On the Allied side, a little over 30,000 paratroopers. On the German side numbers are uncertain, because after heavy earlier fighting elsewhere most German units that were resting and/or refitting in the region were severely under strength, so the known number of German army units mean little as to actual available troops.

The regular German troops in the area that the Allies knew of beforehand had been estimated at about 25,000, many of them from batallions containing elderly and partly disabled soldiers. No-one had counted on the batallions sent there just to rest and refit. It is a safe bet that the remnants of these batallions numbered at least another 25,000 troops, all battle-hardened veterans. The 'elderly' soldiers proved very good fighters as well, by the way.

So the Allied troops were as it turned out heavily outnumbered, and the German command proved to be swift-thinking and decisive. Allied commander Montgomery had been warned before the start that there might be many more German troops in the area than anticipated, but he refused to change his plans.