⚔️📍 Bastogne, Belgium1944
Patton's Third Army Relieves Bastogne
Armored units of Patton's Third Army broke through German encirclement and reached besieged Bastogne, ending the worst American crisis of the Battle of the Bulge. Patton had pivoted his entire army 90 degrees and advanced 100 miles in 48 hours.
The relief of Bastogne and the subsequent Allied counteroffensive permanently ended Germany's last offensive capability and made the end of WWII in Europe inevitable within months.
Outcome
Bastogne relieved; German Ardennes offensive collapses