Adolf Hitler realized he had to grab at least one intact bridge across the Meuse River if he were developing his Ardennes Counteroffensive plan. Given Hitler's ambitious goals of separating the US and British armies, crossing the Meuse, and driving to the coast at Antwerp, speed was crucial to his scheme.
Should the Germans fail to grab an intact bridge across the Meuse, the resultant delay would allow the Allies time to recover from their surprise and gather forces west of the river before the Germans could pass. Hitler assigned Otto Skorzeny, Lieutenant Colonel, a specific task known as Operation Greif to avoid this.
To personally deliver his orders, Hitler visited Skorzeny at his headquarters in October 1944. Though this would be his biggest and most complicated, Skorzeny had led covert operations for Hitler before, including the rescue of Benito Mussolini. He was to equip and train a unit of commandos advancing alongside the 6th Panzer Army, the front of the northern advance of the offensive. Apart from grabbing at least one bridge across the Meuse, the commandos would employ sabotage and espionage to create havoc in the Allied rear.
Skorzeny would rely on dishonesty to accomplish this, assigning English-speaking troops US Army gear and uniforms. Hitler told Skorzeny that in recent conflicts the Allies had employed this same tactic. He reassured his devoted commando that posing as Americans would only break the rules of war if the German soldiers engaged in fighting while disguised.
Skorzeny set up his command at Grafenwöhr, Germany. He had much to do given only six weeks to get ready.
Though like most of his assertions regarding the Ardennes Counteroffensive, Hitler promised unlimited support, but this was an overstatement that proved false. Just a few dozen jeeps, trucks, and halftracks—one Sherman tank—Skorzeny received far less American equipment than expected. He equipped his main combat force, known as Panzerbrigade 150, with roughly 70 German tanks disguised to resemble American armored vehicles in order to cover the difference.