Ardennes Counteroffensive: Secondary operations (Greif & Währung)

Operation Grief and Währung were two secondary operations carried out by the 9th Waffen-SS division. They were commanded by Waffen-SS Commander Otto Skorenzy

Otto Skorenzy in 1944

The idea was to have German SS units infiltrate the Allied lines under the guise of American MP's and create certain level of confusion. Their primary objectives were important bridges on the Meuse and Our rivers. The commando units were assembled from the best English-speaking soldiers in the Waffen-SS and in some cases the Wehrmacht as well.
Unfortunately, these men had little knowledge of commando tactics, and there was little time to train them. They were given crash-course style training in certain skills like Radio operations, Demolition, etc. They also studied the U.S. Army's rank-and-field structure.

Dressed in US Army uniforms (the highest US Army rank used was that of colonel), armed with US Army weapons, and using US Army jeeps, the commandos were given three missions:

• Demolition squads of 5 or 6 men were to destroy bridges, ammunition dumps, and fuel stores.

• Reconnaissance patrols of 3 or 4 men were to patrol on both sides of the Meuse river and also pass on false orders to any American units they met, alter road signs, remove minefield warnings, and cordon off roads and warning of false mine-fields

• "Lead" commando units would work closely with the attacking units to disrupt the US chain of command by destroying field telephone wires and radio stations, and issuing false orders.

 American MP's created roadblocks and asked questions to passing soldiers, questions every American was expected to know. This also resulted in detaining of General Omar Bradley by error. Due to this method, most of these soldiers were captured. But one positive impact it did have was that the rumors spread by these Germans circulated all the way to the Allied High command.
One rumor spread by such captured soldiers was that Skorenzy and his personal commandos were on a mission to capture Dwight D. Eisenhower. Because Skorenzy was well known about his rescue about Benito Mussolini, security around Eisenhower was increased, and hence he wasn't quite excited about spending the christmas of 1944 alone.