Editing Battle of the Bulge (section)

===Meuse River bridges===
[[File:British Sherman Firefly Namur.jpg|thumb|British [[Sherman Firefly|Sherman "Firefly"]] tank in Namur on the Meuse River, December 1944]]

To protect the river crossings on the Meuse at Givet, Dinant and Namur, Montgomery ordered those few units available to hold the bridges on 19 December. This led to a hastily assembled force including rear-echelon troops, military police and [[United States Army Air Force|Army Air Force]] personnel. The [[29th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|British 29th Armoured Brigade]] of [[11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|British 11th Armoured Division]], which had turned in its tanks for re-equipping, was told to take back their tanks and head to the area. [[XXX Corps (United Kingdom)|British XXX Corps]] was significantly reinforced for this effort. Units of the corps which fought in the Ardennes were the [[51st (Highland) Division|51st (Highland)]] and [[53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division|53rd (Welsh) Infantry]] Divisions, the [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|British 6th Airborne Division]], the 29th and [[33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|33rd Armoured Brigades]], and the [[34th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|34th Tank Brigade]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.battleofthebulgememories.be/fr/stories/armeebritanique/203-the-british-in-the-battle-of-the-ardennes.html |title=The British in the Battle of the Ardennes |first=Guy |last=Blockmans |date=6 May 2002 |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823183012/http://www.battleofthebulgememories.be/fr/stories/armeebritanique/203-the-british-in-the-battle-of-the-ardennes.html |archive-date=23 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Unlike the German forces on the northern and southern shoulders who were experiencing great difficulties, the German advance in the center gained considerable ground. The Fifth Panzer Army was spearheaded by the 2nd Panzer Division while the Panzer Lehr Division (Elite Armored Demonstration Division) came up from the south, leaving Bastogne to other units. The [[Ourthe River]] was passed at Ourtheville on 21 December. Lack of fuel held up the advance for one day, but on 23 December the offensive was resumed towards the two small towns of Hargimont and [[Marche-en-Famenne]]. Hargimont was captured the same day, but Marche-en-Famenne was strongly defended by the American [[84th Division (United States)|84th Division]]. Gen. [[Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz|von Lüttwitz]], commander of the [[XLVII Panzer Corps (Germany)|XXXXVII Panzer-Korps]], ordered the division to turn westwards towards Dinant and the Meuse, leaving only a blocking force at Marche-en-Famenne. Although advancing only in a narrow corridor, 2nd Panzer Division was still making rapid headway, leading to jubilation in Berlin. Headquarters now freed up the [[9th Panzer Division]] for Fifth Panzer Army, which was deployed at Marche.{{sfn|Zaloga|2004|pp=76–83}}

On 22/23 December German forces reached the woods of Foy-Notre-Dame, only a few kilometers ahead of Dinant. The narrow corridor caused considerable difficulties, as constant flanking attacks threatened the division. On 24 December, German forces made their furthest penetration west. The Panzer Lehr Division took the town of [[Celles, Houyet|Celles]], while a bit farther north, parts of 2nd Panzer Division were in sight of the Meuse near Dinant at Foy-Notre-Dame. A hastily assembled British blocking force on the east side of the river prevented the German Battlegroup Böhm from approaching the Dinant bridge. The 29th Armoured Brigade ambushed the Germans knocking out three Panthers and a number of vehicles in and around Foy-Notre-Dame.{{sfn|Cole|1964|p=568}} By late Christmas Eve the advance in this sector was stopped, as Allied forces threatened the narrow corridor held by the 2nd Panzer Division.{{sfn|Zaloga|2004|pp=76–83}}