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37-624: After Army Group North was trapped in the Courland Pocket in mid-1944, it was renamed to Army Group Courland and the first Army Group Centre was renamed "Army Group North". The second iteration of Army Group Centre was formed by the redesignation of Army Group A as the replacement for the first Army Group Centre. The army group was officially created by Adolf Hitler when he issued Führer Directive 21 on 18 December 1940, ordering German forces to prepare for an attack on Soviet Russia in 1941. The first commanding officer of Army Group Centre

74-678: A colonel from the Allied Forces High Command was escorted through the American lines to see Schörner. The colonel reported that Schörner had ordered the men under his operational command to observe the surrender but that he could not guarantee that he would be obeyed everywhere. Later that day, Schörner deserted his command and flew to Austria where on 18 May 1945 he was arrested by the Americans. Army Group North Army Group North ( German : Heeresgruppe Nord )

111-549: A few days prior, on 26 August. Fedor von Bock , commanding general of 2nd Army, became the first commanding general of Army Group North. During the Invasion of Poland , Army Group North had two armies placed under its supervision: 3rd Army ( Georg von Küchler ) and 4th Army ( Günther von Kluge ). Additionally, it held four divisions as part of its army group reserves: 10th Panzer Division , 73rd Infantry Division , 206th Infantry Division and 208th Infantry Division . On

148-565: A front that included the river Neisse . Before dawn on the morning of 16 April 1945 the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of General Konev started the attack over the river Neisse with a short but massive bombardment by tens of thousands of artillery pieces. Some of the Army Group Centre continued to resist until 11 May 1945, by which time the overwhelming force of the Soviet Armies sent to liberate Czechoslovakia in

185-1211: A result of the Red Army Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation . In September 1941, the Spanish Blue Division was assigned to Army Group North. Composition: October 1941 Nevsky Pyatachok Operation Nordlicht Commander in Chief 17 January 1942: GFM Georg von Küchler Composition: September 1942 December 1942 Demyansk Pocket Kholm Pocket Soviet Toropets-Kholm Operation Battle of Velikiye Luki Battle of Krasny Bor Commander in Chief 9 January 1944: Field marshal Walter Model Commander in Chief 31 March 1944: Generaloberst Georg Lindemann Commander in Chief 4 July 1944: Generaloberst Johannes Frießner Commander in Chief 23 July 1944: GFM Ferdinand Schörner March 1944 Battle of Narva , consisting of: Combat in South Estonia, 1944 Soviet Baltic Offensive Battle of Porkuni Battle of Vilnius (1944) Battle of Memel After becoming trapped in

222-543: A short time before Christmas of 1941, this role was fulfilled by Günther Blumentritt ). 1942 opened for Army Group Centre with continuing attacks from Soviet forces around Rzhev. The German Ninth Army was able to repel these attacks and stabilise its front, despite continuing large-scale partisan activity in its rear areas. Meanwhile, the German strategic focus on the Eastern Front shifted to southwestern Russia, with

259-621: A transfer of resources between the Russian front and another theatre of operations. Although both OKW and OKH were headquartered in the Maybach complex in Nazi Germany, the functional and operational independence of both establishments were not lost on the respective staff during their tenure. Personnel at the compound remarked that even if Maybach 2 (the OKW complex) was completely destroyed,

296-711: The Courland Cauldron after 25 January 1945, the Army Group was renamed Army Group Courland . On the same day, in East Prussia, a new Army Group North was created by renaming Army Group Center. On the 2 April 1945, the army group was dissolved, and the staff formed the 12th Army headquarters. Army Group North (old Army Group Centre), was driven into an ever smaller pocket around Königsberg in East Prussia . On April 9, 1945 Königsberg finally fell to

333-460: The Courland Pocket and was accordingly redesignated Army Group Courland . On the same day, the former Army Group Center , which was now defending the northernmost sector of the contiguous Eastern Front, was renamed Army Group North, assuming the status of the third and final iteration of the army group. The staff of Army Group North was formally assembled on 2 September 1939 from the headquarters of 2nd Army , which in turn had been activated just

370-666: The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht which, on paper, subordinated OKH to OKW. After a major crisis developed in the Battle of Moscow , von Brauchitsch was dismissed (partly because of his failing health), and Hitler appointed himself as head of the OKH. At the same time, he limited the OKH's authority to the Russian front, giving OKW direct authority over army units elsewhere. This enabled Hitler to declare that only he had complete awareness of Germany's strategic situation, should any general request

407-569: The Prague Offensive gave them no option but to surrender or be killed. By 7 May 1945, the day that German Chief-of-Staff General Alfred Jodl was negotiating surrender of all German forces at SHAEF , the German Armed Forces High Command (AFHC) had not heard from Schörner since 2 May 1945. He had reported that he intended to fight his way west and surrender his army group to the Americans. On 8 May 1945,

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444-640: The Vistula and the Baltic States by early August. In terms of casualties this was the greatest German defeat of the entire war. The commander in chief of Army Group Centre as of 28 June 1944 was Walter Model . The commander in chief as of 16 August 1944 was Georg Hans Reinhardt . Discussion of the army group's situation in January 1945 should note that the army groups in the east changed names later that month. The force known as "Army Group Centre" at

481-601: The 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups. Army Group North became Army Group Courland , more appropriate as it had been isolated from Army Group Centre and was trapped in Courland, Latvia; Army Group Centre became Army Group North and Army Group A became Army Group Centre. Between January and February 1945, Army Group North sustained 213,000 casualties, including 30,000 dead, 126,000 wounded, and 57,000 missing. Oberkommando des Heeres The Oberkommando des Heeres ( lit.   ' Upper Command of

518-418: The 4th Army included the Battle of Tuchola Forest , the Battle of Westerplatte , the Battle of Hel and the Battle of Gdynia . In preparation for Operation Barbarossa , Army Group North was reformed from Army Group C on 22 June 1941. Army Group North was commanded by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb and staged in East Prussia . Its strategic goal was Leningrad , with operational objectives being

555-605: The Allies. The three Soviet Fronts involved in the campaign had altogether 2.5 million men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces and mortars , 3,255 truck -mounted Katyusha rocket launchers (nicknamed "Stalin Organs" by the Germans), and 95,383 motor vehicles. The campaign started with the battle of Oder-Neisse . Army Group Centre commanded by Ferdinand Schörner (the commander in chief as of 17 January 1945) had

592-568: The Army ' ; abbreviated OKH ) was the high command of the Army of Nazi Germany . It was founded in 1935 as part of Adolf Hitler 's rearmament of Germany . OKH was de facto the most important unit within the German war planning until the defeat at Moscow in December 1941. During World War II , OKH had the responsibility of strategic planning of Armies and Army Groups . The General Staff of

629-578: The German forces. In the spring of 1944, the Soviet High Command started concentrating forces along the front line in central Russia for a summer offensive against Army Group Centre. The Red Army also carried out a deception campaign to convince the Wehrmacht that the main Soviet summer offensive would be launched further south, against Army Group North Ukraine . The German High Command

666-506: The OKH managed operational matters. Each German Army also had an Army High Command ( Armeeoberkommando or AOK). The Armed Forces High Command ( Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ) then took over this function for theatres other than the Eastern front . The OKH commander held the title of Commander-in-chief of the Army ( Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres ). After the Battle of Moscow , the OKH commander Field marshal Walther von Brauchitsch

703-558: The OKH staff in Maybach 1 would scarcely notice. These camouflaged facilities, separated physically by a fence, also maintained structurally different mindsets towards their objectives. On 28 April 1945 (two days before his suicide ), Hitler formally subordinated OKH to OKW, giving the latter command of forces on the Eastern Front. In 1944, these elements were subordinate to the OKH: The Commander-in-Chief of

740-694: The Red Army, although remnants of Army Group units continued to resist on the Heiligenbeil & Danzig beachheads until the end of the war in Europe. October 1944 November 1944 December 1944 Soviet East Prussian Offensive Battle of Königsberg Heiligenbeil pocket Commander in Chief 27 January 1945: Generaloberst Dr. Lothar Rendulic Commander in Chief 12 March 1945: Walter Weiß Composition: February 1945 Soviet East Pomeranian Offensive Battle of Kolberg Courland Pocket On

777-534: The army group boundary for the later being the Pripyat River . Bitter fighting in the Battle of Smolensk as well as the Lötzen decision delayed the German advance for two months. The advance of Army Group Centre was further delayed as Hitler ordered a postponement of the offensive against Moscow in order to conquer Ukraine first. The commander in chief as of 19 December 1941 was Günther von Kluge (for

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814-491: The defence of Slovakia and Bohemia-Moravia as well as sections of the German heartland. Between January and February 1945, Army Group Centre sustained 140,000 casualties, including 15,000 dead, 77,000 wounded (not counting non-evacuees), and 48,000 missing. The last Soviet campaign of the war in the European theater, which led to the fall of Berlin and the end of the war in Europe with the surrender of all German forces to

851-512: The following immediate objectives: All operational objectives such as Tallinn were achieved despite stubborn Red Army resistance and several unsuccessful counter-offensives such as the Battle of Raseiniai , and the army group approached Leningrad, commencing the Siege of Leningrad . However, while the Baltic states were overrun, the Siege of Leningrad continued until 1944, when it was lifted as

888-605: The launching of Operation Blue in June. This operation, aimed at the oilfields in the southwestern Caucasus , involved Army Group South alone, with the other German army groups giving up troops and equipment for the offensive. Despite the focus on the south, Army Group Centre continued to see fierce fighting throughout the year. While the Soviet attacks in early 1942 had not driven the Germans back, they had resulted in several Red Army units being trapped behind German lines. Eliminating

925-551: The morning of 1 September 1939, 3rd Army began its advance from East Prussia southwards towards central Poland, whereas 4th Army attacked from Pomerania into the Danzig Corridor . Important battles by the 3rd Army during the Polish campaign included the Battle of Grudziądz , the Battle of Mława , the Battle of Różan , the Battle of Łomża , the Battle of Wizna and the Battle of Brześć Litewski . Important battles of

962-551: The pockets took until July, the same month in which the Soviets made another attempt to break through the army group's front; the attempt failed, but the front line was pushed back closer to Rzhev. The largest Soviet operation in the army group's sector that year, Operation Mars , took place in November. It was launched concurrently with Operation Uranus , the counteroffensive against the German assault on Stalingrad . The operation

999-881: The start of the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive on 12 January 1945 was renamed "Army Group North" less than two weeks after the offensive commenced. At the start of the Vistula-Oder Offensive, the Soviet forces facing Army Group Centre outnumbered the Germans on average by 2:1 in troops, 3:1 in artillery, and 5.5:1 in tanks and self-propelled artillery. The Soviet superiority in troop strength grows to almost 3:1 if 200,000 Volkssturm militia are not included in German personnel strength totals. On 25 January 1945, Hitler renamed three army groups. Army Group North became Army Group Courland , Army Group Centre became Army Group North, and Army Group A became Army Group Centre. Army Group Centre fought in

1036-668: The territories of the Baltic republics and securing the northern flank of Army Group Centre in Northern Russia between Western Dvina River and Daugavpils - Kholm Army Group boundary. On commencement of the Wehrmacht's Baltic offensive operation the army group deployed into Lithuania and northern Belorussia. It served mainly in Baltic territories and north Russia until 1944. Commander in Chief 22 June 1941: Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb . Its subordinate armies were deployed with

1073-478: Was Field Marshal Fedor von Bock , who would lead it until he was relieved on 18 December 1941 after the failure of the Battle of Moscow and was replaced by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge . Günther von Kluge would remain the army group's commander until he was injured in October 1943 and replaced by Field Marshal Ernst Busch , who would then be replaced by Field Marshal Walter Model in June 1944. When Model

1110-401: Was almost completely destroyed by the attack. It is estimated that over 450,000 Germans were killed, wounded, or captured, notably the 57,000 soldiers captured east of Minsk , who were paraded through Moscow on 17 July on Stalin's orders as proof of the immense success of the Soviet offensive. The Soviet forces raced forward, liberating Minsk and the rest of Belorussia by mid-July, and reaching

1147-495: Was fooled and armored units were moved south out of Army Group Centre. The Soviet offensive, code-named Operation Bagration , was launched on 22 June 1944, the third anniversary of Germany's own invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa. 185 Red Army divisions, comprising 2.3 million soldiers and 4,000 tanks and assault guns, smashed into the German positions on a 200km-wide front. The 850,000-strong Army Group Centre

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1184-491: Was launched to forestall any possible Soviet spring offensives, by evacuating the Rzhev Salient to shorten the frontline. The commander in chief as of 12 October 1943 was Ernst Busch . The following major anti-partisan operations were conducted in the rear of Army Group Centre, alongside many smaller operations: Increasing coordination of the partisan activity resulted in the conducting of Operation Concert against

1221-471: Was removed from office, and Hitler appointed himself as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. From 1938, OKH was, together with Oberkommando der Luftwaffe ( transl.  Air Force High Command ) and Oberkommando der Marine ( transl.  Naval High Command ) formally subordinated to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht . OKH had been independent until February 1938, when Hitler created

1258-500: Was repulsed with very heavy Soviet losses, although it did have the effect of pinning down German units that could have been sent to the fighting around Stalingrad. Following the disaster of Stalingrad and poor results of the Voronezh defensive operations, the army high command expected another attack on Army Group Centre in early 1943. However, Hitler had decided to strike first. Before this strike could be launched, Operation Büffel

1295-646: Was the name of three separate army groups of the Wehrmacht during World War II . Its rear area operations were organized by the Army Group North Rear Area . The first Army Group North was deployed during the Invasion of Poland and subsequently renamed Army Group B . The second Army Group North was created on 22 June 1941 from the former Army Group C and used in the northern sector of the Eastern Front from 1941 to January 1945. By then, this second Army Group North had gotten trapped in

1332-481: Was to defeat the Soviet armies in Belarus and occupy Smolensk. To accomplish this, the army group planned for a rapid advance using Blitzkrieg operational methods for which purpose it commanded two panzer groups rather than one. A quick and decisive victory over the Soviet Union was expected by mid-November. The Army Group's other operational missions were to support the army groups on its northern and southern flanks,

1369-620: Was transferred to the Western Front in August 1944, he was replaced by Ferdinand Schörner , who would command the army group until his desertion in May 1945 after Germany surrendered to the Allies. On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany and its Axis allies launched their surprise offensive into the Soviet Union. Their armies, totaling over three million men, were to advance in three geographical directions. Army Group Centre's initial strategic goal

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