18th Army (Wehrmacht)

The 18th Army (German: 18. Armee) was a World War II field army in the German Wehrmacht.

Not to be confused with 18th Army (German Empire).
Eighteenth Army (18. Armee)
Georg Lindemann visiting the trenches at Leningrad
Active4 November 1939 – 8 May 1945
Country Nazi Germany
BranchArmy
TypeField Army
EngagementsWorld War II

Formed in November 1939 in Military Region (Wehrkreis) VI, the 18th Army was part of the offensive into the Netherlands (Battle of the Netherlands) and Belgium (Battle of Belgium) during Fall Gelb and later moved into France in 1940. The 18th Army was then moved East and participated in Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

The Army was a part of the Army Group North until early 1945, when it was subordinated to Army Group Kurland. In October 1944, the army was encircled by the Red Army offensives and spent the remainder of the war in the Courland Pocket.

Commanders
No. CommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Küchler, GeorgGeneralfeldmarschall
Georg von Küchler
(1881–1968)		5 November 193916 January 19422 years, 72 days
2
Lindemann, GeorgGeneraloberst
Georg Lindemann
(1884–1963)		16 January 194229 March 19442 years, 73 days
3
Loch, HerbertGeneral der Artillerie
Herbert Loch
(1886–1976)		29 March 19442 September 1944157 days
4
Boege, EhrenfriedGeneral der Infanterie
Ehrenfried-Oskar Boege
(1889–1965)		5 September 19448 May 1945245 days

Chiefs of the Generalstab

  • 5 November 1939 – 10 December 1940 Generalmajor Erich Marcks
  • 10 December 1940 – 19 January 1941 Generalmajor Wilhelm Hasse
  • 19 January 1941 – 17 November 1942 Generalmajor Dr. Ing. h.c. Kurt Waeger
  • 24 November 1942 – 1 December 1943 Generalmajor Hans Speth
  • 1 December 1943 – 25 January 1945 Generalmajor Friedrich Foertsch
  • 25 January 1945 – 5 March 1945 Oberst i.G. Wilhelm Hetzel
  • 5 March 1945 – 10(!) May 1945 Generalmajor Ernst Merk

Orders of Battle

10 May 1940

1 July 1941

September 1941
  • L Army Corps
  • LIV Army Corps
  • XXVI Army Corps
  • XXVIII Army Corps
  • I Army Corps

15 July 1944

12 April 1945
  • L Army Corps
    • 11th Infantry Division
    • 290th Infantry Division
  • II Army Corps
    • 563rd Volksgrenadier Division
    • 126th Infantry Division
    • 263rd Infantry Division
    • 87th Infantry Division
  • I Army Corps
    • 225th Infantry Division
    • 132nd Infantry Division
  • X Army Corps
    • 30th Infantry Division
    • 121st Infantry Division
    • Kampfgruppe Gise
  • Direct control of Army Headquarters
    • 52nd Security Division
    • 14th Panzer Division

References
  • Tessin, Georg (1970). Die Landstreitkräfte 15—30. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939—1945. 4. Frankfurt/Main: E.S. Mittler. pp. 80–85.

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