1,815 combat , 487 transport and 50 glider aircraft were deployed to support army group b , while a further 3,286 combat aircraft were deployed to support army groups a and c. the german army was divided into three army groups : army group a commanded by gerd von rundstedt , composed of 45 divisions including seven armored , was to execute the decisive movement , cutting a sichelschnittnot the official name of the operation but the translation in german of a phrase after the events coined by winston churchill as sickle cut ( and even earlier armored scythe stroke ) through the allied defenses in the ardennes .