Map contrasting German objectives for the Battle of the Bulge with the actual furthest extent of penetration.
Prelude Initial German assault Allied defense and counteroffensive German counterattack Massacres Background
The Ardennes Counteroffensive , commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge Nazi Germany in southern Belgium and northern Luxembourg which lasted from 16 December 1944 until 25 January 1945. The intent of the offensive was to split the ground forces of the Western Allies from each other and encourage them to make peace with Germany, leaving all of Germany's military might to fight off the resurgent USSR .
The operation was conceived entirely by German head of state and armed forces chief Adolf Hitler . The plan was vigorously opposed by the two ranking generals who would oversee the assault, who saw only a waste of men and material with little chance of success. The Führer dismissed all objections, convinced that the elite German forces would roll over the war-weary and/or inexperienced American formations in the Ardennes Forest and drive all the way to the English Channel port of Antwerp .
In order to mislead any Allied intelligence personnel who might discover the plan, it was given the defensive sounding name Wacht am Rhein , meaning "watch on the Rhine".
The order of battle presented here reflects a point near the end of the campaign. As with any large army organization in extended combat, forces and their assignments shifted over the course of the battle. For example, when the German attack began on 16 December, the US 7th Armored Division was assigned to XIII Corps, US Ninth Army, 12th Army Group. Later that day, its alignment became VIII Corps, US First Army, 12th Army Group. On 20 December, the alignment switched to XVIII Corps, US First Army, 12th Army Group — and later that day to XVIII Corps, US First Army, 21st Army Group. On 18 January 1945, the alignment changed one last time, to XVIII Corps, US First Army, 12th Army Group — as it is given in the following hierarchy. This OOB — specifically, at a point near the end of the battle, which lasted from 16 December 1944 until 25 January 1945.
See for Allied and German Orders of Battle: December 1944 & January 1945: (Tucker-Jones pp 263–287)
High-level orders of battle
Axis Oberbefehlshaber West Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt [ a]
Heeresgruppe B Walter Model [ b]
Armies deployed North to South:
Sixth Panzer Army Oberstgruppenführer der Waffen SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich [ c] I SS Panzer Corps Hermann Priess )II SS Panzer Corps Willi Bittrich )LXVII Corps Otto Hitzfeld ) Fifth Panzer Army General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel [ d] XXXIX Panzer Corps Karl Decker )XLVII Panzer Corps Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz )LVIII Panzer Corps Walter Krüger )LXVI Corps Walter Lucht ) Seventh Army General der Panzertruppen Erich Brandenberger LIII Corps Edwin von Rothkirch )LXXX Corps Franz Beyer )LXXXV Corps
Allies
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Bernard L. Montgomery
Omar N. Bradley
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower
Armies deployed North to South:
21st Army Group Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery UK XXX Corps (Lt-Gen. Brian G. Horrocks ) 12th Army Group Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley US First Army Courtney H. Hodges V Corps (Maj. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow )VII Corps (Maj. Gen. J. Lawton Collins )XVIII Airborne Corps (Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway )US Third Army George S. Patton Jr. III Corps (Maj. Gen. John Millikin )VIII Corps (Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton )XII Corps (Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy ) Allied air forces US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (General Carl Spaatz ) US Eighth Air Force (Strategic) (Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle )US Ninth Air Force (Tactical) (Lt. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg )Royal Air Force Bomber Command (Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris )Fighter Command (Air Marshal Sir Roderic Hill )Second Tactical Air Force (Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham )
Axis forces
Josef "Sepp" Dietrich Oberstgruppenführer der Waffen SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich [ e]
Army-level units 683rd Heavy Antitank Battalion 217th Assault Panzer Battalion 394th, 667th, and 902nd Assault Gun Battalions 741st Antitank Battalion 1098th, 1110th, and 1120th Heavy Howitzer Batteries 428th Heavy Mortar Battery 1123rd K-3 Battery 2nd Flak Division (41st and 43rd Regiments)von der Heydte Fallschirmjager Battalion 4th Todt Brigade
LXVII Corps Generalleutnant Otto Hitzfeld Units involved in the initial assault 16 Dec
Corps-level units 17th Volkswerfer Brigade (88th and 89th Werfer Regiments) 405th Volksartillerie Corps 1001st Heavy Assault Gun Company 3rd Panzergrenadier Division Generalmajor Walter Denkert 8th and 29th Panzergrenadier Regiments 103rd Panzer Battalion 3rd Artillery Regiment 103rd Recon Battalion 3rd Antitank Battalion 3rd Engineer Battalion 3rd Flak Battalion 3rd Signals Battalion
246th Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Peter Körte 352nd, 404th, and 689th VG Regiments 246th Artillery Regiment 246th Antitank Battalion 246th Engineer Battalion 246th Signals Battalion 272nd Volksgrenadier Division Generalmajor Eugen König 980th, 981st, and 982nd Volksgrenadier Regiments 272nd Artillery Regiment 272nd Antitank Battalion 272nd Engineer Battalion 272nd Signals Battalion
326th Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Erwin Kaschner 751st, 752nd, and 753rd Volksgrenadier Regiments 326th Artillery Regiment 326th Antitank Battalion 326th Engineer Battalion 326th Signals Battalion
I SS Panzer Corps SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Prieß Units involved in the initial assault 16 Dec
II SS Panzer Corps SS Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich
Corps-level units 410th Volksartillerie Corps 502nd SS Heavy Artillery Battalion 502nd SS Artillery Observation Battalion
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich SS Brigadeführer Heinz Lammerding 2nd SS Panzer Regiment 3rd and 4th SS Panzergrenadier Regiments 2nd SS Artillery Regiment 2nd SS Recon Battalion 2nd SS Engineer Battalion 2nd SS Flak Battalion 2nd SS Signals Battalion
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen SS Oberführer Sylvester Stadler 9th SS Panzer Regiment 19th and 20th SS Panzergrenadier Regiments 9th SS Artillery Regiment 9th SS Recon Battalion 9th SS Antitank Battalion 9th SS Engineer Battalion 9th SS Flak Battalion 9th SS Signals Battalion 519th Heavy Antitank Battalion (attached)
General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel [ f]
Hasso von Manteuffel Army-level units 19th Flak Brigade 207th and 600th Engineer Battalions 653rd Heavy Panzerjäger Battalion 669th Ost (East) Battalion 638th, 1094th, and 1095th Heavy Artillery Batteries 25th/975th Fortress Artillery Battery 1099th, 1119th, and 1121st Heavy Mortar Batteries 3rd Todt Brigade (paramilitary engineers)
LXVI Corps General der Artillerie Walter Lucht
Corps-level units 16th Volkswerfer Brigade (86th and 87th Werfer Regiments) 244th Assault Gun Brigade 460th Heavy Artillery Battalion
18th Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Günther Hoffmann-Schönborn 293rd, 294th, and 295th Volksgrenadier Regiments 1818th Artillery Regiment 1818th Antitank Battalion 1818th Engineer Battalion 1818th Signals Battalion
62nd Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Friedrich Kittel 164th, 193rd, and 190th Volksgrenadier Regiments 162nd Artillery Regiment 162nd Antitank Battalion 162nd Engineer Battalion 162nd Signals Battalion
LVIII Panzer Corps General der Panzertruppen Walter Krüger
Corps-level units 7th Volkswerfer Brigade (84th and 85th Werfer Regiments) 401st Volksartillerie Corps 1st Flak Regiment
116th Panzer Division Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg 16th Panzer Regiment 60th and 156th Panzergrenadier Regiments 146th Artillery Regiment 116th Armored Recon Battalion 226th Antitank Battalion 675th Engineer Battalion 281st Flak Battalion
560th Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Rudolf Langhauser 1128th, 1129th, and 1130th Volksgrenadier Regiments 1560th Artillery Regiment 1560th Antitank Battalion 1560th Engineer Battalion 1560th Signals Battalion
XLVII Panzer Corps General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Corps-level units 15th Volkswerfer Brigade 182nd Flak Regiment 766th Volksartillerie Corps 2nd Panzer Division Oberst Meinrad von Lauchert 3rd Panzer Regiment 2nd and 304th Panzergrenadier Regiments 74th Artillery Regiment 2nd Recon Battalion 38th Antitank Battalion 38th Engineer Battalion 273rd Flak Battalion 38th Signals Battalion
9th Panzer Division Generalmajor Harald Freiherr von Elverfeldt 33rd Panzer Regiment 10th and 11th Panzergrenadier Regiments 102nd Artillery Regiment 9th Recon Battalion 50th Antitank Battalion 86th Engineer Battalion 287th Flak Battalion 81st Signals Battalion 301st Heavy Panzer Battalion (attached) Panzer-Lehr-Division Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein 130th Panzer Regiment 901st and 902nd Panzergrenadier Regiments 130th Artillery Regiment 130th Recon Battalion 130th Antitank Battalion 130th Engineer Battalion 311th Flak Battalion 559th Antitank Battalion (attached) 243rd Assault Gun Brigade (attached)
26th Volksgrenadier Division Generalmajor Heinz Kokott 39th Fusilier and 77th and 78th Volksgrenadier Regiments 26th Artillery Regiment 26th Recon Battalion 26th Antitank Battalion 26th Engineer Battalion 26th Signals Battalion Führer Begleit Brigade Oberst Otto Remer 102nd Panzer Battalion 100th Panzergrenadier Regiment 120th Artillery Regiment 120th Recon Battalion 120th Engineer Battalion 828th Grenadier Battalion 673rd Antitank Battalion
XXXIX Panzer Corps Generalleutnant Karl Decker
167th Volksgrenadier Division Generalleutnant Hanskurt Höcker 331st, 339th, 387th Volksgrenadier Regiments 167th Artillery Regiment 167th Antitank Battalion 167th Engineer Battalion 167th Signals Battalion
General der Panzertruppen Erich Brandenberger
Erich Brandenberger (left) with Erich von Manstein, 1941 Army-level units 657th and 668th Heavy Antitank Battalions 501st Fortress Antitank Battalion 47th Engineer Battalion 1092nd, 1093rd, 1124th, and 1125th Heavy Howitzer Batteries 660th Heavy Artillery Battery 1029th, 1039th, and 1122nd Heavy Mortar Batteries 999th Penal Battalion 44th Machine Gun Battalion 15th Flak Regiment 1st Todt Brigade
LXXXV Corps General der Infanterie Baptist Knieß
LXXX Corps General der Infanterie Franz Beyer
Corps-level units 408th Volksartillerie Corps 8th Volkswerfer Brigade 2nd and Lehr Werfer Regiments 212th Volksgrenadier Division Generalmajor Franz Sensfuß 316th, 320th, and 423rd VG Regiments 212th Artillery Regiment 212th Antitank Battalion 212th Engineer Battalion 212th Signals Battalion
276th Volksgrenadier Division Generalmajor Kurt Möhring [ g] 986th, 987th, and 988th VG Regiments 276th Artillery Regiment 276th Antitank Battalion 276th Engineer Battalion 276th Signals Battalion
340th Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Theodor Tolsdorff 694th, 695th, and 696th VG Regiments 340th Artillery Regiment 340th Antitank Battalion 340th Engineer Battalion 340th Signals Battalion
LIII Corps General der Kavallerie Edwin von Rothkirch
9th Volksgrenadier Division Oberst Werner Kolb 36th, 57th, and 116th VG Regiments 9th Artillery Regiment 9th Antitank Battalion 9th Engineer Battalion 9th Signals Battalion
15th Panzergrenadier Division Oberst Hans Joachim Deckert 104th and 115th Pzgr Regiments 115th Panzer Battalion 115th Artillery Regiment 115th Recon Battalion 33rd Antitank Battalion 33rd Engineer Battalion 33rd Flak Battalion 33rd Signals Battalion
Führer Grenadier Brigade Oberst Hans-Joachim Kahler 99th Pzgr Regiment 101st Panzer Battalion 911th Assault Gun Brigade 124th Antitank Battalion 124th Engineer Battalion 124th Flak Battalion 124th Artillery Regiment
Luftwaffe II Fighter Corps
Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz III Flak Corps
Generalleutnant Wolfgang Pickert
Allied Forces Armies deployed north to south
Allied 21st Army Group Lt. Gen. Brian G. Horrocks Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
XXX Corps Lt-Gen. Brian G. Horrocks
2nd Household Cavalry Regiment 11th Hussars 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 73rd Antitank Regiment, Royal Artillery 7th, 64th, and 84th Medium Regiments, Royal Artillery 27th Light AA Regiment, Royal Artillery 6th Airborne Division Maj-Gen. Eric Bols 3rd Parachute Brigade 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion 9th (Eastern and Home Counties) Parachute Battalion 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion 5th Parachute Brigade 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion 6th Airlanding Brigade 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles 53rd Light Regiment, Royal Artillery 3rd and 4th Airlanding Anti-Tank Batteries, Royal Artillery 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps 249th Airborne Field Company Royal Engineers 3rd, 591st Parachute Squadrons Royal Engineers 3rd, 9th Airborne Squadrons Royal Engineers 286th Airborne Field Park Company Royal Engineers 6th Airborne Divisional Signals Company Royal Signals 22nd Independent Parachute Company Army Air Corps
51st (Highland) Infantry Division Maj-Gen. G T.G. Rennie 152nd Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders 5th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders 5th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 153rd Infantry Brigade 5th Battalion, Black Watch 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders 5/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders 154th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Black Watch 7th Battalion, Black Watch 7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 126th, 127th, and 128th Field Regiments, Royal Artillery 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry 61st Antitank Regiment, Royal Artillery 40th Light AA Regiment, Royal Artillery 274th, 275th, and 276th Field Companies Royal Engineers 239th Field Park Company Royal Engineers 16th Bridging Platoon Royal Engineers 51st Divisional Signals Company Royal Signals 1/7th Machine Gun Battalion Middlesex Regiment
53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division Maj-Gen. Robert Knox Ross 71st Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry 4th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers 158th Infantry Brigade 7th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers 1/5th Battalion, Welch Regiment 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment 160th Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment 1/5th Battalion, Welch Regiment 6th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers 81st, 83rd, and 133rd Field Regiments, Royal Artillery 53rd Recce Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps 71st Antitank Regiment, Royal Artillery 25th Light AA Regiment, Royal Artillery 244th, 282nd, and 555th Field Companies Royal Engineers 285th Field Park Company Royal Engineers 22nd Bridging Platoon Royal Engineers 53rd Divisional Signals Company Royal Signals 1st Machine Gun Battalion Manchester Regiment
Corps Reserve Guards Armoured Division Maj.-Gen. Allan Henry Shafto Adair 5th Guards Armoured Brigade 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards (Mechanized) 32nd Guards Brigade 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards 2nd Battalion, Welsh Guards (Recce) 14th Field Company, Royal Engineers 615th Field Company, Royal Engineers 53rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 153rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 94th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division Maj-Gen. Ivor Thomas 129th Infantry Brigade 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry 4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment 130th Infantry Brigade 7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 214th Infantry Brigade 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Vickers Machine Gunners) 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps 94th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 112th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 59th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 13th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers 204th Field Company, Royal Engineers 207th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers (from Bath, Somerset). 260th Field Company, Royal Engineers (from Chippenham, Wiltshire). 553rd Field Company, Royal Engineers 54th Company, RASC 504th Company, RASC 505th Company, RASC 506th Divisional Company, RASC 110th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division Maj-Gen. Douglas Alexander Graham 69th Infantry Brigade 5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment 6th Battalion, Green Howards 7th Battalion, Green Howards 151st Infantry Brigade 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 231st Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 1st/7th Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 74th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 90th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 124th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 102nd Anti-Tank Regiment (Northumberland Hussars ), Royal Artillery 25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 233rd Field Company, Royal Engineers 501st Field Company, Royal Engineers 505th Field Company, Royal Engineers 235th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
Allied 12th Army Group Lt. Gen. Courtney P. Hodges Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley
US First Army Lieutenant General Courtney H. Hodges
5th Belgian Fusilier Battalion 143rd and 413th AA Gun Battalions 526th Armored Infantry Battalion 99th Infantry Battalion (Norwegian-Americans)
V Corps Leonard T. Gerow as a lieutenant general Major General Leonard T. Gerow Units that absorbed the initial German assault 16 Dec
Corps-level units 56th Signal Battalion 102nd Cavalry Group, Mechanized♦ 38th and 102nd Cavalry Recon Squadrons (attached) 613th TD Battalion 186th, 196th, 200th, and 955th FA Battalions 254th Engineer Combat Battalion 187th FA Group (751st and 997th FA Battalions) 190th FA Group (62nd, 190th, 272nd, and 268th FA Battalions) 406th FA Group (76th, 941st, 953rd, and 987th FA Battalions) 1111th Engineer Combat Group (51st, 202nd, 291st , and 296th Engineer Combat Battalions) 1121st Engineer Combat Group (146th, 254th Engineer Combat Battalions) 1195th Engineer Combat Group 134th, 387th, 445th, 460th, 461st, 531st, 602nd, 639th, and 863rd AAA AW Battalions
1st Infantry ("Big Red One") Division Brigadier General Clift Andrus [ h] 16th , 18th and 26th Infantry Regiments5th , 7th , 32nd , and 33rd FA Battalions 1st Engineer Combat Battalion 745th Tank Battalion 634th and 703rd TD Battalions 103rd AAA AW Battalion 2nd Infantry ("Indianhead") Division Major General Walter M. Robertson 9th ♦, 23rd ♦, and 38th♦ Infantry Regiments 12th , 15th , 37th , and 38th FA Battalions 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion 741st Tank Battalion 612th and 644th TD Battalions462nd AAA AW Battalion 9th Infantry ("Old Reliables") Division Major General Louis A. Craig 39th , 47th , and 60th Infantry Regiments 26th , 34th , 60th, and 84th FA Battalions 15th Engineer Combat Battalion 38th Cavalry Recon Squadron 746th Tank Battalion 376th and 413th AAA AW Battalions
78th Infantry ("Lightning") Division Major General Edwin P. Parker Jr. 309th, 310th, and 311th Infantry Regiments 307th, 308th, 309th, and 903rd FA Battalions 303rd Engineer Combat Battalion 709th Tank Battalion 628th and 893rd TD Battalions552nd AAA AW Battalion 5th Armored Division 2nd Ranger Battalion 99th Infantry ("Checkerboard") Division Major General Walter E. Lauer 393rd♦, 394th♦, and 395th ♦ Infantry Regiments 370th, 371st, 372nd, and 924th FA Battalions 324th Engineer Combat Battalion 801st TD Battalion 535th AAA AW Battalion
VII Corps J. Lawton Collins as a full general Major General J. Lawton Collins Units that absorbed the initial German assault 16 Dec
Corps-level units 4th Cavalry Group, Mechanized 29th Infantry Regiment Two French Light Infantry Battalions 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion 298th Engineer Combat Battalion 740th Tank Battalion 18th FA Group (188th, 666th, and 981st FA Battalions) 142nd FA Group (195th and 266th FA Battalions) 188th FA Group (172nd, 951st, and 980th FA Battalions) 342nd, 366th, 392nd♦, 1308th, and 1313th Engineer General Service Regiments 18th, 83rd, 87th, 183rd, 193rd, 957th, and 991st FA Battalions 2nd Armored ("Hell on Wheels") Division Major General Ernest N. Harmon 41st Armored Infantry Regiment 66th and 67th Armored Regiments 14th , 78th , and 92nd Armored FA Battalions17th Armored Engineer Battalion 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion 195th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 142nd Armored Signal Company 3rd Armored ("Spearhead") Division Major General Maurice Rose 36th Armored Infantry Regiment 32nd and 33rd Armored Regiments 54th, 67th, and 391st Armored FA Battalions 23rd Armored Engineer Battalion 83rd Armored Recon Squadron 643rd and 703rd TD Battalions486th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 143rd Armored Signal Company
83rd Infantry ("Ohio") Division Major General Robert C. Macon 329th , 330th, and 331st Infantry Regiments322nd, 323rd, 324th, and 908th FA Battalions 308th Engineer Combat Battalion 453rd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 774th Tank Battalion 772nd Tank Destroyer Battalion 84th Infantry ("Railsplitters") Division Brigadier General Alexander R. Bolling 333rd, 334th, and 335th Infantry Regiments 325th, 326th, 327th, and 909th FA Battalions 309th Engineer Combat Battalion 701st Tank Battalion, replaced by 771st Tank Battalion on 20 December 638th Tank Destroyer Battalion 557th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion
XVIII Airborne Corps Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway as a lieutenant general Major General Matthew B. Ridgway [ i] Units that absorbed the initial German assault 16 Dec
Corps-level units 14th Cavalry Group , Mechanized♦254th, 275th, 400th, and 460th FA Battalions 79th FA Group (153rd, 551st, and 552nd FA Battalions) 179th FA Group (259th and 965th FA Battalions) 211th FA Group (240th and 264th FA Battalions) 401st FA Group (187th and 809th FA Battalions) 7th Armored ("Lucky Seventh") Division Brigadier General Robert W. Hasbrouck 23rd, 38th, and 48th Armored Infantry Battalions 17th, 31st, and 40th Tank Battalions 434th, 440th, and 489th Armored FA Battalions 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion 87th Cavalry Recon Squadron, Mech. 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 25–30 December) 203rd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 147th Armored Signal Company 30th Infantry ("Old Hickory") Division Major General Leland S. Hobbs 117th , 119th , and 120th Infantry Regiments 113th , 118th, 197th, and 230th FA Battalions105th Engineer Combat Battalion 743rd Tank Battalion 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment (attached) 110th, 431st and 448th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalions 75th Infantry Division Major General Fay B. Prickett 289th, 290th, and 291st Infantry Regiments 730th, 897th, 898th, and 899th FA Battalions 275th Engineer Combat Battalion 750th Tank Battalion 629th and 772nd Tank Destroyer Battalions 440th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion
82nd Airborne ("All American") Division Major General James M. Gavin 504th , 505th , 507th , and 508th Parachute Infantry Regiments 325th Glider Infantry Regiment 319th and 320th Glider FA Battalions 376th and 456th Parachute FA Battalions 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion 80th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion 740th Tank Battalion (attached 30 December – 11 January) 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 2–11 January)643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 4–5 January) 106th Infantry ("Golden Lions") Division Major General Alan W. Jones 422nd♦, 423rd♦,[ j] 589th, 590th, 591st, and 592nd FA Battalions 81st Engineer Combat Battalion 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion 634th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (8–18 December) 440th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (8 December – 4 January) 563rd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (9–18 December) 101st Airborne ("Screaming Eagles") Division Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe [ k] 501st , 502nd , and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments 327th Glider Infantry Regiment 1st Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry 321st and 907th Glider FA Battalions377th and 463rd Parachute FA Battalion 326th Parachute Engineer Battalion 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion 81st Airborne AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion
US Third Army Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Lieutenant General George S. Patton
109th, 115th, 217th, and 777th AA Gun Battalions 456th, 465th, 550th, and 565th AAA AW Battalions 280th ECB - Engineer Combat Battalion - Non Divisional Unit (later assigned to the 9th Army )
III Corps Major General John Millikin
Corps-level units 6th Cavalry Group, Mechanized 179th, 274th, 776th, and 777th FA Battalions 193rd FA Group (177th, 253rd, 696th, 776th, and 949th FA Battalions) 203rd FA Group (278th, 742nd, 762nd FA Battalions) 183rd and 243rd Engineer Combat Battalions 1137th Engineer Combat Group (145th, 188th, and 249th Engineer Combat Battalions ) 467th and 468th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalions
4th Armored Division Major General Hugh J. Gaffey 8th, 35th , and 37th Tank Battalions [ l] 10th, 51st , and 53rd Armored Infantry Battalions 22nd , 66th, and 94th Armored FA Battalions 24th Armored Engineer Battalion 25th Cavalry Recon Squadron, Mech. 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion 489th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 144th Armored Signal Company 6th Armored ("Super Sixth") Division Major General Robert W. Grow 15th, 68th , and 69th Tank Battalions 9th, 44th, and 50th Armored Infantry Battalions 128th, 212th, and 231st Armored FA Battalions 86th Cavalry Recon Squadron, Mech. 25th Armored Engineer Battalion 691st Tank Destroyer Battalion 777th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 145th Armored Signal Company
26th Infantry ("Yankee") Division Major General Willard S. Paul 101st, 104th , and 328th Infantry Regiments 101st , 102nd , 180th, and 263rd FA Battalions101st Engineer Combat Battalion 735th Tank Battalion 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion 390th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 35th Infantry ("Santa Fe") Division Major General Paul W. Baade 134th, 137th, and 320th Infantry Regiments 127th, 161st, 216th, and 219th FA Battalions 60th Engineer Combat Battalion 654th Tank Destroyer Battalion 448th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 90th Infantry ("Tough 'Ombres") Division Major General James A. Van Fleet 357th, 358th, and 359th Infantry Regiments 343rd, 344th, 345th, and 915th FA Battalions 315th Engineer Combat Battalion 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion 774th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 21 December – 6 January) 537th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion
VIII Corps Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton during the Ardennes Counteroffensive Major General Troy H. Middleton Units that absorbed the initial German assault 16 Dec
Corps-level units 687th FA Battalion 174th FA Group (965th, 969th , and 700th FA Battalions) 333rd FA Group (333rd and 771st FA Battalions) 402nd FA Group (559th, 561st, and 740th FA Battalions) 422nd FA Group (81st and 174th FA Battalions) 178th and 249th Engineer Combat Battalions 1102nd Engineer Group (341st Engineer General Service Regiment ) 1107th Engineer Combat Group (159th, 168th, and 202nd Engineer Combat Battalions) 1128th Engineer Combat Group (35th, 44th, and 202nd Engineer Combat Battalions) French Light Infantry (six Light Infantry Battalions from Metz region) 467th, 635th, 778th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalions 9th Armored ("Phantom") Division Major General John W. Leonard 2nd, 14th, and 19th Tank Battalions 27th, 52nd , and 60th Armored Infantry Battalions 3rd, 16th , and 73rd Armored FA Battalions 9th Armored Engineer Battalion 89th Cavalry Recon. Squadron, Mech. 9th Armored Engineer Battalion 482nd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (detached 9 January 1945) 149th Armored Signal Company 11th Armored ("Thunderbolt") Division Brigadier General Charles S. Kilburn 22nd, 41st, and 42nd Tank Battalions 21st, 55th , and 63rd Armored Infantry Battalions 490th, 491st, and 492nd Armored FA Battalions 56th Armored Engineer Battalion 41st Cavalry Recon. Squadron, Mech. 602nd Tank Destroyer Battalion 575th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 151st Armored Signal Company
17th Airborne ("Golden Talons") Division Major General William M. Miley 507th and 513th Parachute Infantry Regiments 193rd and 194th Glider Infantry Regiments 680th and 681st Glider FA Battalions 466th Parachute FA Battalion 139th Airborne Engineer Battalion 155th Airborne AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 28th Infantry ("Keystone") Division Major General Norman D. Cota 109th♦, 110th♦, and 112th♦ Infantry Regiments 107th, 108th, 109th, and 229th FA Battalions 103rd Engineer Combat Battalion 707th Tank Battalion 602nd Tank Destroyer Battalion 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion 447th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 87th Infantry ("Golden Acorn") Division Brigadier General Frank L. Culin Jr. 345th, 346th, and 347th Infantry Regiments 334th, 335th, 336th, 912th FA Battalions 312th Engineer Combat Battalion 761st Tank Battalion 549th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion (14–22 December) 691st Tank Destroyer Battalion (22–24 December and 8–26 January) 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion (17–19 December)
XII Corps Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy Major General Manton S. Eddy Units that absorbed the initial German assault 16 Dec
Corps-level units 2nd Cavalry Group, Mechanized 161st, 244th, 277th, 334th, 336th, and 736th FA Battalions 177th FA group 215th, 255th, and 775th FA Battalions 182nd FA group 802nd, 945th, and 974th FA Battalions 183rd FA group 695th and 776th FA Battalions 404th FA group 273rd, 512th, and 752nd FA Battalions 1303rd Engineer Service Regiment 452nd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion [colored] 457th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 372nd Engineer General Service Regiment 4th Infantry ("Ivy") Division Major General Raymond O. Barton 8th ♦, 12th ♦, and 22nd Infantry Regiments20th , 29th , 42nd , and 44th FA Battalions4th Engineer Combat Battalion 70th Tank Battalion 802nd and 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalions 377th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalions 5th Infantry ("Red Diamond") Division Major General Stafford L. Irwin 2nd , 10th , and 11th Infantry Regiments19th, 21st, 46th, and 50th FA Battalions 7th Engineer Combat Battalion 737th Tank Battalion 654th Tank Destroyer Battalion (22–25 December) 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (from 25 December) 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion (17–21 December) 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion (13 July – 20 December) 449th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion
10th Armored ("Tiger") Division Major General William H. H. Morris Jr. 3rd, 11th , and 21st Tank Battalions 20th, 54th , and 61st Armored Infantry Battalions 419th, 420th, and 423rd Armored FA Battalions 609th Tank Destroyer Battalion 55th Armored Engineer Battalion 90th Cavalry Recon Squadron, Mech. 796th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion 150th Armored Signal Company 80th Infantry ("Blue Ridge") Division Major General Horace L. McBride 317th , 318th, and 319th Infantry Regiments313th, 314th, 315th, and 905th FA Battalions 305th Engineer Combat Battalion 702nd Tank Battalion 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion (23 November – 6 December and 21 December – 28 January) 808th Tank Destroyer Battalion (25 September – 21 December)633rd AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion
Allied Air Forces
US Strategic Air Forces in Europe General Carl Spaatz
US Eighth Air Force (Strategic)Lieutenant General James H. Doolittle US Ninth Air Force (Tactical)Lieutenant General Hoyt S. Vandenberg IX Bombardment Division (Maj. Gen. Samuel E. Anderson )IX Troop Carrier Command (Maj. Gen. Paul L. Williams )IX Tactical Air Command (Maj. Gen. Elwood R. Quesada ) Supporting First Army XIX Tactical Air Command (Maj. Gen. Otto P. Weyland ) Supporting Third Army XXIX Tactical Air Command (Brig. Gen. Richard E. Nugent ) Supporting Ninth Army
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris Fighter Command Air Marshal Sir Roderic M. Hill Second Tactical Air Force Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham No. 2 Group RAF No. 83 Group RAF No. 84 Group RAF
Notes ^ Both Runstedt and Model were deeply skeptical of the offensive's chances of success, but Hitler ignored all their objections. Runstedt in particular was miffed when he learned that the Allies were referring to the operation as the "Runstedt offensive." [Beevor, p. 82] ^ Both Runstedt and Model were deeply skeptical of the offensive's chances of success, but Hitler ignored all their objections. [Beevor, p. 82] ^ In contrast with Manteuffel, Dietrich opened the offensive on his front with a massive artillery bombardment. [Beevor, p. 112] ^ Manteuffel disregarded Hitler's desire for an opening artillery bombardment; he felt such an action was "a World War I concept and completely out of place in the Ardennes, in view of the thinly held lines," and would only serve to destroy the element of surprise. [Beevor, p. 112] ^ In contrast with Manteuffel, Dietrich opened the offensive on his front with a massive artillery bombardment. [Beevor, p. 112] ^ Manteuffel disregarded Hitler's desire for an opening artillery bombardment; he felt such an action was "a World War I concept and completely out of place in the Ardennes, in view of the thinly held lines," and would only serve to destroy the element of surprise. [Beevor, p. 112] ^ Later Oberst Hugo Dempwolff ^ After the war, served as commandant of the former Palace Hotel (called "Camp Ashcan ") in the Luxembourg town of Mondorf-les-Bains where high-level German prisoners were kept in the months leading up the Nuremberg Trials . ^ In England when the German assault began; during the Korean War , provided vigorous leadership to the US Eighth Army , followed by a term as Chief of Staff of the Army . ^ Private Kurt Vonnegut , later a noted author, was captured while serving in this unit. [Beevor, p. 186] ^ Regular CO Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor was in the United States and his deputy, Brig. Gen. Gerald J. Higgins, was in England; McAuliffe was the divisional artillery commander. [Beevor, p. 154] ^ The 37th Tank Bttn. was commanded by Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams , later commander of all US forces in Vietnam. [Beevor, p. 268]
References 
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Sixth Panzer Army (Northern Sector)
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Dwight D. Eisenhower
Bernard L. Montgomery
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21st Army Group 
US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (General Carl Spaatz) .jpg)
Royal Air Force 
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167th Volksgrenadier Division
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US Eighth Air Force (Strategic).png)
US Ninth Air Force (Tactical)