The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive on the Western Front and was launched towards the end of World War II. This offensive was called Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (Operation Watch on the Rhine) by the German armed forces (Wehrmacht). It was officially named the Battle of the Ardennes by the U.S. Army, but it is known to the general public simply as the Battle of the Bulge.