Army Group B

Flag for the Commander in Chief of Army Group 1941–1945

Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.

Battle for France

The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam. Army Group B had approximately 300,000 men involved in these operations which occurred in May 1940.

Eastern Front

The second Army Group B was formed when Army Group South was split into two formations for the summer offensive of 1942. Army Group B was given the task of protecting the northern flank of Army Group A, and included the 6th Army's attack on Stalingrad.

In February 1943, the existing Army Group B and Army Group Don were combined to create a new Army Group South. This was done on the Eastern Front.

Italy and northern France

A new Army Group B was formed in northern Italy under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in 1943, to defend against a possible allied attack there.

Army Group B was subsequently moved to northern France to defend occupied France against the D-Day landings, on 6 June 1944. On 19 July, Field Marshal Günther von Kluge took command from Rommel. About one month later, on 17 August, Field Marshal Walter Model replaced Kluge. From 1944 to 1945, the army group fought in the campaigns in France. Army Group B participated in the Battle of Normandy. Moving to the Low Countries, Model received a shock when his HQ was located at Osterbeek close to Arnhem during the 17 September start of Operation Market Garden[1] before the army group participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Finally, Army Group B was isolated in the Ruhr Pocket in northern Germany and, after being divided up into smaller and smaller sections, the final section was surrendered on 21 April 1945.

Commanders

Western Front

Eastern Front

Northern Italy/Northern France

Order of battle

Army Group HQ troops

Subordinated units

DateSubordinated commands
1939
November 1939 4th Army, 6th Army, 18th Army
1940
May 1940 6th Army, 18th Army
June 1940 9th Army, 6th Army, 4th Army, Panzer Group Kleist
July 1940 7th Army, 4th Army
August 1940 7th Army, 4th Army, 6th Army
September 1940 18th Army, 4th Army, 6th Army
1941
January 1941 18th Army, 4th Army, 17th Army, 2nd Panzer Group, Military commander in the General Government
May 1941 9th Army, 4th Army
1942
August 1942 2nd Army, Hungarian 2nd Army, Italian 8th Army, XXIX Army Corps, 6th Army, 4th Panzer Army
September 1942 2nd Army, Hungarian 2nd Army, Italian 8th Army, 6th Army, 4th Panzer Army
October 1942 2nd Army, Hungarian 2nd Army, Italian 8th Army, 4th Panzer Army, Romanian 3rd Army, Romanian 4th Army
November 1942 2nd Army, Hungarian 2nd Army, Italian 8th Army, Romanian 3rd Army, 6th Army, 4th Panzer Army, Romanian 4th Army
December 1942 2nd Army, Hungarian 2nd Army, Italian 8th Army
1943
January 1943 2nd Army, Hungarian 2nd Army, Italian 8th Army, Army Detachment Fretter-Pico
February 1943 2nd Army, Army Detachment Lanz, Italian 8th Army, Hungarian 2nd Army
September 1943 LI Army Corps, II SS Corps, LXXXVII Army Corps
December 1943 in disposal of the OKW in Denmark
1944
May 1944 7th Army, 15th Army, Wehrmacht commander in the Netherlands
June 1944 7th Army, 15th Army, Wehrmacht commander in the Netherlands, Panzer Group West
August 1944 1st Army, 5th Panzer Army, 7th Army, 15th Army, Wehrmacht commander in the Netherlands
September 1944 7th Army, 1st Parachute Army, 15th Army
November 1944 7th Army, 5th Panzer Army, Student Army Group
December 1944 7th Army, 5th Panzer Army
1945
January 1945 7th Army, 5th Panzer Army, 6th Panzer Army, 15th Army
February 1945 7th Army, 5th Panzer Army, 15th Army
April 1945 15th Army, 5th Panzer Army, Army Detachment von Lüttwitz

References

  1. Builder, Banks, Nordin, p. 106

Bibliography

See also

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