Yimaphi amaphuzu abalulekile aphathelene neMpi Yase-Ardennes?
Context:Impi yase-Ardennes, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Ardennes Offensive, kwakuwumkhankaso wokugcina omkhulu waseJalimane ohlaselayo eNtshonalanga yeMpi Yezwe II. Le mpi yathatha amasonto amahlanu kusukela ngo-16 Disemba 1944 kuya ku-28 Januwari 1945, ngasekupheleni kwempi eYurophu. Lolu hambo lwadlula esifundeni sase-Ardennes esinamahlathi amaningi phakathi kweBelgium neLuxembourg. Kwahlangana ne-Alsace Offensive, kamuva i-Colmar Pocket, olunye uchungechunge lwezimpi ezethulwe amaJalimane ukusekela i-Ardennes.  Izinhloso zezempi eziyinhloko kwakuwukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kweTheku laseBelgium i-Antwerp kuma-Allies nokuhlukanisa imigqa yama-Allied, okwakungavumela amaJalimane ukuthi azungeze futhi abhubhise amabutho amane ama-Allied. Umashiqela wamaNazi uAdolf Hitler, owayesebe umlawuli oqondile webutho laseJalimane kusukela ngoDecember 1941, wayekholelwa ukuthi ukufeza lezi zinjongo kwakuyophoqa amaZwe Ahlangene aseNtshonalanga ukuba amukele isivumelwano sokuthula esivuna amaZwe Axis. Ngalesi sikhathi, cishe bonke abaholi baseJalimane kuhlanganise noHitler uqobo babekuqonda kahle ukuthi babengenalo ithemba langempela lokuvimba ukuhlasela kweSoviet eJalimane ngaphandle uma iWehrmacht ikwazi ukugxilisa wonke amandla ayo asele eMpumalanga, okwakuzodinga ukuthi izimpi eMpumalanga nase-Italy ziphele. Impi yase-Ardennes ihlala phakathi kwezimpi ezibaluleke kakhulu empini, njengoba yaphawula ukuhlaselwa okukhulu kokugcina okwenziwe ama-Axis Powers eWestern front. Ngemva kokunqotshwa kwawo, iJalimane yayizohoxa kuze kube sekupheleni kwempi.  AmaJalimane akwazi ukuhlasela ngokuzumayo ekuseni ngomhlaka-16 Disemba 1944, ngenxa yokuzethemba ngokweqile kwamaSekela, ukukhathazeka ngezinhlelo zamaSekela zokuhlasela, kanye nokuhlolwa komoya okungalungile ngenxa yesimo sezulu esibi. Amabutho aseMelika athwala umthwalo omkhulu walokhu kuhlasela. AmaJalimane ahlasela isigaba esivikeleke kancane somugqa wama-Allied, esebenzisa ngokunenzuzo isimo sezulu esinamafu amakhulu esenza amabutho aphakeme ezempi ama-Allies. Ukumelana okukhulu kwamaMelika engxenyeni esenyakatho yokuhlaselwa, ezungeze i-Elsenborn Ridge, naseningizimu, ezungeze iBastogne, kwavimbela ukufinyelela kwamaJalimane emigwaqweni esemqoka eya enyakatho-ntshonalanga nasentshonalanga ababethembele kuyo ukuze baphumelele. Amabutho ahlomile nawamasosha okwakulindeleke ukuba athuthuke ngezindlela ezifanayo azithola esemigwaqweni efanayo. Lokhu kuxinana, kanye nendawo eyayizuza abavikeli, kwahlehlisa ukuqhubekela phambili kwamaJalimane futhi kwavumela ama-Allies ukuba aqinise amabutho abekwe kancane.  Indawo ekude kakhulu entshonalanga okwakufinyelelwe kuyo kwakuyidolobhana laseFoy-Nôtre-Dame, eningizimu-mpumalanga yeDinant, eyamiswa yi-US 2nd Armored Division ngoDisemba 24, 1944. Izimo zezulu ezithuthukisiwe kusukela cishe ngomhlaka-24 Disemba zavumela ukuhlaselwa kwezindiza emabuthweni aseJalimane kanye nemigqa yokuhlinzeka, okwavala ukwehluleka kokuhlaselwa. Ngo-December 26 isigaba esiholayo se-US Third Army kaPatton safika eBastogne sisuka eningizimu, saqeda ukuvinjezelwa. Yize ukuhlaselwa kwaphulwa ngempumelelo ngoDisemba 27, lapho amayunithi abambekile we-2nd Panzer Division enza imizamo emibili yokuphunyuka ngempumelelo engatheni kuphela, impi yaqhubeka enye inyanga ngaphambi kokuba umugqa ongaphambili ubuyiselwe endaweni yawo ngaphambi kokuhlaselwa. Ngemva kokunqotshwa, amayunithi amaningi aseJalimane ayengenamadoda nemishini, futhi abasindile babuyela emuva eSiegfried Line.  Ukuhlasela kokuqala kwamaJalimane kwakuhilela amadoda acishe abe ngu-410 000; amathangi angaphezu kuka-1 400, ama-tank destroyer, nezibhamu zokuhlasela; izingcezu zezikhali zokulwa ezingu-2 600; nezindiza zokulwa ezingaphezu kuka-1 000, kanye nenani elikhulu lezinye izimoto zokulwa ezihlome ngezikhali (AFVs). Lokhu kwaqiniswa emasontweni ambalwa kamuva, kwaletha amandla okuhlasela okuphelele kwaba ngamabutho angaba ngu-450,000, kanye namathangi ayi-1,500 nezibhamu zokuhlasela. Phakathi kuka - 63 222 no - 103 900 wala madoda abulawa, alahleka, alimala empini, noma athunjwa. Le mpi yaqeda amandla amabutho ahlomile aseJalimane, ahlala engenawo amandla okulwa phakathi nayo yonke impi. Abasebenzi baseJalimane beLuftwaffe, futhi kamuva nezindiza zeLuftwaffe (ezigabeni zokugcina zokubandakanyeka) nabo balahlekelwa kakhulu.  Phakathi kwamandla amaMelika aphakeme angu-610 000 kwakunabantu abangu - 75 500 abafa empini, kuhlanganise nabangu - 8 400 ababulawa. "I-Bulge" yayiyimpi eyodwa enkulu futhi enegazi kunazo zonke eyalwiwa yi-United States eMpini Yezwe II kanye nomkhankaso wesithathu obulalayo emlandweni waseMelika.
• Impi yase-Ardennes, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Ardennes Offensive, yayiwumkhankaso wokugcina omkhulu wamaJalimane ohlaselayo eNtshonalanga ngesikhathi seMpi Yezwe II. • Le mpi yathatha amasonto amahlanu kusukela ngo-December 16, 1944 kuya kuJanuwari 28, 1945, ngasekupheleni kwempi eYurophu. • Imigomo eyinhloko yezempi kwakuwukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kweTheku laseBelgium i-Antwerp kuma-Allies nokuhlukanisa imigqa yama-Allied, okwakungavumela amaJalimane ukuthi azungeze futhi abhubhise amabutho amane ama-Allied. • AmaJalimane akwazile ukuhlasela ngokuzumayo ekuseni ngo-December 16, 1944, ngenxa yokuzethemba ngokweqile kwamabutho ahlangene, ukukhathazeka ngezinhlelo zamabutho ahlangene zokuhlasela, kanye nokuhlola okubi emoyeni ngenxa yesimo sezulu esibi. Indawo esentshonalanga ekude kakhulu ukuhlaselwa okwafinyelelwa kuyo kwakuyidolobhana laseFoy-Nôtre-Dame, eningizimu-mpumalanga yeDinant, eyamiswa yi-US 2nd Armored Division ngoDisemba 24, 1944. • NgoDisemba 26 isigaba esiholayo se-US Third Army kaPatton safika eBastogne sisuka eningizimu, saqeda ukuvinjezelwa. • Le mpi yaqeda kakhulu amabutho ahlomile aseJalimane, ahlala engenawo amanye amabutho phakathi nayo yonke impi. • "I-Bulge" yayiyimpi enkulu kunazo zonke nechitha igazi kunawo wonke eyaliwa yi-United States eMpini Yezwe II futhi iyimpi yesithathu ebulala kakhulu emlandweni waseMelika.