bigpigeon.us webpage WWII-Germany > The ETO > War of Attrition > ETO, 15 December 1944, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 2 Nov 2022.

Herein is a brief ETO order of battle for 15 December 1944, the last day before the German Ardennes counteroffensive.
The situation, mid-December 1944:

By 15 December 1944, the fall 1944 War of Attrition in the European Theater had lasted for three months.
  • In the US First Army sector, VII Corps and V Corps were engaged in moderate combat, while VIII Corps rested in the Eifel region of the Rhineland, along a front which had been static since late September.
  • In the US Third Army sector, XII Corps was beginning to penetrate the portion of Germany's Siegfried Line that protected the Saarland.
  • There was little activity along the remainder of the ETO front.
Western Europe, 15 December 1944
Western Europe, The General Situation, 15 December 1944
Scalable Version of above Map
ETO Order of Battle 15 December 1944
(units are generally listed from clockwise from northwest)
 21st Army Group – (Montgomery)
Canadian 1st Army (Crerar)
  • Canadian I Corps
  • Canadian II Corps
  • British I Corps - COMMZ duties around Antwerp.
British 2nd Army (Dempsey) 
  • British VIII Corps 
  • British XII Corps 
  • British XXX Corps

12th Army Group – (Bradley)
​US Ninth Army (Simpson), rear area --> First Army right flank ~ 1 October --> First Army left flank 22 October.
  • XIII Corps (Gillem) 
  • XIX Corps (McLain), First Army --> Ninth Army 22? October.
  • XVI Corps (Anderson), rear area --> Ninth Army ~ 22 October, in reserve.
US First Army (Hodges) 
  • VII Corps (Collins) 
  • V Corps (Gerow) 
  • VIII Corps (Middleton), Ninth Army --> First Army 22 October. 
US Third Army (Patton)​
  • XX Corps (Walker) 
  • XII Corps (Eddy) ​
  • III Corps (Millikin), rear area --> Third Army 10 October; in reserve.​

6th Army Group – (Devers)
US Seventh Army (Patch)​
  • XV Corps (Haislip), Third Army --> Seventh Army 29 September.
  •  VI Corps (Brooks)
French First Army (de Lattre)
  • French Second Corps (Monsabert)
  • French First Corps (Bethouart)
Situation Map for 15 December 1944
The accompanying map is the 12th Army Group's situation map for 15 December 1944.

At this time, major ETO activity was in the US First Army sector. Elements of VII Corps and V Corps were in combat with the Wehrmacht in the general areas of Düren and Monschau.

About the ETO situation maps:
  • It's not likely that a situation map will interest the casual Big Pigeon visitor.
  • The 12th Army Group's situation maps generally include the other ETO army groups.
  • These situation maps are courtesy of the Library of Congress and are scalable.
ETO, 15 December 1944
ETO Situation Map, 15 December 1944
Scalable Map
Sources for Big Pigeon's The ETO > War of Attrition > ETO, 15 December 1944 webpage: ​Sources specific to this webpage: