Scott215

Trivia: In the film, the German commander, played by Robert Shaw, is ecstatic about using the new Tiger tanks in the attack. However, Jochen Peiper, the real commander Shaw is based on, did not want to use Tigers as they were too slow and used up huge amounts of fuel. Peiper preferred to use Panthers and MK IV tanks, but was pressured to use the Tigers for political, propaganda and morale purposes.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: After inspecting the new Tiger tanks, Col. Hessler approaches Gen. Koehler, smiling. The next quick shot of Hessler shows him just starting to smile.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: Before the massacre scene, a German truck is reversing with a German soldier walking with it on the left side of the screen. When Lieutenant Weaver looks to his right, the same truck is backing up, and the same German soldier is now on the right side of the screen. The film was obviously flipped.

Scott215

Other mistake: The camera focus is on Lt. Weaver during the German armor attack, but off to his left (barely in the scene) Sgt. Duquesne drops a live rifle grenade as he is foolishly flipping them in the air before securing them to his rifle and firing them at the Germans.

Scott215

Trivia: The real Battle of the Bulge lasted from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945. The movie makes it seem like it lasted a few days, hence the disclaimer at the end of the film.

Scott215

Trivia: The tank models used by the German commanders at their headquarters look just like the actual King Tiger and Sherman tanks used by both sides during the late part of the war, whereas the tanks used in the film look nowhere near like actual German and American tanks used during the battle.

Scott215

Factual error: At German Army headquarters, the General tells Hessler of the new Tiger tanks that will be used in the offensive, which takes place mid-December 1944. Presumably, these are the Tiger II (King or Royal Tiger) models. At this point in the war, "King" Tigers were not new, having fought against the British and Canadians in Normandy back in July of 1944, and against the Americans at Aachen in September of 1944.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: In the initial German panzer attack against the Americans, a German tank 104's left side track and road wheels are damaged by a bazooka shell, resulting in a missing front road wheel and a loose/sagging track. However, when the tank turns off the road and goes down the slope, the left track is taut and the missing road wheel has magically appeared.

Scott215

Stupidity: Staff Sergeant Duquesne is tossing and flipping rifle grenades before affixing them to his rifle to launch against the German tanks. A battle-hardened no-nonsense sergeant like Duquesne would never waste valuable time showing off, and would definitely not flip or toss around explosive ordnance like rifle grenades.

Scott215

Trivia: The "Malmedy Massacre" actually occurred in the small hamlet of Baugnez at the crossroads where highway N62 leads to Malmedy and is 4 kilometers southeast of Malmedy proper. The massacre is called the "Malmedy Massacre" because Malmedy was the closest large village in the area and on a major road.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: Views from the German tanks show American troops being cut down and run over by the German tanks, but the long camera shots from the American side show no dead bodies anywhere on the battlefield.

Scott215

Other mistake: One of General Grey's orderlies begins to leave the room before he even issues the order for the orderlies to vacate the room.

Scott215

Trivia: The final scene of the movie is supposed to represent the escape of the remnants of Kampfgruppe Peiper, who did indeed abandon their vehicles and snuck out of the area under cover of snow and night. Unlike the movie, they did not walk back to Germany in broad daylight.

Scott215