German POW's captured by the U.S. 82nd Airborne division in Belgium

As a result of the tremendous casualties endured by the Wermacht during the War's first four years by 1944 the average age of a German soldier in Northwestern Europe had climbed significantly; standing at 31 years, vs. 25 years of age in American divisions deployed in Europe. By the beginning of 1944 over 1,500,000 men in the German army were over 34 years in age. In addition, many of these men were ethnic Germans, conscripted from across Europe, or "volunteers" from occupied territories in Eastern Europe, and thus lacking the motivation to fight held by native Germans.

The German 7th Army for example, one of the three German army's leading the Ardennes counteroffensive in December 1944, had fought in Normandy with 23 of its infantry battalions comprised almost entirely of former prisoners of war captured in Eastern Europe and press ganged into service with the German army. In addition, in spite of the increase in average age of the German soldier, more and more German teens were fighting as 1944 came to a close, further diluting the strength and combat capability of the once vaunted Wermacht.

Courtesy US National Archives, ARC identifier no. 195467