Army Group B

Army Group B (German: Heeresgruppe B) was the title of three German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.

Army Group B
Heeresgruppe B
ActiveOctober 1939 - June 1941
July 1942 - February 1943
July 1943 - April 1945
Country Nazi Germany
Insignia
Identification
symbol

Operational history

Army Group B first took part in the Battle of France in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The second formation of Army Group B was established when Army Group South was divided for the summer offensive of 1942 on the Eastern Front. Army Group B was given the task of protecting the northern flank of Army Group A, and included the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad. In February 1943, Army Group B and Army Group Don were combined to create a new Army Group South.

A new Army Group B was formed in northern Italy under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in July 1943. Its task was to secure Northern Italy after the overthrow of Mussolini and to disarm the Italian Army there as part of Operation Achse.

After the stabilisation of the front on the Winter Line south of Rome by Kesselring's Army Group C, and the creation of the Salo Republic in Northern Italy, Army Group B was moved to Northern France on 26 November 1943. Army Group B participated in the Battle of Normandy. On 19 July 1944, Field Marshal Günther von Kluge took command from the injured Rommel and on 17 August, Field Marshal Walter Model replaced Kluge.
Moving to the Low Countries, Model with his HQ located at Osterbeek close to Arnhem, was surprised on 17 September by the start of Operation Market Garden. The army group also participated in the Battle of the Bulge.[1] The army group was isolated in the Ruhr Pocket in northern Germany, and after being divided up into smaller and smaller sections, the final section surrendered to the Allies on 21 April 1945.

Commanders

Western Front
No. CommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Bock, FedorGeneralfeldmarschall
Fedor von Bock
(1880–1945)
12 October 193922 June 19411 year, 8 months
Eastern Front
No. CommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Weichs, MaximilianGeneraloberst
Maximilian von Weichs
(1881–1954)
August 1942February 19436 months
Northern Italy/Northern France
No. CommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Rommel, ErwinGeneralfeldmarschall
Erwin Rommel
(1891–1944)
14 July 194319 July 1944
(severely injured)
1 year, 5 days
2
Kluge, GüntherGeneralfeldmarschall
Günther von Kluge
(1882–1944)
19 July 194417 August 194429 days
3
Model, WalterGeneralfeldmarschall
Walter Model
(1891–1945)
17 August 194421 April 1945 247 days

Chiefs of Staff

Eastern Front

Order of battle

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, 6th 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

Bibliography

  • Builder, Carl H.; Bankes, Steven C.; Nordin, Richard (1999). Command Concepts: A Theory Derived from the Practice of Command and Control (PDF). Santa Monica, CA: RAND. OCLC 831691894.
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