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==The Germans in the Battle of Bulge==
The movie focuses on Colonel Hessler, commander of the Panzer brigade that is in the forefront of the German offensive. The character Hessler was played by the British actor Robert Shaw, who dyed his black hair blond for the role. In reality, there was no Colonel Hessler but the character is based on Joachim Peiper one of the most important Nazi commanders in the Ardennes. However, Peiper was still alive in 1965 and he did not want his role in the battle to be shown and he threatened the movie makers with a libel suit. The producers then decided to change the name of Peiper , to Hessler <ref> Whiteclay and Cuthbert, p. 134</ref>. What is perhaps inexplicable is the fact that Pieper’s the German commander's real role in the Malmedy massacre is not shown and he is even exonerated of any involvement in the outrage. Men under his command in the movie were responsible for the killing of 90 American G.I.s who had surrendered and were in transit to prison camps in Germany<ref> Parker, p. 123</ref>. In the movie, Robert Shaw’s character, who is based on Peiper , is shown as surprised and angered by the killingsof the G.Is by his men. This was not the case , Peiper had a long record of killing prisoners and he even ordered the cold-blooded murders of civilians during the offensive and was lucky to escape prosecution for war crimes. The character of Hessler did not represent the real Peiper or his role in the Battle of the Bulge and this is a major shortcoming of the movie.
[[File: Bulge sheet A.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Battle of the Bulge Poster (1965)]]
==Final Battle==
The movie’s climax shows a tank battle between the Germans and the Americans. This was based on the important Battle of Celles, perhaps one of the most critical encounters between the US and German armies during the fighting in the Ardennes. It shows the American tanks as being inferior to the Germans and this was largely true. However, the movie also shows American tanks engaged in suicidal tactics in a desperate attempt to stop the Germans. In truth, the American tanks had a lot of aerial and artillery support. The American mobile artillery was very important and they managed to destroy many German tanks. The British are not really shown in the movie but at the battle of Celles, RAF Typhoon planes helped to halt the Nazi advance<ref>Toland, p. 213</ref>. The movie gives the impression that the American high command was not really in charge and that the commander on the ground Major General Ernst Harmon saved the day. In fact, Eisenhower directed the American defense and subsequent counter-attack at the Battle of Celles. In general, the depiction of the battle was inaccurate. The only thing accurate about the movie was the scale of the American victory and the German defeat. It is estimated that only one-third of the Panzers involved in the battle escaped the battlefield <ref> Toland, p. 217</ref>.
