▁began ▁on ▁ 6 ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁after ▁von ▁We ich s ▁had ▁issued ▁his ▁initial ▁orders . ▁Hitler ▁gave ▁his ▁appro val ▁to ▁von ▁We ich s ' ▁final ▁plans ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁May . ▁The ▁order ▁to ▁XV ▁Mountain ▁Corps ▁was ▁issued ▁by ▁ ▁L oth ar ▁R end ul ic , ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁ 2 nd ▁Pan zer ▁Army , ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁leaving ▁only ▁three ▁days ▁for ▁prepar ation . ▁ ▁Ernst ▁von ▁Ley ser , ▁commander ▁of ▁XV ▁Mountain ▁Corps ▁head qu arter ed ▁at ▁Kn in , ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁the ▁operation . ▁The ▁ground ▁forces ▁of ▁von ▁Ley ser ' s ▁XV ▁Mountain ▁Corps ▁were ▁significantly ▁rein for ced ▁from ▁Army ▁Group ▁F , ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Pan zer ▁Army ▁and ▁V ▁SS ▁Mountain ▁Corps ▁res erves . ▁These ▁rein for c ements ▁included ▁two ▁pan zer ▁companies , ▁the ▁reconna issance ▁batt al ions ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Mountain ▁Division ▁( the ▁ 5 4 th ▁Mountain ▁Re con na issance ▁Battalion ) ▁and ▁the ▁ 3 6 9 th ▁( C ro at ian ) ▁Infantry ▁Division , ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁SS ▁Vol unte er ▁Mountain ▁Division ▁Prin z ▁Eugen . ▁The ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁German ▁troops ▁allocated ▁to ▁the ▁operation ▁was ▁about ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 ▁men . ▁ ▁In ▁outline , ▁the ▁XV ▁Mountain ▁Corps ▁plan ▁was ▁for ▁a ▁heavy ▁aer ial