See main article: Unternehmen Bodenplatte.
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 (de|[[German Army (Wehrmacht)|Heer]]) during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge (de|Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein).
The following is an order of battle of Allied and German forces.
On 31 December 1944, the Luftwaffe had the following available for Bodenplatte under Luftwaffenkommando West (Air Command West) (Joseph Schmid):
| Parent unit | Geschwader Base | Unit (Gruppe) | Aircraft Type | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jagdgeschwader 1 | Stab and I./II./III. Gruppe | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | Herbert Ihlefeld | |
| Jagdgeschwader 3 | Sennelager/Paderborn/Bad Lippspringe/Gutersloh | Stab/I./II./III./IV. | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | Heinrich Bär |
| Jagdgeschwader 6 | Quakenbruck/Delmenhorst/Vechta/Bissel | Stab/I./II./III. | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | Johann Kogler |
| Jagdgeschwader 26 | Furstenau/Furstenau/Nordhorn/Plantlunne | Stab/I./II./III. | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | Josef Priller |
| Jagdgeschwader 27 | Stab/I./II./III./IV. | Bf 109 | Ludwig Franzisket | |
| Jagdgeschwader 54 | Furstenau/Vorden | III./IV. | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | N/A - only III and IV Gruppen took part. |
| Jagdgeschwader 77 | Stab/I./II./III. | Bf 109 | Siegfried Freytag | |
| Parent unit | Geschwader Base | Unit (Gruppe) | Aircraft Type | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jagdgeschwader 2 | Nidda/Merzhausen/Nidda/Altenstadt | Stab/I./II./III. | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | Kurt Bühligen |
| Jagdgeschwader 4 | Rhein-Main/Darmstadt-Griesheim/Rhein-Main | Stab/I./II./III./IV. | Gerhard Michalski | |
| Jagdgeschwader 11 | Biblis/Biblis/Zellhausen/Gross-Ostheim | Stab/I./II./III. | Fw 190 and Bf 109 | Günther Specht |
| Schlachtgeschwader 4 | Bonn-Hangelar/Bonn-Hangelar/Koln-Butzweilerhof/Koln-Wahn | Stab/I./II./III. | Fw 190 | Alfred Druschel |
The Allies had the following forces:No. 83 Group RAF
| Wing Number | Squadron Numbers | Aircraft Type | Airfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 174/175/184 | Volkel | |
| 122 | 3/56/80/274/486 | Volkel | |
| 124 | 137/181/182/247 | Typhoon | Eindhoven |
| 126 | 401/402/411/412/442 | Ophoven | |
| 127 | 403/416 | Spitfire | Evere |
| 143 | 168/438/439/440 | Typhoon | Eindhoven |
| 39 Recce Wing | 400/414/430 | Spitfire | Gilze-Rijen |
| Wing Number | Squadrons | Aircraft Type | Airfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 131 | 302/308/317 | Spitfire | St. Denis Westrem |
| 132 | 66/127/322/331/332 | Spitfire | Woensdrecht |
| 135 | 349/485 | Spitfire | Maldegem |
| 145 | 341/74/329/345 | Spitfire | Deurne |
| 146 | 193/197/257/263/266 | Typhoon | Deurne |
| 35 Recce Wing | 2/4/268 | P-51 Mustang/Spitfire | Gilze-Rijen |
| Wing Number | Squadrons | Aircraft Type | Airfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 139 | 98/180/320 | Melsbroek | |
| 34 Recce Wing | 16/69/140 | Melsbroek | |
| Fighter Group | Squadrons | Aircraft Type | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 366 | 389/390/391 | Colonel Norman Holt | |
| 352 | 486/487/328 | Colonel James Mayden | |
| 48 | 492/493/494 | P-47 | Colonel James Johnson |
| 36 | 22/23/53 | P-47 | Lt Colonel Van H. Slayden |
| 363 | 33 | F-5 Lightning | Colonel James Smelley |
| 373 | 410/411/412 | P-47 | Colonel James McGehee |
| 365 | 386/387/388 | P-47 | Colonel Ray Stecker |
| 362 | 377/378/379 | P-51 | Colonel Joseph Laughlin |
| 50 | 10/81/313 | P-47 | Colonel Harvey Case |
| 358 | 365/366/367 | P-47 | Colonel James Tipton Laughlin |
Although some of its units were present, the Eighth Air Force is not listed on the Allied order of battle.