bigpigeon.us webpage WW II-Germany > The ETO > Ardennes/The Bulge > Ardennes, 25 December 1944, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 1 Nov 2022.

Herein is my understanding of the organization of ETO ground forces in the Ardennes after the first ten days of the German counteroffensive known as the Battle of the Bulge.
On 16 December, at the onset of the Wehrmacht attack, V Corps and VIII Corps had held the line through which the German Wehrmacht attacked..
By 25 December, six US Army corps faced the German-occupied bulge, counterclockwise from upper right on the accompanying map:
In the British 21st Army Group (Bernard Montgomery).
US First Army, Hodges, 12th Army Gp. --> 21st Army Gp. 20 December:
  • V Corps (Leonard T. Gerow, HQ Eupen).
  • XVIII Airborne Corps (Matthew B. Ridgway) arrived with the 82nd & 101st Airborne Divisions from theater reserve near Reims.
  • VII Corps (J. Lawton Collins), moved from First Army's left to right flank.
In  the US 12th Army Group (Omar Bradley, HQ Luxembourg City).
US Third Army (George S. Patton Jr., HQ Luxembourg City):
  • VIII Corps (Troy H. Middleton, HQ Bastogne -->  Neufchateau 19 December), First Army --> Third Army 20 December.
  • III Corps (John Millikin), moved from south.
  • XII Corps (Manton S. Eddy), replaced on Saar front by XV Corps, Seventh Army..
In addition:
  • Some VIII Corps forces, most notably the 101st Airborne Division, were besieged in the Bastogne area.
  • British XXX Corps, now west of the Meuse River, served as backup in case of a Wehrmacht crossing attempt, with some units on the east bank.
  • V Corps, on the Bulge's north shoulder was protected on its left flank by the 78th Infantry Division, which on 22 December was transferred from V Corps to XIX Corps, Ninth Army.
  • XII Corps, on the Bulge's south shoulder, was protected on its right flank by XX Corps, Third Army.

As Allied strength increased, in the next few days battlefield control passed from the Wehrmacht to the Allies.
The Ardennes Front
The Ardennes Front on 16, 20, & 25 December 1944
Ardennes 25 December 1944 Divisional Level Order of Battle
(incomplete)
US First Army, in Montgomery's 21st Army Group 20 December 1944 - 18 January 1945.
V Corps:
  • 5th Armored Division (VII Corps --> V Corps 23 Dec, HQ Eupen, evidently kept in reserve)
  • 9th Infantry Division (VII Corps --> V Corps 18 Dec)
  • 2nd Infantry Division (VIII Corps --> V Corps 11 Dec, hit 16 Dec)
  • 99th Infantry Division (to V Corps 4 Nov, attached to 2nd Inf. Div. 18 Dec - 7 Jan)
  • 1st Infantry Division (VII Corps reserve near Aachen --> V Corps 16 Dec)
XVIII Airborne Corps:
  • 30th Infantry Division (XIX Corps, Ninth Army reserve --> V Corps 17 Dec --> XVIII Airborne Corps 21 Dec)
  • 106th Infantry Division (residue, not on map) (to VIII Corps 29 Nov, hit 16 Dec --> XVIII Airborne Corps 20 Dec)
  • 82nd Airborne Division (to VIII Corps 17 Dec --> V Corps 18 Dec --> XVIII Airborne Corps 19 Dec)
  • 7th Armored Division (XIII Corps, Ninth Army reserve --> VIII Corps 16 Dec --> XVIII Airborne Corps 20 Dec)
VII Corps:
  • 3rd Armored Division (VII Corps --> XVIII Airborne Corps 19 Dec --> VII Corps 23 Dec)
  • 75th Infantry Division (XVI Corps, Ninth Army --> VII Corps 22 Dec)
  • 84th Infantry Division (XIII Corps, Ninth Army --> VII Corps 20 Dec)
  • 2nd Armored Division (XIX Corps, Ninth Army --> VII Corps 20 Dec)

US Third Army (in Bradley's 12th Army Group)
VIII Corps (First Army --> Third Army 20 Dec)
  • 9th Armored Division (VIII Corps --> III Corps 20 Dec --> VIII Corps 21 Dec)
          CCR attached to 101st Airborne Division 19 Dec - 31 Dec.
          CCA attached to 10th Armored Division 20 Dec - 26 Dec.
          CCB attached to 7th Armored Division 22 Dec - 7 Jan.
  • 28th Infantry Division (hit 16 Dec.; left line for Neufchateau 22 Dec.)
VIII Corps units in Bastogne
  • 101st Airborne Division (from 17 Dec)
  • 9th Armored Division, CCR
  • 10th Armored Division, CCB
III Corps:
  • 4th Armored Division (--> XII Corps 13 Aug --> III Corps 19 Dec --> VIII Corps 2 Jan --> XII Corps 12 Jan)
  • 26th Infantry Division (Third Army reserve --> XII Corps 1 Oct --> III Corps 12 Dec --> XX Corps 28 Jan)
  • 80th Infantry Division (Third Army reserve --> XII Corps 26 Aug --> III Corps 19 Dec --> XII Corps 26 Dec)
  • 35th Infantry Division (pending) (--> XII Corps 13 Aug --> XX Corps 24 Dec --> III Corps 26 Dec)
XII Corps:
  • 10th Armored Division (XX Corps --> VIII Corps 17 December --> III Corps 20 December --> XII Corps 21 December --> XX Corps 26 December).
         CCB attached to VIII Corps 22 December - 18 January.
         CCR attached to 9th Armored Division 22 December - 26 December.
  • 5th Infantry Division (XX Corps --> XII Corps 21 December).
  • 4th Infantry Division (VIII Corps --> III Corps 20 December --> XII Corps 21 December).
​
Notes:
  • A WWII US armored division could spawn three semi-independent Combat Commands, CCA, CCB, and CCR, and an infantry division three Regimental Combat Teams. In combat, smaller armored division units would often be called task forces, identified via the name of the commander.



Sources for Big Pigeon's The ETO > Ardennes/The Bulge > Ardennes, 25 December 1944 webpage:​​ Sources specific to this webpage: Other Sources: