Review of Battle of the Bulge (1965) by Gerald J — 16 Mar 2009

I read somewhere that veterans of the Battle of the Bulge actually laughed when they saw this movie. It's not a bad film but I believe Ken Annakin did not capture the true feel of that last desperate offensive of the Germans against the US Army.

My father fought in the Battle of the Bulge and it was nothing like this! Robert Shaw's portrayal of Colonel Hessler is loosely based on SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Joachim Peiper, the commander of Kampfgruppe Peiper.

Hessler is regular army and single while Peiper was waffen SS, married with children. both were fervent Nazis while they portrayed Hessler as an obsesser of tanks especially the new King Tiger Tank. In truth Peiper put the King Tiger Tanks to the rear of his panzer spearhead because they were too slow.

In the movie the Tiger tanks are actually American M-47 and M-48 "Patton" tanks painted earth gray with the German cross and other ensignia. Despite all that I like the film. I remember they broadcasted this movie in two parts on the CBS station in Chicago when I was a boy.

I recall that the Americans were losing and bad in the film. I was awestruck by the film back then. See it for the entertainment not for the accuracy!