question on the final battles on western front

[teg]

What were the the reasons of the weak resistance of German troops in western front from February to May 1945? The number of German POW in the west was in several times higher than KIA. It was very different from Easter front where German troops fought very stubbornly and have a big number of bloody casualties

[Art]

The number of German POW in the west was in several times higher than KIA.

I wonder how the period before February 1945 was different.

[hucks216]

I'm sure if you asked those Allied soldiers who fought against the Germans in the west they would say that the German resistance was anything but weak. But (very) basically, the Germans knew what they had done in Russia since 1941 and that the Russians were in no mood to forgive and forget so they expected to be shot out of hand or die in a PoW Camp, as well as thoughts about what would happen to the German civilian population under Russian occupation. So there was more of a motivation to try and prevent this as much as possible whereas against the Western troops they knew that if they surrendered by and large they would live out the war and eventually return home.

[teg]

Before February 1945 were the battles of Hurtgen, Ardennes, Alsace and Arnhem Germans fought very hard

[Art]

From memory the number of German prisoners on the ETO before the end of 1944 was in excess of 400 000 (not counting operation Dragoon) which was several times more than the number of men killed in action. In every month from June 1944 and on more soldiers were taken prisoners than fell on the battlefield. By this criteria resistance before February shouldn't be considered strong either. Hence my question.

[teg]

And what were the losses of US army from 1 rst of February to the 8 th of may 1945?

[Art]

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA ... ml#page543