bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The ETO > War of Attrition > ETO, September 1944, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 30 Dec 2023.

Herein is a brief ETO order of battle for 15 September 1944, the first day of the official Rhineland Campaign.
The situation, mid-September 1944:

By 15 September 1944, the Allies' late-summer dash across France and Belgium had ended and the fall 1944 war of attrition was beginning.
  • Advance units of the US First Army had penetrated into Germany's defensive Siegfried Line in at least four locations, but only in the Aachen area would these penetrations last.
  • The US Third Army had crossed the Moselle River at Luneville, but would be held up at Metz on the Moselle for over two months.
  • The US Seventh Army, accompanied by the French 1st Army, was just arriving from its advance north from the Mediterranean and would spend two months in Lorraine clearing the Vosges foothills before driving into northern Alsace.
  • The US Ninth Army had assumed responsibility for the conclusion of the Brittany Campaign and was preparing to move east to join the line of Allied armies facing the German Wehrmacht.
In the north, the British Second Army, with US help, was about to begin the futile effort to seize Arnhem at the top of the accompanying map, while the Canadian First Army was occupied with clearing English Channel ports.
The ETO - 15 Sep 1944
The Allied Front, 15 September 1944
ETO Order of Battle 15 September 1944
(units are generally listed from clockwise from northwest)
 21st Army Group – (Montgomery)
Canadian 1st Army (Crerar)
  • British I Corps
  • Canadian II Corps
British 2nd Army (Dempsey) 
  • British VIII Corps, in rear
  • British XII Corps 
  • British XXX Corps

12th Army Group – (Bradley)
US First Army (Hodges) 
  • XIX Corps (Corlett --> McLain 15 October)
  • VII Corps (Collins) 
  • V Corps (Gerow) 
US Third Army (Patton)​
  • XX Corps (Walker) 
  • XII Corps (Eddy) 
  • XV Corps (Haislip) --> Seventh Army 29 September​
  • III Corps (Millikin), entered ETO order of battle with Third Army 10 October
​US Ninth Army (Simpson), forming in Brittany area
  • VIII Corps (Middleton), in Brittany, Third Army --> Ninth Army 5 September

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

At this time, major ETO activity was in the US First Army sector. Forward elements of VII Corps and V Corps were in combat with the Wehrmacht, which had hastily manned the Siegfried Line after withdrawing from France.

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.
Situation Map, 15 September 1944
ETO Situation Map, 15 September 1944
Scalable Map
Sources for Big Pigeon's The ETO > War of Attrition > ETO, 15 September 1944 webpage: ​Sources specific to this webpage: