What were the German soldiers' perceptions of the American soldiers during World War II?

 Many German soldiers were frustrated with the American way of fighting, especially the officers who felt they didn’t have the same resources. Regular soldiers were annoyed that American infantry often avoided direct confrontations and relied heavily on artillery and airpower to weaken the enemy.

Americans were bolder than the cautious British but didn’t charge recklessly like the Russians, who suffered heavy losses. The U.S. Army used a tactic called the "holding attack," which aimed to take advantage of their strengths in logistics, artillery, and air support to minimize casualties. This approach was quite successful.

The structure of U.S. units followed a pattern of three: three squads made a platoon, three platoons formed a company, three companies created a battalion, and three battalions made an infantry regiment. A division consisted of three regiments.

When a division faced the enemy, one regiment would engage to pin them down. Meanwhile, airpower and focused artillery would bombard the enemy while the other regiments moved to outflank them. This method would continue as needed.

German soldiers were known for their strong defense throughout the war, whether in Italy, Russia, or elsewhere. They rarely retreated willingly; they had to be forced out of their positions until they could no longer fight.

The holding attack helped avoid the heavy casualties the Germans inflicted during direct assaults on the Russians. U.S. artillery and air support not only demoralized the Germans but also weakened their ability to hold their ground.

When on defense, Americans rarely retreated and didn’t collapse like the French army in 1940. During the Battle of the Bulge, when the front lines were breached, American forces fell back to strongholds like St. Vith and Bastogne, holding Elsenborn Ridge until reinforcements arrived.

The Americans were confident that help would come. New divisions were always moving into the front lines, the air corps was ready to strike when the weather was good, and artillery was constantly bombarding the enemy. The Americans effectively used their advantages, while the Germans, although aware of their own strengths, could not match the capabilities they had once enjoyed during Blitzkrieg in 1945.