forces sub article battle forces offensive product german recruitment effort targeting german males ages replace troops lost past months fighting western allies western german armed forces keeping allied forces contained line campaign cost nearly casualties rapid advance allied armies august september created supply problem allies october progress army groups slowed considerably allowing germans partly rebuild strength prepare defense germany german leader adolf_hitler decided way reverse fortunes launch counter offensive western forcing united_states great_britain early peace allowing shift forces eastern defeat hitler field armies offensive sixth fifth seventh accumulated soldiers spread seven divisions brigades thirteen infantry divisions bulk offensive armored strength sixth army tasked capture belgian port antwerp south outfitted protect sixth flank crossed river southernmost flank covered composed infantry corps ordered protect southern flank tie american reserves apart armies designed special units aid offensive battalion sized airborne formation tasked dropping american lines day offensive allowing division easy access second unit brigade intending enemy lines dressed american uniforms false orders spread confusion american defenders offensive aircraft deployed luftwaffe provide air support german forces destroy allied air power ground prepare forces der increased age range recruited eastern european countries controlled german forces increasing manpower western roughly million soldiers hastily organized new divisions lacked training weapons despite immense german effort face intense allied bombing build necessary stocks offensive shortages fuel ammunition weapons manpower scheduled date counterattack elite divisions manpower background december sector western allies offensive late july allied forces fighting normandy able break normandy operation cobra forcing general eastwards retreat german forces general supreme allied commander western opportunity german army normandy effort reverse launched operation august vicinity town despite efforts break 30th cut allied forces northern france august clear offensive failed battle raging allied armies continued normandy closing known pocket august cost germans estimated dead wounded larger number german soldiers able escape eastwards forced leave heavy weapons equipment paris liberated august marking end operation overlord immediately allied drive continued able prevent complete rout according germans equipment abandoned retreated disaster pocket field marshal temporarily replaced commander german troops france reported divisions operational tanks match mobility poorly outfitted infantry divisions early september allies pushed german border model calculated actual strength divisions disposal effort stabilize german lines west commander chief west september approaching belgian border early september allied offensive came grinding halt supply lines struggled pace advance example september lieutenant general requested gal gasoline received gal began defensive known line felt relieve supply problem antwerp supplies europe german troops held estuary consequently allied shipping belgian port city effort open estuary approved field marshal operation market garden launched september september operation failed german defenders southern netherlands open antwerp supply problem worst opportunity rebuild strength german_army west able accumulate strength tanks assault guns late september despite new equipment eastern stark contrast estimated available german defenses continued strengthen able establish defensive depth average kilometers strongest defenses built opposite army despite germany reorganization manpower germany able increase armored strength vehicles opposed allied tanks field marshal model reported replacements sent cover casualties suffered month september commanded army groups totaling field armies divisions provided advantage artillery guns advantage tanks count combat aircraft compared luftwaffe battles line army tasked capture obstacle built improved years french germans expecting small garrison army launched attack september despite heavy aerial artillery bombardment damage giant fortress ground attacks carried september october failed taking fort ultimately general forced attack look route fort fall successfully taken majority forts army battle cost estimated american casualties reflected fact august army advanced kilometers advanced kilometers september december man strong commanded general ordered break line area order reach army began area early september end october city cost americans roughly casualties opened path river river despite casualties taken ground gained comparatively worthless fighting necessarily brought german defeat closer germans suffered heavy casualties example lost offensive capabilities countless attempts break gave american british commanders false sense security believing strength launch given view state german armed forces need push army decided drive german forces located belgian german border attempt series dams germans flood valley began september assault 3rd armored 9th infantry divisions battle quickly turned attrition mid october allied divisions lost nearly total combat strength roughly men germans lost close november 28th entered fight able forced defend german november lost combat casualties unable german hands americans pitted battle november december division lost personnel throwing 8th attack able town able advance farther given casualties sustained total american forces suffered combat casualties failed reach original objectives dams germans suffered heavily 47th committed reserves battle hardly afford maintain defensive line suffered casualties fighting lost nearly soldiers division replaced 10th divisions pulled order rebuilt allied armies continued slow eastward drive september november germans prepared adolf_hitler german leader believed launching offensive west force united_states great_britain early peace transfer entirety eastern bring soviet offensive defeat german victory greater magnitude western allies soviet_union according general russians troops succeeded destroying thirty divisions difference hand destroyed thirty divisions west invasion army hitler believed west conclude inevitable german defeat basic plan involved early morning breakthrough lightly defended sector eventual task crossing capturing antwerp order deny western allies crucial port december german forces defending continued western allied organized separate army groups fell command field marshal von fourth fell command containing fifth commanded luftwaffe colonel general south lay containing fifteenth fifth sixth fifth armies slated upcoming offensive model southern flank protected commanded general composed total attack involve thirty divisions including divisions roughly men offensive main effort come sixth army commanded general core sixth army composed divisions withdrawn battle early gone period rest refit early november army commanded general corps included 1st division adolf hitler 12th 12th divisions included number hoc vanguard units including forming 1st division contained battalion mixed tanks 1st regiment tiger 3rd battalion 12th containing 1st battalion tanks sixth army offering 2nd division 9th division finally army included divisions forming infantry corps command general south forces general army formed 18th 62nd divisions 47th corps division held reserve division officially attached 47th corps tasked supporting left flank breach day offensive positioned directly opposite american 28th infantry division army impending german offensive general tasked protecting left flank tying allied reserves army included consisting 5th divisions general und armies offered divisions thirteen infantry type divisions airborne immediate assault divisions brigade immediate support represented strength hitler originally decided offensive special units germans planned airborne operation operation area north order road junction allowing 12th advance belgian city operation undertaken special unit formed battalion battalion sized unit commanded lieutenant colonel friedrich august von der named von der von der originally requested use entirety 6th parachute regiment denied basis alert intentions ultimately german general allowed hand pick platoon company commanders unfortunately men choose airborne qualified chosen operation qualified jump weapons general von der immediately dismissed worst men given replaced volunteers parachute school jump experience little time available men received basic jump training matters complicated lack transport aircraft der disposal dummy meant dropped north actual drop zone order confuse american forces december von der able decent fighting force commanded brigade designed capture certain bridges ordered dress brigade american british uniforms western allied vehicles speaking english effort capture bridges pass false orders confuse allied forces defending breakthrough sector unit men alerted intentions offensive minute warned preparations impending allied offensive effort recruit unit nearly compromised army wide order requesting names english speaking personnel captured allied vehicles originally attempted cancel operation later turned allowing rumors unit freely order hide truth wary fact men wear american uniforms having shot spies captured ultimately men allowed wear german uniforms american clothing ultimately men attached force able speak english speak fairly rest learned grade school working tanks available tanks resemble american tanks attached unit given allied scout cars breaking training period unit low american small arms ammunition mention american uniforms unit continued training luftwaffe deployments hitler promised army commanders complete air support reporting told luftwaffe able deploy fighters operation german leader commented report tendency said nonetheless fighters protect german ground forces aircraft support fifth launch aerial offensive aimed destroying allied aircraft ground chance germans figure later revised aircraft taken squadrons defend allied bombing raids german cities offensive scheduled place weather prohibited allied air support movements suffered nearly casualties june november forcing german leadership recruit kriegsmarine luftwaffe industry extending age males years age extension allowed germans increase manpower western_europe december million december new soldiers poorly trained exacerbated fact know offensive days launched meaning informed objectives divisions ordered protect flanks advancing armies properly reinforced germans found difficult units areas pressured slow allied advance field marshal von repeated requests men noting western allies completely superior manpower denied noted difficulty holding encircled american troops operation began lack sufficient new received maximum weeks worth training new divisions anti tank artillery weapons best eclectic divisions formed remnants units taken heavy casualties fighting west eastern new recruited occupied territories east new soldiers know german forces best condition offensive belonged forces refitted trained inside germany deployed 2nd example established manpower requirements december transfer personnel west completed western allied bomber missions increased intensity war progressed marked highest production rates german industry example january fighter aircraft manufactured september year built similarly tanks types produced manufactured effects air raids deal damage example production decreased august september steel plant producing tank armor destroyed allied bombers tank production decreased july allied bombing raids germans amassed close armored fighting vehicles offensive allied bombers affected movement supplies equipment fuel ammunition delivered discovered despite allied control skies able cope shortage small arms million infantry weapons required arm new ammunition dire need ultimately rail system forced stop troop movements favor moving supplies fuel considerable shortage germans litres imp gal fuel required initial phase offensive half delivered transportation shortages petroleum stocked offensive released units operating fighting american british actions litres imp gal supposed accumulated days offensive hope captured advance early december litres imp gal available litres imp gal available start offensive furthermore initial fuel consumption estimates incorrect taken account increase fuel consumption resulted movement terrain including snow impact eastern eve soviet offensive january impressive force soldiers artillery guns heavy mortars thousand rocket launchers armored fighting vehicles nearly aircraft army groups positioned eastern lay path soviet offensive count roughly personnel armored fighting vehicles nearly combat aircraft december concentrated bulk forces logistical support western reducing ability defend germany eastern border soviet_union example new refitted tanks delivered western december german forces east received approximately january roughly men short complete strength despite reorganization german units order consideration manpower losses strength clear high command general presented intelligence impending soviet assault comparison strength german general claimed advantage infantry seven armor artillery mentioned defense eastern require armored divisions fact asked offensive called december favor germany armored strength east refused hitler offensive american forces forest preoccupied hitler mind eastern suddenly secondary importance example transferred eastern january
Wehrmacht forces for the Ardennes Offensive