Army Group C
Army Group C (in German, Heeresgruppe C or HGr C) was an army group of the German Wehrmacht, that was formed twice during the Second World War.
| Army Group C | |
|---|---|
| Heeresgruppe C | |
| Active | 1939–41, 1943–45 |
| Disbanded | 2 May 1945 |
| Country | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Albert Kesselring |
History
Army Group C was formed from Army Group 2 in Frankfurt on 26 August 1939. It initially commanded all troops on Germany's western front but after the Polish campaign it was reduced to commanding the southern half of the western front, overseeing the frontal breakthrough through the Maginot Line during June 1940. At the end of the battle of France it moved back to Germany then – under the cover name "Section Staff East Prussia" – moved to East Prussia on 20 April 1941. On 21 June 1941 it was renamed Army Group North.
It was re-formed on 26 November 1943, by being separated from the staff of Supreme Commander South (OB Süd Luftwaffe) and put in command of the southwestern front and the Italian Campaign. As such, the commander of Heeresgruppe C served also as the Oberbefehlshaber (OB) Südwest.
On 2 May 1945 Army Group C surrendered.
Commanders
- 1st time
| No. | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (1876–1956) | 26 August 1939 | 21 June 1941 | 1 year, 268 days |
- 2nd time
| No. | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (1885–1960) | 21 November 1943 | 26 October 1944 (in hospital after being severely wounded in an accident) | 340 days | |
| 2 | Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff (1887–1952) | 26 October 1944 | 15 January 1945 | 81 days | |
| (1) | Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (1885–1960) | 15 January 1945 (recovered from his wounds) | 10 March 1945 (transferred to the Western Front) | 54 days | |
| (2) | Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff (1887–1952) | 10 March 1945 | 30 April 1945 | 51 days | |
| 3 | General der Infanterie Friedrich Schulz (1897–1976) | 30 April 1945 | 1 May 1945 | 1 day | |
| 5 | General der Panzertruppe Hans Röttiger (1896–1960) | 1 May 1945 | 2 May 1945 | 1 day |
Composition
- Army Group C Order of Battle from August, 1944.