Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-7559950-20130911012534/@comment-3428312-20150217080235

Lordganon wrote: "Enough men?" The stripped the eastern front to do that, and were recruiting 16 year olds to fill in the gaps. And cut it out with that Soviet nonsense.

...Then you go around the Alps. The forces the Wehrmacht used in the Ardennes were not Volksturm children, but crack troops. You are correct in saying that the Vth and VIth Panzer Armees were indeed pulled from the East, but the VIIth Armee was already there. All were reinforced by the last "preferred" (non-kids, old men, etc..) conscripts.

Soviet nonsense? Here's a few sources:

"Bagration, 1944", Osprey Campaign Series (Pg 27-28) -

"Soviet rifle divisions were generally smaller than their german counterparts, averaging 2500-4000 troops. At the time of Operation Bagration a concerted efort was made to bring these units up to an average of 6000 troops.  No serious effort was made to bring them up to their nominal TOE strength of 9600 troops "

"Red Army Handbook", (Pg 32) -

" By this time, however, it was becoming apparent that the Soviet force structure of 500-plus Divisions simply exceeded their capacity to support it. [..] in mid-1944 more drastic action was neccesary. Either some of the rifle divisions would have to be demobilized and their personell used to fill out other units, or divisional strengths for below envisioned norms would have to be accepted. The  Stavka opted for the latter alternative."

"Soviet Military Doctrine from Lenin to Gorbachev, 1915-1991", (Pg 172)

"Soviet sources reflect manpower deficiencies by emphasizing the low strength of rifle units and the draconian measures used to enlist soldiers in liberated regions. By 1945 Soviet rifle divisions were often understrength, with only 3,500 to 5,000 men each."

Go around the Alps? Not possible via Italy:

