Special Report
The Tanks, Vehicles, and Artillery That Fought the Battle of the Bulge
Published:
The Battle of the Bulge is considered a major turning point in World War II as it was the last major offensive that Germany launched on Western Europe. Allied tanks and artillery clashed with German Panzer tanks and other vehicles for more than a month in the Ardennes Forest. The mechanized armies of each side proved formidable in this historic battle with the victory going to the Allies. This allowed them to further march their tanks across Europe and force the ultimate surrender of Germany.
More than 500,000 Americans and 55,000 British put a stop to the advance of 600,000 Germans with each side suffering severe casualties in what was the largest battle fought by U.S. forces in the war. The battle raged between Dec. 16, 1944, and Jan. 28, 1945, and resulted in a combined 190,000 soldiers missing, wounded, or killed. (This is the country that mobilized the most troops during World War II.)
Tanks and artillery played instrumental roles in the Battle of the Bulge as each side lost more than 800 tanks. To identify the military vehicles involved in the Battle of the Bulge, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of World War II military vehicles from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles and aircraft used by militaries worldwide. We ordered these vehicles by when they entered service and included supplemental information regarding the type of vehicle, country of origin, manufacturer, total units produced, top speed, and armament.
The M4 Sherman was a staple of U.S. forces throughout the course of the war despite only being introduced to service in 1942. More than 50,000 units were produced between 1942 and 1945. Their original 75mm main gun was later upgraded to 76.2mm and then to 105mm. The main gun was complemented by a 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun and a couple 7.62mm machine guns.
On the other side, Germany had a series of Panzer tanks that proved formidable but ultimately fell to Allied tanks and artillery. (These are the biggest and smallest armies of World War II.)
Here are the tanks, vehicles, and artillery that fought the Battle of the Bulge.
M1 Pack Howitzer / M116
- Type: 75mm towed artillery
- Year introduced: 1927
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: State Factories
- Total units produced: 4,939
- Top speed: Towed
- Armament: 75mm howitzer
FlaK 18 / FlaK 36 / FlaK 37 (German 88)
- Type: Anti-aircraft / anti-tank gun
- Year introduced: 1934
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Krupp / Rheinmetall
- Total units produced: 18,295
- Top speed: Towed
- Armament: 88mm main gun barrel
Opel Blitz
- Type: Military utility truck
- Year introduced: 1937
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Opel
- Total units produced: 95,000
- Top speed: 50 mph
- Armament: 7.92mm machine guns, 20mm or 37mm cannons
Panzer IV
- Type: Medium tank
- Year introduced: 1939
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Krupp-Grusonwerke
- Total units produced: 8,870
- Top speed: 26 mph
- Armament: 75mm main gun 7.92mm machine guns, field mortar
Half-Track Car M2
- Type: Half-Track multipurpose armored personnel carrier
- Year introduced: 1940
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: White Motor Company
- Total units produced: 17,000
- Top speed: 40 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun
Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine
- Type: Infantry tank
- Year introduced: 1940
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Manufacturer: Vickers
- Total units produced: 8,275
- Top speed: 15 mph
- Armament: 40mm main gun, 7.92mm anti-infantry machine gun
StuG III (Sturmgeshutz III)
- Type: Self-propelled assault gun
- Year introduced: 1940
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz / Alkett
- Total units produced: 9,642
- Top speed: 25 mph
- Armament: 75mm L/24 main gun, 7.92mm machine guns
CCKW 353 (G-508 / Jimmy / Deuce-and-a-Half)
- Type: Multipurpose transport tank
- Year introduced: 1941
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: GMC
- Total units produced: 562,750
- Top speed: 28 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning heavy machine gun
Infantry Tank Mk IV Churchill (A22)
- Type: Infantry tank
- Year introduced: 1941
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Manufacturer: Vauxhall Motors / Woolwich Arsenal / Harland & Wolff
- Total units produced: 7,368
- Top speed: 15 mph
- Armament: 75mm main gun, 7.92mm BESA machine guns, optional 95mm howitzer
M8 Greyhound
- Type: Six-wheeled light armored reconnaissance car
- Year introduced: 1941
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Ford Motors
- Total units produced: 11,667
- Top speed: 55 mph
- Armament: 37mm main gun, 12.7mm machine gun, 7.62mm machine gun
M4 Sherman
- Type: Medium tank
- Year introduced: 1942
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: American Locomotive / Detroit Tank Arsenal / Lima Locomotive
- Total units produced: 50,000
- Top speed: 24 mph
- Armament: 75mm main gun, 12.7mm Browning M2, 7.62mm machine guns
M7 (Priest)
- Type: Self-propelled howitzer
- Year introduced: 1942
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: American Locomotive
- Total units produced: 4,515
- Top speed: 24 mph
- Armament: 105mm M1/M2 howitzer main gun, 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun
Panzer VI / Tiger I
- Type: Heavy tank
- Year introduced: 1942
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Henschel / Krupp
- Total units produced: 1,350
- Top speed: 24 mph
- Armament: 88mm KwK 36 main gun, 7.92mm MG34 machine guns
Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Cromwell (A27M)
- Type: Cruiser tank / medium tank
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Manufacturer: Nuffield Organisation
- Total units produced: 4,333
- Top speed: 38 mph
- Armament: 75mm L/36.5 main gun, 7.92mm BESA machine guns
Half-Track Car M9
- Type: Multirole armored personnel carrier
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: International Harvester
- Total units produced: 3,433
- Top speed: 42 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine guns
M18 Gun Motor Carriage (Hellcat)
- Type: Self-propelled tracked tank destroyer
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: General Motors
- Total units produced: 2,507
- Top speed: 55 mph
- Armament: 76mm main gun, 12.7mm Browning M2HB heavy machine gun
M20 (G-176)
- Type: Six-wheeled light armored reconnaissance utility car
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Ford Motors
- Total units produced: 3,791
- Top speed: 56 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun, 7.62mm Browning M1919 machine gun
Hornisse / Nashorn
- Type: Tank destroyer
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Alket / Deutsche Eisenwerke
- Total units produced: 473
- Top speed: 26 mph
- Armament: 88mm L/71 main gun, 7.92mm MG34 or MG42 machine guns
StuG IV (Sturmgeshutz IV)
- Type: Self-propelled assault gun
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz / Alkett
- Total units produced: 1,139
- Top speed: 25 mph
- Armament: 75mm L/48 main gun, 7.92mm machine guns
Panzer V / Panther
- Type: Medium tank
- Year introduced: 1943
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz / Henschel
- Total units produced: 6,334
- Top speed: 29 mph
- Armament: 75mm L/70 main gun, 7.92mm machine guns, grenade launcher
leFH 18/40
- Type: 105mm towed light field howitzer
- Year introduced: 1944
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: State Factories
- Total units produced: 10,265
- Top speed: Towed
- Armament: 105mm howitzer
Panzer IV/70(V)
- Type: Tank destroyer
- Year introduced: 1944
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Vomag
- Total units produced: 935
- Top speed: 25 mph
- Armament: 75mm L/70 main gun, 7.92mm MG42 machine gun
Jagdpanther (Panzerjager)
- Type: Tank destroyer
- Year introduced: 1944
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: MIAG / Brandenburg Eisenwerk
- Total units produced: 415
- Top speed: 29 mph
- Armament: 88mm L/71 main gun, 7.92mm MG34 or MG42 machine gun
Panzer VIB Tiger II / King Tiger
- Type: Heavy tank
- Year introduced: 1944
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Henschel / Porsche
- Total units produced: 485
- Top speed: 24 mph
- Armament: 88mm L/71 main gun, 7.92mm MG34 machine guns
Jagdtiger (Hunting Tiger)
- Type: Tank destroyer
- Year introduced: 1944
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Nibelungen Works / Porsche / Henschel
- Total units produced: 85
- Top speed: 22 mph
- Armament: 128mm L/55 main gun, 7.92mm machine guns
Sturmtiger / Sturmmorserwagen / Sturmpanzer VI
- Type: Self-propelled assault gun
- Year introduced: 1944
- Country of origin: Germany
- Manufacturer: Alket
- Total units produced: 19
- Top speed: 23 mph
- Armament: 380mm rocket projector, 7.92mm MG34 or MG42 machine gun
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