Comments by "John Burns" (@johnburns4017) on "Battle of the Bulge: Why were the Allies surprised?" video.

  1. The dispersal of American units in the Ardennes was a direct result of Eisenhower’s broad-front strategy. A British intelligence officer named General Strong went personally to warn Bradley of the German build up, Bradley said "Let them come.” On hearing of the German advance on December 16, Bradley again dismissed the reports as localized attacks doing nothing. Strong suggested that the attack posed a serious threat to the US 1st Army, having knowledge of the German build up. During the Battle of the Bulge Eisenhower imprisoned himself in his HQ in Versailles. He stayed there for more than 30 days without sending a single message or order to Montgomery. The only thing he did was initially to tell Montgomery to take control of the US 1st and 9th armies, on the advice of two British intelligence officers, General Whiteley and General Strong, and that Bradley's men should counterattack. That is all he did. Montgomery effectively was in control in halting and turning back the German advance. Parts of the US air force had to be put under RAF control. Patton was ordered up from the south with little resistance along the way only to enter Bastogne easily as the Germans had moved west. Patton's advanced stalled.
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