Thanks for the link Mserafin, it was useful to research more.
A source indicates that for their first action against the US platoon the Fallschirmjager battalion losses were: 92 casualties ( 16 killed, 63 wounded, 13 missing ). [extract on internet, so no reference]
Some fragment of text from a book on google book search (source: Battle of the Bulge, Vol. 3: The 3rd Fallschirmjager Division in Action) indicate that the battalion is made at least from company 1,2,3.
Same book indicates that the division was at 75% of authorized strength
from: feldgrau.com/genfall.html
"Fallschirmjaeger Regiment: three battalions (853 men each). each Battalion had three rifle companies (170 men each) and a machine-gun Company (8 heavy machine-guns, four 81MM mortars and two 75MM light (recoilless) guns (205 men). The Regiment also had an anti-tank Company (three towed 75MM anti-tank guns and a large number of infantry anti-tank weapons – 186 men) and a mortar Company (nine – twelve 120MM mortars – 163 men). regimental strength was 3,206 men."
If we consider only the riffle companies, that would be around 510 men. Possibly at 75% capacity or 382 men (however, we might think that the rifle companies had more men as they are the core of the fighting force in the battalion)
Putting all this together with an interview with Peiper himself that I found online:
link
"I was told then to drive to Lanzerath, where I should meet elements of the parachute regiment of 3 Fallschirmjäger Division. This regiment had attempted to attack through the woods west of Lanzerath towards Honsfeld and had been repelled three times. I received orders to take over this regiment and to attack."
[…]"At this point I became very angry and ordered the parachute regiment to give me one battalion, and I would lead the breakthrough."
"on 19 December 1944, we attacked Stoumont with one battalion of armored infantry and one company of parachutists"
It is still not entirely clear which battalion attacked even though it is commonly accepted it was the third. However, reading testimonies, it would appear that other companies (not from the 3rd?) where participating to the attack in Lanzerath – (will read the book when it arrives).
Under many different assumptions:
3 companies (between 380-500 men int total)
losses at Lanzerath: 92 (but then why take a battalion that sustained between 18 to 29% losses ?!?). Unit would be largely ineffective, unless several battalions or a different one conducted the attack at Lanzerath.
If I had to eyeball it, I would say 2 companies at 140 men each were attached to the Kampfgruppe.
Do not forget they had no vehicles:
"About half to three-quarters of an hour, allowing the parachute elements to close up. Most of them rode up on the rear tanks of my column."
The rear tanks were mainly Tiger IIs. Only twenty or so if memory serves were operational. 12 men per tank as an estimate make 240 men.
But it is not that simple. Just rough figures, that could still vary wildly.
For the sake of a brigade level game, I could simply attach a couple of FJ companies.
