German Second Army
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The German Second Army (German: 2. Armee Oberkommando) was a World War I and World War II field army.
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[edit] First World War
The German Second Army during World War I, fought on the Western Front and took part in the Schlieffen Plan offensive against France and Belgium in August 1914. Commanded by General Karl von Bülow, the Second Army's job was to support the German First Army's right sweep of the left flank of the French Army and encircling Paris, bringing a rapid conclusion to the war. The Second Army sieged, and took the Belgian fortresses around Namur, and fought Gen. Charles Lanrezac's French Fifth Army at the Battle of Charleroi on August 23-24, 1914 and again at St. Quentin on August 29-30, 1914.
[edit] Commanders
- General Karl von Bülow (1914–March 1915)
[edit] Second World War
The Second Army was activated on October 20, 1939 with General Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs in command. First seeing service in France, the army was involved in the invasion of the Balkans, before offensive operations in the Ukraine as part of Operation Barbarossa. The army was pivotal in the defence of East and West Prussia before finally surrendering.
[edit] Commanders
- General Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (October 20, 1939 - July 13, 1942)
- General Hans von Salmuth (July 14, 1942 - February 3, 1943)
- General Walter Weiss (February 4, 1943 - March 9, 1945)
- General Dietrich von Saucken (March 10, 1945 - May 9, 1945)
