The 18th Army (German: ''18. Armee'') was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

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 ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

( Battle of the Netherlands) and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

(

Battle of Belgium The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (french: Campagne des 18 jours, nl, Achttiendaagse Veldtocht), formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive ...

) during Fall Gelb and later moved into

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

in 1940. The 18th Army was then moved East and participated in

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...

in 1941. The Army was a part of the

Army Group North Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II. The German Army Group was subordinated to the '' Oberkommando des Heeres'' (OKH), the German army high com ...

until early 1945, when it was subordinated to Army Group Kurland. In October 1944, the army was encircled by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

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 Wilhelm Hasse (24 November 1894 – 21 May 1945) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded the 17th Army. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Hasse died on 21 May 1945 ...

* 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

10 May 1940

* XXVI Army Corps **

256th Infantry Division 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. ...

** 254th Infantry Division ** SS "Der Führer" Regiment * X Army Corps ** SS "Adolf Hitler" Regiment **

227th Infantry Division 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 2 ...

** 207th Infantry Division ** 1st Cavalry Division * Direct control of Army Headquarters ** SS "Verfügungstruppe" Division **

9th Panzer Division The 9th Panzer Division was a panzer division of the German Army during World War II. It came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940. The division was headquartered in Vienna, in the German military district Weh ...

** 208th Infantry Division ** 225th Infantry Division

1 July 1941

* XXXVIII Army Corps ** 58th Infantry Division ** 291st Infantry Division * XXVI Army Corps **

1st Infantry Division 1st Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) *1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) *1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoured Division (Australi ...

** 61st Infantry Division ** 217th Infantry Division * I Army Corps ** 11th Infantry Division ** 21st Infantry Division

September 1941

* L Army Corps * LIV Army Corps * XXVI Army Corps * XXVIII Army Corps * I Army Corps

15 July 1944

* XVIII Army Corps ** 12th Luftwaffe Division ** Kampfgruppe Hoefer ** 21st Infantry Division ** 30th Infantry Division * XXXVIII Army Corps ** 121st Infantry Division ** 32nd Infantry Division ** 21st Luftwaffe Division ** 83rd Infantry Division * L Army Corps ** 218th Infantry Division ** 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) ** 126th Infantry Division ** 93rd Infantry Division **

15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) The 15th ''Waffen'' Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) (german: 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1)), lv, 15. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 1)) was an Infantry Division of the ''Waffen-SS'' during World War ...

** Kampfgruppe Streckenbach * Direct control of Army Headquarters ** Headquarters VI SS Corps ** 207th Security Division ** 300th Division zbV (Estonian border guard units)

12 April 1945

* L Army Corps ** 11th Infantry Division ** 290th Infantry Division * II Army Corps ** 563rd Volksgrenadier Division ** 126th Infantry Division ** 263rd Infantry Division ** 87th Infantry Division * I Army Corps ** 225th Infantry Division ** 132nd Infantry Division * X Army Corps ** 30th Infantry Division ** 121st Infantry Division ** Kampfgruppe (Ernst) Gise * Direct control of Army Headquarters ** 52nd Security Division ** 14th Panzer Division

References

* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 18 Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 1939 establishments in Germany