The German military performance during World War Two.
Part III of the assessment of the fighting power of the Wehrmacht in WW2.
back to Part II: Wehrmacht vs US Army
German Performance against the Western Allies
With the development and refinement of the ‘Quantified Judgement Method for Analysis of Historical Combat’ – QJMA – the Historical Evaluation and Research Organization (HERO) has set up a database of more than 100 battles of the Second World War and additionally data from the wars in Korea and the Middle East.
Of these, 75 battles between German and Western Allied divisions and army corps are listed below, with a summary of some data that were collected for each of these battles. There are troops, tactical behavior, success and failure, loss and fighting power and the ratio of soldiers of both sides.
With the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943, the Western Allies had entered the weakest part of the allegedly ‘impregnable fortress of Europe’. This was followed by the arrest of Italy’s dictator Mussolini and the subsequent fall of the most important German ally in Europe.
It was true that the German front in Italy could only be slowly pushed back from Salerno to the Gustav line, Monte Cassino, and the Allied landing at Anzio until the breakthrough of the Goths line, but the conquest of Rome by the Allies on June 4, 1944, was the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany, only two days later, the invasion of Normandy followed with the subsequent battles in France and at the German frontier.
The last row is called score, which is a score or grade based on the evaluation of the previous figures. This value indicates the losses per day as a percentage of the forces that caused these losses; it is determined by setting the losses of one side to the total personnel strength of the other side. Thus, the value shows losses per day per 100 men.
The score effect value is modified to the adjusted approximately determined defender’s advantage. Here, a factor is applied, which resulted from extensive research of WW2.
The defender advantage is in rapidly equipped defense adopted by 1.3, 1.5 for prepared defense and 1.6 for defense with field fortifications.
Results of 75 selected battles
ITALY – Salerno Campaign (September 9-18, 1943):
Engagement | Units | Ratio soldiers | Result | Casualties per day | Score Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Port of Salerno (Sep 9-11) | brit 46 ID | 304% | attack failed | 3.95% | 1.02 |
16 Pz.Div | prepared defense successfully | 0.94% | 3.85 |
||
Amphitheater (Sep 9-11) | brit 56 ID | 304% | attack failed | 2.98% | 0.99 |
16 Pz.Div | prepared defense successfully | 0.78% | 2.75 |
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Sele-Calore corridor (Sep 11) | US 45 ID | 146% | attack failed | 2.01% | 1.12 |
16 Pz.Div | defense successfully | 0.71% | 2.45 |
||
Tobacco factory (Sep 13-14) | US 45 ID | 116% | defense successfully | 1.58% | 1.96 |
16+19 Pz.Div | attack failed | 2.38% | 2.51 |
||
Vietri I (Sep 12-14) | brit 46 ID | 116% | defense successfully | 2.25% | 1.78 |
HG Pz.Div | attack failed | 1.50% | 2.30 |
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Battipaglia I (Sep 12-15) | brit 56 ID | 76% | defense successfully | 3.65% | 1.61 |
16 Pz.Div reinforced | attack failed | 1.89% | 3.86 |
||
Vietri II (Sep 17-18) | brit 46 ID | 142% | defense successfully | 0.67% | 1.59 |
HG Pz.Div | attack failed | 1.50% | 1.42 |
||
Battipaglia II (Sep 17-18) | brit 56 ID | 211% | attack successfully | 1.02% | 0.98 |
16 Pz.Div | delaying defense failed | 0.79% | 2.02 |
||
Eboli (Sep 17-18) | US 45 ID | 232% | attack successfully | 1.24% | 0.96 |
16 + parts 26 Pz.Div | delaying defense failed | 0.90% | 2.44 |
ITALY – Volturno Campaign (October 12-December 8, 1943):
Engagement | Units | Ratio soldiers | Result | Casualties per day | Score Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grazzanise (Oct 12-14) | brit 7 AD | 180% | attack successfully | 0.85% | 0.68 |
15 Pz.Gren. | prepared defense failed | 0.33% | 2.05 |
||
Capua (Oct 13) | brit 56 ID | 211% | attack failed | 2.49% | 1.08 |
HG Pz.Div | prepared defense successfully | 1.18% | 3.94 |
||
Triflisco (Oct 13-14) | US 3 ID | 255% | attack successfully | 0.72% | 0.75 |
HG Pz.Div | prepared defense failed | 0.52% | 2.50 |
||
Monte Acero (Oct 13-14) | US 45 ID | 330% | attack draw | 0.31% | 1.26 |
3 Pz.Gren. + 26 Pz.Div | delaying defense draw | 1.01% | 1.22 |
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Caiazzo (Oct 13-14) | US 34 ID | 283% | attack successfully | 0.36% | 0.58 |
3 Pz.Gren | delaying defense failed | 0.40% | 1.66 |
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Castel Volturno (Oct 13-15) | brit 46 ID | 218% | attack successfully | 1.13% | 0.51 |
15 Pz.Gren | prepared defense failed | 0.25% | 2.94 |
||
Dragoni (Oct 15-17) | US 34 ID | 331% | attack successfully | 0.13% | 0.89 |
3 Pz.Gren | delaying defense failed | 0.33% | 1.33 |
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Canal I (Oct 15-20) | brit 46 ID | 215% | attack successfully | 0.42% | 0.93 |
15 Pz.Gren | prepared defense failed | 0.57% | 1.73 |
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Canal II (Oct 17-18) | brit. 7 AD | 179% | attack successfully | 0.43% | 0.75 |
15 Pz.Gren | prepared defense failed | 0.28% | 1.60 |
||
Francolise (Oct 20-22) | brit. 7 AD | 173% | attack draw | 0.18% | 0.96 |
15 Pz.Gren | delaying defense draw | 0.18% | 1.06 |
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Monte Grande (Oct 16-17) | brit 56 ID | 227% | attack successfully | 0.61% | 0.76 |
HG Pz.Div. | delaying defense failed | 0.46% | 2.20 |
||
Santa Maria Oliveto (Nov 4-5) | US 34 ID | 267% | attack successfully | 1.23% | 1.28 |
3 Pz.Gren. reinforced | delaying defense failed | 1.69% | 3.28 |
||
Monte Lungo (Nov 6-7) | US 3 ID | 253% | attack failed | 1.09% | 1.34 |
3 Pz.Gren | fortified defense successfully | 1.41% | 2.53 |
||
Pozzilli (Nov 6-7) | US 45 ID | 325% | attack failed | 0.37% | 0.54 |
3 Pz.Gren | fortified defense successfully | 0.20% | 1.59 |
||
Monte Camino I (Nov 5-7) | brit 56 ID | 289% | attack failed | 0.41% | 0.81 |
15 Pz.Gren | fortified defense successfully | 0.10% | 2.06 |
||
Monte Camino II (Nov 8-12) | brit 56 ID | 65% | defense failed | 1.98% | 0.42 |
15 Pz.Gren | attack successfully | 0.14% | 2.24 |
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Monte Rotondo (Nov 8-10) | US 3 ID | 206% | attack failed | 0.34% | 0.66 |
3 Pz.Gren | fortified defense successfully | 0.25% | 1.36 |
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Monte Camino III (Nov 2-6) | brit 56 ID | 631% | attack draw | 0.67% | 1.25 |
15 Pz.Gren | fortified defense draw | 1.06% | 3.27 |
||
Calabritto (Nov 1-2) | brit 46 ID | 234% | attack draw | 0.70% | 0.84 |
15 Pz.Gren | fortified defense draw | 0.13% | 2.95 |
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Monte Maggiore (Nov 2-3) | US 36 ID | 169% | attack successfully | 0.72% | 0.59 |
15 Pz.Gren. + parts 29 Pz.Div | fortified defense failed | 0.30% | 1.82 |
ITALY – Anzio Campaign (January 22-February 29, 1944):
Engagement | Units | Ratio soldiers | Result | Casualties per day | Score Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aprilia I (Jan 25-26) | brit 1 ID | 287% | attack successfully | 2.99% | 0.81 |
3 Pz.Gren | defense failed | 0.74% | 4.60 |
||
Carroceto (Feb 7-8) | brit 1 ID | 37% | half-prepared defense successfully | 7.45% | 3.14 |
various | attack failed | 2.53% | 3.11 |
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Moletta River I (Feb 7-9) | brit 1 ID | 17% | half-prepared defense successfully | 4.09% | 1.56 |
3 Pz.Gren | attack failed | 0.64% | 1.47 |
||
Aprilia II (Feb 9) | US 45 ID | 54% | half-prepared defense successfully | 0.81% | 1.40 |
65 ID | attack failed | 1.13% | 1.33 |
||
Factory (Feb 11-12) | 1 ID | 64% | half-prepared defense failed | 1.75% | 1.35 |
various | attack successfully | 0.98% | 2.08 |
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Bowling Alley (Feb 16-19) | US 45 ID | 164% | attack failed | 0.43% | 1.77 |
various | half-prepared defense successfully | 1.46% | 1.50 |
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Moletta River II (Feb 16-19) | US 45 ID | 38% | half-prepared defense successfully | 1.60% | 1.88 |
4 German divisions | attack failed | 1.33% | 1.26 |
||
Fioccia (Feb 21-23) | brit 56 ID | 45% | half-prepared defense draw "4.34%" | 1.88 | |
65 ID + 4 Para | attack draw | 1.69% | 4.56 |
ITALY – Rome Campaign (May 11-June 4, 1944):
Engagement | Units | Ratio soldiers | Result | Casualties per day | Score Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Santa Maria Infante (May 12-13) | US 88 ID | 202% | attack successfully | 1.48% | 3.09 |
94 ID + parts 71 ID | fortified defense failed | 5.59% | 2.33 |
||
Sant Martino (May 12-13) | US 85 ID | 221% | attack draw | 3.19% | 2.62 |
94 ID | fortified defense draw | 4.42% | 4.46 |
||
Spigno (May 14-15) | US 88 ID | 223% | attack successfully | 0.94% | 2.89 |
94 ID + parts 71 ID | delaying defense failed | 4.44% | 1.95 |
||
Castellonorato (May 14-15) | US 85 ID | 219% | attack successfully | 1.63% | 1.98 |
94 ID | fortified defense failed | 2.95% | 3.04 |
||
Monte Grande (May 17-19) | US 88 ID | 287% | attack successfully | 0.76% | 2.10 |
94 ID | defense failed | 3.64% | 2.33 |
||
Formia (May 16-18) | US 85 ID | 304% | attack successfully | 0.58% | 2.06 |
94 ID | delaying defense failed | 3.15% | 2.77 |
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Itri-Fondi (May 20-22) | US 88 ID | 245% | attack successfully | 0.53% | 1.50 |
94 ID | delaying defense failed | 1.90% | 3.14 |
||
Terracinba (May 22-24) | US 85 ID | 292% | attack successfully | 0.49% | 1.64 |
94 ID | defense failed | 1.90% | 4.34 |
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Moletta Offensive (May 23-24) | brit 5 ID | 138% | attack successfully | 0.67% | 2.43 |
4 Para | fortified defense failed | 1.86% | 1.92 |
||
Anzio-Albano Road (May 23-24) | brit 1 ID | 153% | attack successfully | 0.56% | 2.48 |
65 ID | fortified defense failed | 2.16% | 1.58 |
||
Anzio Breakout (May 23-25) | US 1 AD | 127% | attack successfully | 1.46% | 2.04 |
3 + 362 ID | fortified defense failed | 3.52% | 1.74 |
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Cisterna (May 23-25) | US 3 ID | 167% | attack successfully | 2.54% | 2.48 |
362 ID | fortified defense failed | 4.52% | 2.94 |
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Sezze (May 25-27) | US 85 ID | 258% | attack successfully | 0.30% | 1.43 |
29 Pz.Div | defense failed | 1.34% | 1.47 |
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Velletri (May 26) | US 1 AD | 119% | attack failed | 5.25% | 3.84 |
362 ID | fortified defense successfully | 10.70% | 3.54 |
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Villa Crocetta (May 27-28) | US 34 ID | 131% | attack failed | 0.87% | 2.29 |
3 Pz.Gren. | fortified defense successfully | 2.18% | 1.45 |
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Campoleone Station (May 26-28) | US 45 ID | 180% | attack successfully | 0.93% | 2.34% |
65 ID | fortified defense failed | 2.74% | 1.76 |
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Ardea (May 28-30) | brit 5 ID | 203% | attack successfully | 0.52% | 1.81 |
4 Para | fortified defense failed | 1.63% | 1.60 |
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Lanuvio (May 29-June 1) | US 34 ID | 283% | attack failed | 1.19% | 1.97 |
3 Pz.Gren. | fortified defense successfully | 2.86% | 2.24 |
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Campoleone (May 29-31) | US 1 AD + 45 ID | 188% | attack draw | 1.46% | 2.02 |
3 Pz.Gren + 65 ID | fortified defense draw | 2.91% | 2.16 |
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Tarto-Tiber (June 3-4) | brit 1 + 5 ID | 350% | attack successfully | 0.75% | 2.36 |
4 Para | fortified defense failed | 3.92% | 2.44 |
See also Part IV: German military performance against the Western Allies in France and on the German frontier in 1944
see also: Battle results of World War One
References and literature
Kampfkraft (Martin van Creveld)
Der Genius des Krieges (Trevor N. Dupuy)
Den Krieg denken – Die Entwicklung der Strategie seit der Antike (Beatrice Heuser)
Der 2. Weltkrieg (C. Bertelsmann Verlag)
Der Grosse Atlas zum II. Weltkrieg (Peter Young)
Historical Atlas of World War Two – The Geography of Conflict (Ronald Story)
Krieg der Panzer (Piekalkiewicz)
Luftkrieg (Piekalkiewicz)
Zweiter Weltkrieg in Bildern (Mathias Färber)
