Forlonhoper said
The Germans,in WW2, kept the most intricate,up to date records throughout the conflict (Meldung).Every day Divisional sub units forwarded data to Div HQs.Div HQs forwarded this to Corps.They,in turn to Army, etc etc.These records were highly accurate,detailing troops,vehicles,weapons,food supplies,fuel supplies,stores,spares etc.I have copies of all these documents.Literally hundreds of thousands of them.This system only broke down in the last two or three weeks of the war.The data contained in them has been verified by Veterans memoirs,Allied interrogations and captures,German railway delivery charts,factory output and delivery charts and the very important PANZER LAGE Army group charts.
To give an example of how the accurate the charts are lets take a look at 2nd Panzer Div losses in the Celles battles in the Ardennes.We have the 2nd Panzer's 10th December Meldung which gives us a comprehensive breakdown of every Divisional sub unit and their organisation and strength.After the battle we have a fresh Meldung which cites all the losses.Luckily the Americans counted the 2nd Panzer losses around Celles and it matches exactly vehicle for vehicle with what the Germans had recorded.This Allied/Axis coordination of losses happened hundreds of times in the latter stages of the war.Besides the Meldung there are literally tens of thousands of delivery charts detailing supplies to every German unit in every theatre of war.These charts detail what specific supplies left the factories,where and when they were loaded onto trains.Length of journey.Time of arrival at theatre.Losses during transit and finally delivery to Division.I have charts that run into May 1945.
I too am 'hands on' having interviewed literally thousands of German veterans for the many publications that I have written.I have visited all the major Armour museums in the world including Bovington UK,Aberdeen USA and the massive Kubinka Museum in Russia and have done extensive research there.Some of my more illuminating discussions I have had were with the Modern Panzer Lehr Divisions camouflage Officers when I was invited to give a talk on Germany's strengths during the Ardennes offensive 4 years ago.
So your quote........"the high command could not have known the actual number of men at arms,nevermind the actual number of vehicles available in such a fluid situation as a collapse of a system,so quoting military figures of the time as accurate is frankly misguided and clearly misrepresents the truer picture of the time." ........becomes a little reckless and somewhat 'misguided' in itself.
You will have to let me know what you have published in this field and we can compare our work.I have contributed to Major Mike Reynold's superb SS armour series ( a world best seller),to numerous Osprey campaign books, to the recent 'Zitadelle' (Kursk) publication and the excellent 'Duel in the Mist' book which concentrates on Peiper's battlegroup in the Ardennes,even detailing individual tank camouflage and highlighting which particular factory this was applied in.Of course this is besides the 20 or so of my own publications detailing German Divisional strengths in the latter years of the war.Just Google in J Dugdale Panzer Divisions and you should recieve hundreds of replies.
Jeff