Unternehmen Bodenplatte (Operation Baseplate or Operation Ground Plate), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during Second World War. The Germans husbanded their resources in the preceding months at the expense of the Defence of the Reich units in what was a last-ditch effort to keep up the momentum of the German Army () during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge (). The following is an order of battle of Allied and German forces. German order of battle On 31 December 1944, the Luftwaffe had the following available for Bodenplatte under Luftwaffenkommando West (Air Command West) (Joseph Schmid): II Jagdkorps (Dietrich Peltz) 3rd Jagddivision (3rd Fighter Division) (Walter Grabmann) at Wiedenbrück Jagdabschnittsführer Mittelrhein (Fighter Sector Leader Middle Rhine) 5th Jagddivision (5th Fighter Division) (Karl Hentschell) at Karlsruhe 3rd Fliegerdivision (3rd Air Division) Allied order of battle RAF No. 83 Group The Allies had the following forces: No. 83 Group RAF: RAF No. 84 Group No. 84 Group RAF: RAF No. 2 Group No. 2 Group RAF: American Tactical Air Forces Ninth Air Force: American Strategic Air Forces Although some of its units were present, the Eighth Air Force is not listed on the Allied order of battle. See also Luftwaffe Organization German Air Fleets in World War II References Citations Bibliography Bekker, Cajus. Angriffshöhe 4000. Caldwell, Don.JG 26; Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. Caldwell, Donald L. (1994). JG 26 Photographic History of the Luftwaffe's Top Gun. Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers. . de Zeng, H.L; Stanket, D.G; Creek, E.J. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 1. Ian Allan Publishing, 2007. de Zeng, H.L; Stanket, D.G; Creek, E.J. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 2. Ian Allan Publishing, 2007. Forsythe, Robert. JV 44; The Galland Circus. Burgess Hill, West Sussex, UK: Classic Publications, 1996. Forsythe, Robert & Laurier, Jagdverband 44: Squadron of Experten. Osprey. London. 2008. Franks, Norman The Battle of the Airfields: 1 January 1945. Grub Street. 1994. London. & Franks, Norman Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War: Volume 3, Operational Losses, Aircraft and Crews 1944-1945. (Incorporating Air Defence Great Britain and 2nd TAF Midland. 2000. London. . . . . Johnson, J.E. Wing Leader (Fighter Pilots). London: Goodall Publications Ltd. 2000 (original edition 1956). . . National Archives.