BATTLE OF THE BULGE, DECEMBER 1944: Ukraine’s current winter war is in the headlines. 78 years ago the U.S. Army was fighting a bitter winter battle — The Bulge. Six selected photos from the StrategyPage archive. ONE – An M-36 tank destroyer moves to the front. Date is December 20. TWO- U.S. tanks and 82nd Airborne paratroopers move through snow in Belgium. THREE – German Tiger 2 (aka Tiger B, King Tiger, or Bengal Tiger/Royal Tiger). This one was abandoned in Stavelot, Belgium. FOUR – A classic. “False flag” — a German Panther tank disguised as an American tank destroyer. FIVE – Another classic. Three exhausted GIs after a night fending off German counter-attacks. SIX – Bazooka guard. 101st Airborne paratrooper defending the road to Bastogne.

RELATED: A 14th Cavalry Surgeon’s Battle Of The Bulge. When The Bulge began on December 16 the 14th Cavalry Group was in the Losheim Gap.

U.S. WW2 cavalry fielded scout jeeps with machine guns, small self-propelled 75 mm howitzers and armored cars with 37 mm guns. At Losheim, the Cav provided “economy of force” — a small unit substituting for a larger formation.

Sixth SS Panzer Army deployed King Tiger tanks (88 mm guns), Panther tanks and Panzer grenadiers in half-tracks. According to Adolf Hitler’s plan, panzers would split U.S. and British forces and seize Antwerp’s port. In Hitler’s strategic fantasy, the shaken allies would then negotiate a separate peace with Berlin. Germany would turn on Russia.

Dec. 16 — German artillery slammed the Ardennes as infantry and tanks attacked the Gap, the assault shattering 14th Cav and surrounding 106th ID. German units crossed the Our River, heading west, toward Bastogne.

A battle against the SS and winter.