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

Notes

References

• Beevor, Antony (2015). Ardennes 1944: The Battle of the Bulge. New York: Penguin. ISBN 9780143109860.
• Dupuy, Trevor N. (1994). Hitler's Last Gamble: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 – January 1945. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-016627-4.
• MacDonald, Charles B. (2002). A Time For Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge. New York: Perennial. ISBN 0-688-15157-4.
• Tucker-Jones, Anthony (2022). Hitler's Winter: The German Battle of the Bulge. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-4728-4739-3.
• "Units Entitled to Battle Credits" (PDF). General Orders. US War Department.