In the desperate winter of 1944, as the Allied forces pushed relentlessly into Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler conceived a daring plan to regain the initiative on the Western Front. This ambitious strategy, known as the Ardennes Counteroffensive, hinged on speed and surprise, aiming to split the Allied armies and recapture the vital port of Antwerp. Central to this audacious operation was a highly unorthodox and controversial element: the deployment of German soldiers disguised in German Wwii Uniforms, or rather, disguised as their enemy – American uniforms. This deception was entrusted to the infamous Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny and his specially formed unit, tasked with Operation Greif.
Hitler summoned Skorzeny in October 1944 to personally outline the mission. Skorzeny, already renowned for daring exploits like the rescue of Benito Mussolini, was now charged with an even more audacious undertaking. He was to assemble and train a commando unit that would operate ahead of the main German advance, spearheaded by the 6th Panzer Army. Their objectives were multifaceted: seize crucial bridges over the Meuse River, and sow confusion and chaos behind Allied lines through espionage and sabotage.
The linchpin of Skorzeny’s plan was deception. He would equip his men with captured American uniforms and equipment, enabling them to infiltrate Allied positions and operate undetected. Hitler, citing alleged Allied precedents, reassured Skorzeny that wearing enemy uniforms was only a war crime if combat was engaged while disguised. This dubious legal justification underscored the desperate measures Nazi Germany was willing to take.
Skorzeny established his command at Grafenwöhr, facing a daunting six-week deadline. Despite Hitler’s promises of unlimited resources, support fell short. American equipment was scarce – a mere handful of jeeps, trucks, halftracks, and a single Sherman tank. To compensate, Panzerbrigade 150, Skorzeny’s main combat force, was equipped with approximately 70 German tanks cleverly camouflaged to resemble American armored vehicles. These “Ersatz M10s,” Panthers modified to mimic the appearance of American M10 tank destroyers, became a symbol of this elaborate deception.
A knocked out Ersatz M10, a German Panther tank disguised to resemble an American M10 tank destroyer, complete with American markings on its hull and turret, used in Operation Greif during the Battle of the Bulge.
Adding to the operation’s precarious nature, a security breach occurred when Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel issued a Wehrmacht-wide appeal for English-speaking volunteers for Skorzeny’s special unit. While around 2,000 men responded, most possessed only rudimentary English. Only a handful were fluent, and a few dozen more could hold basic conversations. Skorzeny selected the best English speakers to form Einheit Stielau, a reconnaissance group of small teams tasked with infiltration and sabotage. However, with limited time, their commando training was basic at best.
Rumors circulated amongst the commandos, fueled by the operation’s secrecy, that their mission included assassinating General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Despite Skorzeny’s attempts to dispel these rumors, they reached American intelligence. Ironically, this unintended consequence became one of Operation Greif’s most significant impacts. When the Ardennes Offensive commenced on December 16, 1944, reports of German soldiers in American German WWII uniforms (or rather, American uniforms worn by Germans) spread rapidly, creating widespread panic and confusion. The number of disguised commandos was vastly overestimated, but the captured infiltrators confirmed the threat, amplifying fears of assassination plots targeting senior Allied commanders. Generals Eisenhower and Bradley were consequently forced to curtail their movements, significantly hampering Allied command and control during the critical early stages of the German offensive.
While the assassination threat was exaggerated, Einheit Stielau achieved some success in disrupting Allied lines. Disguised as military police, one team redirected an entire American regiment. Another team severed crucial communication lines to General Bradley’s headquarters. Although their numbers were insufficient to execute all the sabotage attributed to them, their actions, both real and perceived, contributed to the initial Allied disarray and negatively impacted morale.
However, the German offensive soon faltered, meeting unexpectedly stiff resistance. Panzerbrigade 150’s effectiveness relied on a swift breakthrough, which never materialized. By the second day, Skorzeny recognized the operation’s failure in its intended form. The brigade was repurposed as a conventional unit within the 1st SS Panzer Corps. Skorzeny himself was wounded shortly after, near Ligneuville, Belgium, effectively ending his direct involvement.
Wilhelm Schmidt, Günther Billing, and Manfred Pernass, German soldiers from Einheit Stielau captured by American troops during the Battle of the Bulge, highlighting the risks associated with operating in enemy uniforms. Courtesy of The National World War II Museum.
Meanwhile, the fate of Skorzeny’s commandos was grim. American forces systematically hunted down and captured or killed most of them. Only a single team managed to return to German lines. Three members of Einheit Stielau – Günther Billing, Wilhelm Schmidt, and Manfred Pernass – were apprehended near Awaille, Belgium, on December 18, 1944. A military commission swiftly convened, trying them for violating the laws of war by wearing American uniforms and for espionage. They were found guilty and sentenced to death.
German infiltrators, members of Operation Greif, lined up for execution by firing squad on December 23, 1944, after being convicted by a US military court for wearing U.S. uniforms during the Battle of the Bulge. This image underscores the severe consequences of using enemy German WWII uniforms for deception in warfare. Photo: https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/german-commandos-captured-american-uniform-1944/
The death sentences were quickly reviewed and approved, and the executions carried out on December 23, 1944. This harsh response reflected the American military’s outrage and the perceived threat posed by the disguised German soldiers.
Skorzeny’s accountability for Operation Greif came after the war. He surrendered in May 1945 and was imprisoned for two years before his trial in Dachau in 1947. He admitted his role in Operation Greif, but his defense attorney skillfully argued that American forces had also used German WWII uniforms for deception, citing instances during the Aachen fighting. Skorzeny maintained he ordered his men to remove American uniforms before engaging in combat.
Unexpectedly, Royal Air Force Wing Commander Forest Yeo-Thomas, a British agent, testified in Skorzeny’s defense. Yeo-Thomas recounted his own experiences of escaping German captivity by disguising himself and fellow prisoners in enemy uniforms. He argued that Skorzeny’s actions were no different. This testimony, combined with the legal interpretation that wearing enemy uniforms was only a war crime if combat occurred while disguised, led to Skorzeny’s acquittal.
Otto Skorzeny (left), the mastermind behind Operation Greif and the controversial use of German WWII uniforms in deception, pictured with President of Argentina Juan Perón (center) in his post-war life. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Skorzeny escaped denazification court custody in 1948 and lived a controversial life, rumored to have worked with various intelligence agencies. He died in 1975, leaving behind a complex legacy – viewed by some as a war criminal and by others as a daring commando pioneer. Operation Greif and its use of disguised German WWII uniforms remain a stark example of the moral ambiguities and brutal realities of warfare, highlighting the desperate measures taken in the waning years of World War II and the severe consequences for those who blurred the lines of conventional combat.
