Corrected entry: At the onset of the Battle of the Bulge, Patton says the German army hasn't launched a winter offensive since Frederick the Great. Although most of the fighting during this battle occurred in winter, the Germans actually launched their attack on December 16, 1944, i.e. toward the end of autumn, several days before the official start of winter.
Twotall
16th Oct 2003
Correction: True, according to astronomy, winter begins at the winter solstice (Dec. 21). But meteorogically and in daily speech, December is the first winter month, and winter starts on Dec. 1st. Since this is the term most people use, Patton is well within his rights when he refers to an attack in December as a "winter offensive".
Twotall