Dad was there, in the 99th Infantry Division. They were a green unit (never fought before), yet were one of the few that did not give up any ground to the Germ

Dad was there, in the 99th Infantry Division. They were a green unit (never fought before), yet were one of the few that did not give up any ground to the Germans. He was wounded and received his Purple Heart there [0] Just to piggyback on what everyone else has said: 1. The other more experienced units in the area absolutely knew without a doubt that the Germans were on the run and that they were going to be crossing the Rhine any day now. The commanders of those units were overconfident [1] and forgot that war is a democracy, and the enemy gets a vote too. 2. The 99th had set up pre-planned artillery targets. So all they had to do was call the artillery unit and tell them what fire-plan to execute. A significant time-saver when presented with oncoming tanks. 3. They had also dug their foxholes correctly (by The Book), so they had protected positions they could fire from. This also gave them concealment, making them more effective when they did open fire. 4. Redundant communication wire was run, in case it was cut by incoming rounds/shells. The importance of being able to coordinate efforts with easy and reliable communication can't be overstated. 5. The VT Fuses were present in theater, but had not been authorized for use until this battle for fear of duds being found by the Germans and sent for analysis and reverse-engineering. The shells equipped with the VT fuses would explode at a predetermined height above the ground, so they made sheltering in foxholes and behind walls mostly ineffective. They really were a game-changer, and the Allies were right to withhold their use until truly needed. If you ever get the chance to visit southeastern Belgium, you should. There are a number of excellent museums in the Bastogne area, and pretty much every town has an M4 Sherman tank on display. Plus the beer, fries, and waffles are excellent. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Elsenborn_Ridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Elsenborn_Ridge [1] I am of the opinion that the 101st Airborne gains ground by becoming trapped and forcing the rest of the army to go rescue them. As happened in Bastogne.