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The movie focuses on the German Panzer unit of Hessler. It indicates that the entire success or failure of the offensive depended on this unit that was spearheading the attack. This was not the case and the unit that is commanded by Hesler the SS commander played by Robert Shaw was not as pivotal as shown. The movie does accurately show the importance of German covert operations in the opening stages of the battle. The German planners knew that speed was of the essence and that they needed to act quickly. They had to seize certain key bridges over the Meuse to allow the heavy Tiger Tanks to advance. The Nazis had detachments of English speaking soldiers dress in the uniforms of American MPs. This operation was codenamed Operation Greif <ref> Parker, p. 117</ref>. Disguised German operated behind the US front line and they seized bridges and disrupted communications. This is shown very well in one scene in the motion picture when German troops disguised as MPs led by an SS lieutenant, played by Ty Hardin, are shown as taking over a key bridge over the River Meuse, the only one that could allow the Tiger tanks to cross the river. The same disguised German soldiers are later shown as changing road signs to confuse the G.Is and disrupting key supply lines. The German covert operation was as successful as shown and played an important part in the early success of the Nazi offensive<ref> Toland, John, Battle: The Story of the Bulge, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1999), p. 156</ref>. Another thing that the battle got right was the German need for oil and how they deliberately targeted oil depots. They needed the oil to enable the Tiger and Panther tanks to advance, as their own reserves of oil were depleted. The movie also accurately captures one of the best-known war-crimes committed by Germans against American prisoners. The Malmedy massacre as it became known occurred in the early stages of the battle and it involved SS troops killing approximately 90 American prisoners. This was accurate and after the war, several of the German involved faced war crime charges. Another thing that the movie got right was that the inexperienced American troops had been largely caught by surprise and that at least initially they were in some disarray.