiment continued patrolling and consolidating its regimental zone.

Salm River

The 82nd Airborne Division continued operations as the Allied counter-offensive entered its final phase. The 643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company A of the 87th Chemical Battalion, the 400th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and the 254th Field Artillery Battalion were attached. The 517th Parachute Infantry was detached and reverted to XVIII Corps control.

Amblève Valley

The 30th Infantry Division continued operations as the Allied counter-offensive wound down.

Central Sector

North of St. Vith

The 424th Infantry Regiment conducted patrolling, extending, and consolidation of its regimental zone. A combat patrol went out, resulting in a “minor skirmish” terrifying to the men involved. The overall Allied counter-offensive was winding down.

Southern Shoulder

Allied Command

Operation Nordwind Ends

The German offensive in the Alsace region, Operation Nordwind, ended on this day, closing the last major German offensive operation on the Western Front alongside the Ardennes campaign.

End of Operations

Although official US sources cite 28 January 1945 as the date the Battle of the Bulge officially ended, 25 January marked the terminal date for some units. Generalmajor Rudolf Bader cited 25 January as the end date for the 560. Volksgrenadier-Division’s Ardennes campaign.

German Withdrawal

German forces continued their orderly retreat toward the West Wall. The 6. SS-Panzerarmee was being pulled out for the Eastern Front. The 560. Volksgrenadier-Division reported zero Panzers and zero combat vehicles remaining.