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18th Army (Wehrmacht)
The 18th Army (German: ''18. Armee'') was a World War II field army in the German ''Wehrmacht''. 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 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 â ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Army (Wehrmacht)
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the German Air Force, ''Luftwaffe'' (German Air Force). , the German Army had a strength of 62,766 soldiers. History Overview A German army equipped, organized, and trained following a single doctrine and permanently unified under one command in 1871 during the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia. From 1871 to 1919, the title ''German Army (German Empire), Deutsches Heer'' (German Army) was the official name of the German land forces. Following the German defeat in World War I and the end of the German Empire, the main army was dissolved. From 1921 to 1935 the name of the German land forces was the ''Reichswehr, Reichsheer'' (Army of the Empire) and from 1935 to 1945 the name ''German Army (We ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herbert Loch
__NOTOC__ Herbert Loch (5 August 1886 – 28 October 1976) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XXVIII Corps and the 18th Army. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Awards and decorations * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 June 1940 as ''Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...'' and commander of 17. Infanterie-DivisionFellgiebel 2000, p. 241. References Citations Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Loch, Herbert 1886 births 1976 deaths German Army generals of World War II Generals of Artillery (Wehrmacht) German Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Kn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1st Cavalry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 1st Cavalry Division (german: 1. Kavallerie-Division) was formed in October 1939. It fought in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and on the Eastern Front. It was officially transformed into the 24th Panzer Division in late 1941. Formation The division was formed on 25 October from the ''1. Kavallerie-Brigade'' and expanded on 20 November with the addition of ''Reiter-Regiments 21'' and ''22''. It was reconstituted in February 1940 when ''II\Reiter-Regiment 21'' was disbanded and distributed to other regiments. Operational history The campaign in Western Europe began in the Netherlands before it was assigned to the 4th Army and sent to France. The division crossed the Somme on 7 June and fought near Meulen. On 18–19 June, it fought around Saumur and attempted to capture a bridge across the Loire, but the attack failed when it was blown up with a patrol still on it. The division reached La Rochelle when the fighting in France ended. After the French capitulation the d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
207th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 207th Infantry Division (german: 207. Infanterie-Division) was established in August 1939, and acted as a border security unit during the invasion of Poland as part of the Fourth Army under Army Group North. In May 1940 during the invasion of the Netherlands it attacked the Grebbe Line and was part of 18th Army. In June 1940 it was transferred to the OKH's Reserve Army. In July it was transferred to Pomerania, and in August it was disbanded and its elements used to create three security divisions: the 207th, the 281st, and the 285th, in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The 207th Security Division () was subordinated to the Army Group North Rear Area until December 1944, when it was disbanded. Its headquarters staff continued as a "special purpose" (German ''z.b.V.'') divisional headquarters under the Sixteenth Army, ending the war in the pocket with Army Group Courland. Commanders * Generalleutnant Karl von Tiedemann (? Augu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
227th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 227th Infantry Division named "Rheinisch-Westfälische" was created on 26 August 1939 in Krefeld. The division was deployed for the last time in February 1945 in the Tuchola Forest. Operational history Activation and the low countries The 227th Infantry Division was formed during the 3rd wave mobilization in August 1939 in Krefeld. Shortly thereafter it served with the 5th Army performing border protection in the Eifel region. In December 1939 it was assigned to the 6th Army and became a part of Army Group B in preparation for 'Fall gelb' (case yellow). In early 1940, motorcycle components of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler under Kurt Meyer were attached to the 227th Infantry Division during the preparations for the invasion of the Netherlands. The division took part in the invasion of the Netherlands and France in May–June 1940. As part of the X Army Corps of the 18th Army, it participated in the advance through Enschede and Deventer, and helped to capture the fort at Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LSSAH
The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or SS Division Leibstandarte, abbreviated as LSSAH, (german: 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") began as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard unit, responsible for guarding the Führer's person, offices, and residences. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into an elite military division, division-sized unit during World War II. The LSSAH participated in combat during the invasion of Poland, and was amalgamated into the Waffen-SS together with the ''SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (SS-VT) and the combat units of the ''SS-Totenkopfverbände'' (SS-TV) prior to Operation Barbarossa in 1941. By mid-1942 it had been increased in size from a regiment to a Panzergrenadier division and was designated SS Panzergrenadier Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler". It received its final form as a Panzer division in October 1943. Members of the LSSAH perpetrated numerous atrocities and war crimes, including ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (german: 2. SS-Panzerdivision "Das Reich") or SS Division Das Reich was an elite division of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, formed from the regiments of the '' SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (SS-VT). The division served during the invasion of France and took part in several major battles on the Eastern Front, including in the Battle of Prokhorovka against the 5th Guards Tank Army at the Battle of Kursk. It was then transferred to the West and took part in the fighting in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge, ending the war fighting the Soviets in Hungary and Austria. The division committed the Oradour-sur-Glane and Tulle massacres along with others on the Eastern Front. Operational history In August 1939 Adolf Hitler placed the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), later SS Division Leibstandarte, and the '' SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (SS-VT) under the operational command of the High Command of the German Army. The units' performan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
254th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 254th Infantry Division (german: 254. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. History The 254th Infantry Division was created on 26 August 1939, the day of German mobilization, as part of the fourth '' Aufstellungswelle''. It was raised in Detmold and Düsseldorf in Wehrkreis VI, using Replacement Battalions from Infantry Regiment 18 (Detmold), Infantry Regiment 37 (Lingen / Osnabrück), Infantry Regiment 58 (Herford), and Infantry Regiment 79 (Münster / Wahn). These various battalions from various regiments were formed into the Infantry Regiments 454, 474, and 484, which made up the initial structure of the 254th Infantry Division along with Artillery Regiment 254. The initial commander of the division was Fritz Koch, appointed on 26 August 1939. On 1 February 1940, the 254th Infantry Division passed one infantry battalion and one artillery battery to the 292nd Infantry Division of the eighth ''Aufstellungswelle''. On 9 June ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
256th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 256th Infantry Division (''256. Infanterie-Division'') was a German infantry division in World War II. They formed on August 1939 as part of the 4. Welle (wave). The division was destroyed at Vitebsk in June 1944 during Operation Bagration. The remnants of the division formed Divisions-Gruppe 256 which was assigned to Korps-Abteilung H. History 256th Infantry Division Germany The division was raised in Wehrkreis IV (Dresden) on 26 August 1939. The division is shipped to Poland (''Protektorat Böhmen-Mären'') as occupation force. The division was to remain there in that role until November 1939 after which it's transported to Lippstadt, western Germany, in order to commence training for the attack on France and the Low Countries in 1940. The Netherlands & Belgium Just before the attack on May 10, the division was moved to the town of Kleve on the Dutch border where it was attached to the XXVI Corps under ''General der Artillerie'' Albert Wodrig, which was itself part of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ernst Merk
__NOTOC__ Ernst Merk (27 September 1903 – 12 June 1975) was a general in the Army of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ... on 15 July 1944 as '' Oberst im Generalstab'' and chief of the general staff of the III. PanzerkorpsFellgiebel 2000, p. 252. References Citations Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merk, Ernst 1903 births 1975 deaths Military personnel from Fürth People from the Kingdom of Bavaria Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Major generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) Military personnel from Bavaria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Friedrich Foertsch
Friedrich Albert Foertsch (19 May 1900 – 14 December 1976) was a German general serving during World War II and from 1961 to 1963 the second Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. Foertsch was born in 1900 and joined the military service in the Prussian Army in 1918. Serving in the infantry in the final battles of World War I, Foertsch earned the Iron Cross second class before the end of hostilities. He joined the ''Freikorps'' after the war, and later was accepted into the ''Reichswehr'' in 1920. During World War II, he held several senior staff positions, including chief of the general staff of the 18th Army. Foertsch was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 September 1944 for his leadership in the defensive battles at the Leningrad Front. He was taken prisoner of war in the Courland Pocket by the Soviet Army. At a postwar trial he initially received a death sentence, which was later commuted to 25 years of hard labor. He was released in 1955 and joined the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hans Speth
Hans-Ludwig Speth (7 October 1897 – 30 April 1985) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 28th Jäger Division. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Awards and decorations * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 February 1944 as ''Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of O ...'' and commander of 28. Jäger-Division References Citations Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Speth, Hans 1897 births 1985 deaths German Army generals of World War II Generals of Artillery (Wehrmacht) German Army personnel of World War I People from the Grand Duchy of Hesse People from Wetteraukreis Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Kn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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