Twelfth Army (Germany)

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The German Twelfth Army (German: 12.Armee Oberkommando) was a World War II field army.

The Twelfth Army was activated on August 13, 1940 with General Wilhelm List in command. First seeing defensive action along the Siegfried Line, the army was involved in the invasion and occupation of France, before being relocated to Romania as part of the Axis offensive in the Balkans. The army was involved in the defence of the Aegean before being recalled in 1945 for the final defensive operations along the Elbe River against approaching Russian forces. Under General Walther Wenck the Twelfth Army fought the last Wehrmacht attempt to relieve Berlin. Although successfully reaching Potsdam in good morale, they were stopped by superior forces and forced to abandon the relief effort. The Twelfth Army now performed the task of linking with remnants of the Ninth Army and, in the confusion of the Soviet breakthroughs, providing a corridor to the West for soldiers and refugees alike.