# Battle of the Bulge order of battle

The Ardennes Counteroffensive, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, was a massive military operation undertaken by 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
Heeresgruppe B Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model
Armies deployed North to South:
    Sixth Panzer Army (Northern Sector)
    Oberstgruppenführer der Waffen SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich
       I SS Panzer Corps (SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Priess)
       II SS Panzer Corps (SS-Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich)
       LXVII Corps (Generalleutnant Otto Hitzfeld)
    Fifth Panzer Army (Central Sector)
    General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel
       XXXIX Panzer Corps (General der Panzertruppe Karl Decker)
       XLVII Panzer Corps (General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz)
       LVIII Panzer Corps (General der Panzertruppen Walter Krüger)
       LXVI Corps (General der Artillerie Walter Lucht)
    Seventh Army (Southern Sector)
    General der Panzertruppen Erich Brandenberger
       LIII Corps (General der Kavallerie Edwin von Rothkirch)
       LXXX Corps (General der Infanterie Franz Beyer)
       LXXXV Corps (General der Infanterie Baptist Kniess)

### Allies

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 (Lieut. Gen. 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 (Lieut. Gen. 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
### Sixth Panzer Army (Northern Sector)

Oberstgruppenführer der Waffen SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich
    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

#### I SS Panzer Corps

SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Prieß ‡ Units involved in the initial assault 16 Dec

#### II SS Panzer Corps

SS Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich

### Fifth Panzer Army (Central Sector)

General der Panzertruppen 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

#### LVIII Panzer Corps

General der Panzertruppen Walter Krüger

#### XLVII Panzer Corps

General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz

#### 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

### Seventh Army (Southern Sector)

General der Panzertruppen Erich Brandenberger
    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

#### LIII Corps

General der Kavallerie Edwin von Rothkirch

### Luftwaffe

II Fighter Corps
    Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz
III Flak Corps
    Generalleutnant Wolfgang Pickert

## Allied Forces

Armies deployed north to south

### Allied 21st Army Group

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

#### Corps Reserve
### Allied 12th Army Group

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)

##### VII Corps

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

##### XVIII Airborne Corps

Major General Matthew B. Ridgway ♦ 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)

### US Third Army

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)

#### VIII Corps

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

#### XII Corps

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

### 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