The German army during the Battle of the Bulge could not be compared to its early 1940 type. During 1940, when the invasion of France, Belguim, the Netherlands, and Luxemburg was taking place, there were about 130 German divisions facing about the same number of Allied divisions. And some of those German divisions were of equal and some of superior strength than any of the Allied divisions.

But in June of 1944, the still undefeated German occupation force of four armies (the First, Seventh, Fifteen, and Nineteenth) only numbered about sixty divisions. These were spread out amongst the four countries in the west. Essentially, there were about ten to fourteen panzer divisions in the west; but as the Eastern Front advanced closer and closer to German soil, the panzer divisions in the west were sent to the east in a piecemeal fashion. Thus by May, 1944, there were only nine panzer and panzer-grenadier divisions in the west, plus three battle-groups of decimated panzer divisions, re-constituting and regrouping (the Panzer Lehr battle-group was re-fitting between the Seine and Loire Rivers in France, the other two battle-groups, the 19 Panzer and 1st SS Panzer, were re-fitting in the Netherlands.

There were about eleven training divisions, 16 Volksgrenadier divisions. Nineteen regular infantry divisions, four parachute divisions and three LW (Luftwaffe Field Division). The nineteen regular infantry divisions include the 319th, which was stationed on one of the Channel islands.

Later on, during the allied invasion of Europe, the 2nd SS Panzer Division and 9th SS Panzer Division which were already "en-route" to the Eastern Front and by June 10th were already in Poland, were ordered back to help repel the Allied invasion. So the 127 German, 30 Finnish, Hungarian, and Rumanian divisions in the east at the time of the Allied invasion in the west (June 1944) would only receive six new Volksgrenadier divisions between June and December, 1944.

The one exception was the 19th Panzer Division, which, after it achieved full strength, was sent back to the east. However, during the last quarter of 1944, 18 new Volksgrendier divisions were formed and sent to the west. Some of the new Volksgrendier divisions had already been received by the German forces in the west. These were the 347th VG (Volksgrenadier division), 708 VG, 276th VG, 272nd VG, 271st VG, 265th VG, 343rd VG, 352nd VG, 346th VG, 348th VG, 245th VG, 344th VG, 49th VG, 326th VG, 47th VG, & 712th VG Divisions.

During the month of the Allied invasion of Europe, the Germans received only the 2nd and 9th SS Panzer Divisions in the west.

During July, divisions from the Mediterranean sector were sent up to help keep the Allies (which now numbered 36 divisions, one parachute brigade, seven armored brigades, and eight armored divisions) boxed in. These were the 708th VG, 158th Training Division, and the ninth Panzer Division. The 2nd Parachute Division, which was stationed between the Seine and the Loire Rivers in France, also arrived in July on the positions which the German Seventh Army was holding against the boxed-in Allies. In July, the 10th SS Panzer Division also arrived on the front. I have made a chart showing the kind of division, where they were stationed and at what time (June 6th).

Holland:

Infantry divisions - 347th Vn, 16 LW (Luftwaffe), 719th
Training divisions - 165th
Panzer divisions - 19th (a battle-group)

Bay of Biscay, South of Loire River:

Infantry divisions - 708th VG, 276th VG
Training divisions - 158th, 159th
Panzer divisions - 11th, 17th SS Panzer Grenadier

Mediterranean Sector:

Infantry divisions - 272nd VG, 271st VG, 277th VG, 338th, 244th, 242nd
Training divisions - 157th, 148th, 189th
Panzer Divisions - 9th

Channel Islands:

Infantry divisions - 319th

Between the Seine & the Loire R.

Infantry divisions - 265 VG, 343 VG, 352 VG, 275, 353, 266, 779 91, 43, 711, 716, 709, 3 parachute, 2 parachute, 5 parachute, 6 parachute
Panzer divisions - 21st, 12th SS, Panzer Lehr (a battle-group)

Between the Scheldt and the Seine River:

Infantry divisions - 346th VG, 348th VG, 245th VG, 344th VG, 49th VG, 326th VG, 47th VG, 712th VG plus one more div, number not known, 84th, 85th, 331st, 17 LW, 18 LW, 48th
Training divisions - 182nd

August 1944

In August of 1944, the 26th SS Panzer Gren Division, 27th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, 15th Panzer Grenadier Division, and 159th Training Division were sent to the main battle line in France.

By this time most of the German Panzer Divisions had been reduced to mere battle-groups; only the armored reinforcements received in August were up to full strength. The Germans lost some 15 infantry divisions mostly in the Falaise Pocket where most of the 500,000 German troops were.lost in the entire campaign for France). These were the 2nd Parachute, 5th Parachute, 6th Parachute, 85th Division, 325th VG, 17 LW, 344th VG, 343rd VG, 245th VG, 49 th VG, 47th VG, 326th VG, 352nd VG, & 271st VG divisions.

In August and September, replacements for the decimated divisions started arriving on a larger scale. Even then, the amount of material and men lost in the battle for France (which was now in its last stages) was such that the divisions which had been almost totally destroyed were never again back to full strength. The 1st SS Panzer Division lost 33 1/3 percent of its total strength (and that was after it had been replenished). The 12th SS Panzer Division lost 14% of its total strength, likewise, the 17 SS Panzer Grenadier Division lost 14%. The 2 Panzer Division lost 42% of its total strength. 9th SS Panzer Division lost 55%, and the 10th SS Panzer Division lost 70-73% of its former strength! 116th Panzer Division lost 55-60% of its full strength while Panzer Lehr was 40% under-strength. 2nd SS Panzer Division lost 50% of its full strength. 21st Panzer Division lost only 14% of its total strength while 9th Panzer lost 50% The 11th Panzer Division lost 55% of its total strength.

The above strengths of each Panzer and Panzer Grenadier division shows how strong they were after replacements were sent to them! The only panzer division to receive more replacements later on in October was the 1st SS, which was shot up to just 10% under full strength from the 67% strength that it had in September. The German infantry replacements were enough to replace the infantry divisions lost, but the quality would not be the same.

In October, the German forces re-grouped and were reinforced, even then they were very weak compared to the Allied liberators. By November, the front-line had been stabilized enough to plan and execute a counter-offensive. At this time the German armies in the west weren't in such great shape.

The newest army (the First Parachute Army) had just two 3-regiment parachute divisions, one 2-regiment parachute division, the 16 LW (Luftwaffe Field Division), a low-grade Volksgrenadier division (the 346th), a depot division containing infantry battalions such as a stomach battalion, ear battalion, ulcer battalion, and other battalions of the same ilk; made up of Germans who could still walk, see, and shoot. The Parachute Army also had a battle-group of a decimated division, and a Dutch SS brigade.

The Seventh Army was in no better shape; it had three Volksgrenadier divisions (the 352nd, 276th, and 17th division which was reconstituted), and one infantry division (the 212th which was the best division in the Seventh Army). The 19th Amy was not far behind either; it had seven low-grade infantry divisions (the 343rd, and 245th, 165th, 159, 271, 265, and 712th Volksgrenadier divisions), it also had the 11th Panzer Division and 17th Panzer Grenadier Division. The 5th Parachute Division was under the Seventh Amy and not under the First Parachute Army as some history books say.

The best of the German infantry armies was the First Army. It had seven infantry divisions: the 347th VG, 348th VG, 275th, 719th, 84th, 325th VG, and the 49th VG division. It also had 2 SS divisions, the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, 25th Panzer Grenadier Division, 21st Panzer Division, and 25 Panzer Division. The second best infantry armv was the 15th German Army. It had eight infantry divisions (the 186th VG, 340th division, 363rd division, 246th VG, 47th VG, 353rd VG, 344th division, and 89th division), and a Danzer corps of two panzer divisions and one panzer grenadier division (9th Panzer, 10th SS Panzer, and 15th Panzer Grenadier. That Panzer corps, hy the way, was later transferred to 5th Panzer Army except for the 10th SS Panzer Division.

The two Panzer Armies in the west (the 5th and 6th) were in better shape but not by much; on paper they looked good though. 6th Panzer Army had four SS panzer divisions (the 1st SS, 2SS, 9 SS, and 12th SS parizer divisions), three Volksgrenadier divisions (the 272nd, 326th, and 277th), a normal infantry division (the 12th, the best by the way, of the infantry divisions in 6th panzer army), the 3rd Parachute Division, and the 150th Panzer Brigade.

The 5th Panzer Army had three Volksgrenadier divisions: the 560th (which, during the Ardennes offensive, had only two regiments; the third arrived on December 20th), the 62nd, and the 18th VG (re-constituted 13th Luftwaffe division). The 5th panzer army had as its best infantry division the 26th, which was the only divison in 5th Panzer Army that maintained the old nine battalion regimental structure. The 5th Panzer Army also had the 2nd Panzer Division, 116th Panzer Division, and Panzer Lehr Division.

By December, the German reserves left were few; the German army though, had not yet touched the reserve manpower of the Hitler Youth (the German army had called up boys 16 years and up, but in January 1945 boys 12, 13, 14, 15 and even younger were called up) and the Volksturm (they had called up men of 55 years or younger, in January, though, as with the Hitler Youth, men even up to the age of 70 were called up!). The reserves put forward for the 1st and 19th armies were all SS; there were six SS divisions east of the Rhine River, three of which have been verified as the 25th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, 26th SS Panzer Grenadier and 27th SS Panzer Grenadier. The other 3 divisions are as yet unknown to me. Resserves set forth for Army Group B were used up in the Ardennes Offensive just as soon as they were made available. The reserves were: Italy, Fuhrer Escort Brigade (armor), Fuhrer Grenadier Brigade (armored infantry), 79 VG, 167 VG, and 9 VG Divisions. The reserves for Army Group B were also east of the Rhine River.

Epilogue

After the Battle of the Bulge, the German divisions in the west and east, began to disintegrate. With the backbone of the German Army broken, the attention of the Germans turned east again; there 133 German divisions, and about 15 Hungarian divisions were facing 22 Russian tank corps (Soviet equivalent to panzer divisions), 29 other tank and mechanized formations, three cavalry corps, and 180-225 infantry divisions (numbers vary as does the way the authors give these estimates). Although the Soviet infantry division was inferior to the German regular infantry division, it was a little better than the Volksgrendier type.

30 of the 133 German divisions were trapped in Kourland and Memmel with their backs to the sea. A further 28 divisions were guarding the oil bauxite of Hungary and blocking the way to Vienna (this included half of Guderian's armor). In Poland and East Prussia, there were 75 German divisions with which to prevent the Red Army from advancing on Warsaw and Berlin.

When the Russian January 15th offensive began. the Germans were able to hold them back for a little while, but by the end of February 25 German divisions had been trapped in East Prussia. Now there were only 50 German divisions with which to stop the Red flood fropi covering all of East and central Germany. Tn March, that Red flood stopped on purpose to let their supplies catch up. In April the offensive was again commenced, this time encircling Berlin, destroying Army Group Vistula, and taking Berlin by late March, 1945.

By this time, Hitler had committed suicide, Admiral Donitz had taken over the crumbling Third Reich, consisting of only a very small part of Germany, Austria, Italy and Hungary; not to mention parts of the Netherlands and all of Denmark and Norway. Admiral Donitz, seeing that further resistance was useless, sued for peace. unconditionally, on May 2nd; the peace treaty was signed on May 7th with hostilities to cease on May 8th, 1945.

Bibliography

Earl F. Ziemke's "The Battle for Berlin"
H.G. Well's "The War in the West"
G. Pope's "The Decimation of the Wehrmacht"

Some of the information contained in this article has come from my personal notes on the subject.