The 18th Army (German: 18. Armee) was a World War II field army in the German Wehrmacht.
| 18th Army | |
|---|---|
| German: 18. Armee | |
 Georg Lindemann visiting the trenches at Leningrad | |
| Active | 4 November 1939 – 8 May 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  German army ( Wehrmacht) |
| Type | Field Army |
| Size | Field army |
| Engagements | World 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.
History
editOn 22 July 1940, the 18th Army consisted of XXVI Corps (161st and 271st Infantry Divisions), XXX Corps (76th and 258th Infantry Divisions), Higher Command XXXV (162nd and 292nd Infantry Divisions), III Corps (62nd and 75th Infantry Divisions), XVII Corps (297th and 298th Infantry Divisions) and Higher Command XXXIV (68th and 257th Infantry Divisions), as well as XXXXIV Corps and 291st Infantry Division as reserves and limited authority extended to Panzer Group Guderian with XXXX Corps and XVI Corps.[1]: 208
Commanders
edit| No. | Portrait | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generalfeldmarschall Georg von Küchler (1881–1968) | 5 November 1939 | 16 January 1942 | 2 years, 72 days | |
| 2 | Generaloberst Georg Lindemann (1884–1963) | 16 January 1942 | 29 March 1944 | 2 years, 73 days | |
| 3 | General der Artillerie Herbert Loch (1886–1976) | 29 March 1944 | 2 September 1944 | 157 days | |
| 4 | General der Infanterie Ehrenfried-Oskar Boege (1889–1965) | 5 September 1944 | 8 May 1945 | 245 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
edit10 May 1940
edit- XXVI Army Corps
- X Army Corps
- Direct control of Army Headquarters
1 July 1941
edit- XXXVIII Army Corps
- XXVI Army Corps
- 1st Infantry Division
- 61st Infantry Division
- 217th Infantry Division
- I Army Corps
September 1941
edit- L Army Corps
- LIV Army Corps
- XXVI Army Corps
- XXVIII Army Corps
- I Army Corps
15 July 1944
edit- XVIII Army Corps
- 12th Luftwaffe Division
- Kampfgruppe Hoefer
- 21st Infantry Division
- 30th Infantry Division
- XXXVIII Army Corps
- L Army Corps
- Direct control of Army Headquarters
- Headquarters VI SS Corps
- 207th Security Division
- 300th Division zbV (Estonian border guard units)
12 April 1945
edit- L Army Corps
- II Army Corps
- I Army Corps
- X Army Corps
- 30th Infantry Division
- 121st Infantry Division
- Kampfgruppe (Ernst) Gise
- Direct control of Army Headquarters
References
edit- ^ Boog, Horst (1983). "Die Landkriegführung". In Boog, Horst; et al. (eds.). Der Angriff auf die Sowjetunion. Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. 4. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 190–277. ISBN 3421060983.
Literature
edit- Tessin, Georg (1970). "Die Landstreitkräfte 15—30". Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939—1945 (in German). Vol. 4. Frankfurt/Main: E.S. Mittler. pp. 80–85.