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The Twelfth United States
Army Group An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization handled b ...
was the largest and most powerful
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
formation ever to take to the field, commanding four
field armies A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and withi ...
at its peak in 1945:
First United States Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kor ...
,
Third United States Army Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hi ...
,
Ninth United States Army The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM). Activated just eight weeks ...
and
Fifteenth United States Army The Fifteenth United States Army, commonly known as Fifteenth Army, was a field army of the United States in the European Theater of World War II. It was the last United States field army to see service in northwestern Europe during the war an ...
. Formed eight days after the
Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
, it initially controlled the First and the Third US Armies. Through various configurations in 1944 and 1945, the Twelfth US Army Group controlled the majority of American forces on the Western Front. It was commanded by General
Omar Bradley Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. Bradley ...
with its headquarters established in London on 14 July 1944. During the first week of the Normandy landings and the
Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Nor ...
, Bradley's First US Army formed the right wing of the Allied lines. They were joined during July by the Third US Army, under the command of General
George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in Franc ...
, to form the Twelfth Army Group. Twelfth Army Group became operational in France on 1 August 1944. With General Omar Bradley assuming command of the Twelfth Army Group, Lieutenant General
Courtney Hodges General Courtney Hicks Hodges (January 5, 1887 – January 16, 1966) was a decorated senior officer in the United States Army who commanded First U.S. Army in the Western European Campaign of World War II. Hodges was a notable "mustang" office ...
assumed command of the First Army. Until 1 September 1944, when
General Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
assumed overall command of the Allied land forces in
Northwest Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...
, the U.S. forces in Normandy were included with the
British Second Army The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...
and the
First Canadian Army The First Canadian Army (french: 1reArmée canadienne) was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 194 ...
in the British headquarters formation
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
, commanded by General Montgomery. After the breakout from the beach-head at Normandy, the Twelfth Army Group formed the center of the Allied forces on the Western Front. To the north was the British 21st Army Group (the First Canadian and British Second)) and, to the south, advancing from their
landing Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or ...
on the Mediterranean coast, was the
Sixth United States Army Group The 6th United States Army Group was an Allied Army Group that fought in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Made up of field armies from both the United States Army and the French Army, it fought in France, Germany, Aust ...
(
Seventh United States Army The Seventh Army was a United States army created during World War II that evolved into the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) during the 1950s and 1960s. It served in North Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and Fra ...
and
French First Army The First Army (french: 1re Armée) was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War. First World War On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in th ...
). As the Twelfth advanced through Germany in 1945, it grew to control four United States field armies: the
First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, the
Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hi ...
, the
Ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, it ...
and the
Fifteenth In music, a fifteenth or double octave, abbreviated ''15ma'', is the interval between one musical note and another with one-quarter the wavelength or quadruple the frequency. It has also been referred to as the bisdiapason. The fourth harmonic, ...
. By
V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the Twelfth Army Group was a force that numbered over 1.3 million men.CSI REPORT No. 6, Larger units: Theater Army – Army Group – Field Army, Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 198

/ref> Twelfth Army Group was disbanded on 12 July 1945 upon the departure of General Bradley to become Director of the
Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...
. Its subordinate elements then became directly subordinate to
United States Army Europe United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...
.


Order of Battle – 8 May 1945

* 12th Army Group – General Omar N. Bradley ** First Army – General Courtney H. Hodges *** 78th Infantry Division – Major General
Edwin P. Parker Jr. Major General Edwin Pearson Parker Jr. (July 27, 1891 – June 7, 1983) was a senior officer in the United States Army. Parker commanded the 78th Infantry Division during the Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe, campaigns of World Wa ...
***
VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VI ...
– Lieutenant General J. Lawton Collins **** 9th Infantry Division – Major General
Louis A. Craig Louis A. Craig (July 29, 1891 – January 3, 1984) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and served in both World War I and World War II. Craig served as a corps and division commander during ...
**** 9th Armored Division – Major General John W. Leonard **** 69th Infantry Division – Major General Emil F. Reinhardt **** 104th Infantry Division – Major General
Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. (April 1, 1888 – September 12, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Allen was a decorated World War I veteran, where he commanded an infantry ba ...
** Third Army – General George S. Patton, Jr. *** 1st Infantry Division – Major General Clift Andrus *** 2nd Infantry Division – Major General Walter M. Robertson *** 70th Infantry Division – Major General Allison J. Barnett *** 97th Infantry Division – Brigadier General Milton B. Halsey *** III Corps – Major General
James Van Fleet General James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and gradu ...
**** 4th Infantry Division – Major General Harold W. Blakeley **** 14th Armored Division – Major General Albert C. Smith ****
99th Infantry Division The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...
– Major General Walter E. Lauer ***
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...
– Major General
Clarence R. Huebner Lieutenant General Clarence Ralph Huebner (November 24, 1888 – September 23, 1972) was a highly decorated senior officer of the United States Army who saw distinguished active service during both World War I and World War II. Perhaps his most ...
**** 16th Armored Division – Brigadier General John L. Pierce ***
XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ...
– Major General Stafford LeRoy Irwin **** 4th Armored Division – Major General
William M. Hoge General William Morris Hoge (January 13, 1894 – October 29, 1979) was a United States Army officer who fought in World War I, World War II and the Korean War, with a military career spanning nearly forty years. Early life and military caree ...
**** 5th Infantry Division – Major General Albert E. Brown **** 11th Armored Division – Major General Holmes E. Dager **** 26th Infantry Division – Major General Willard S. Paul **** 90th Infantry Division – Major General Herbert L. Earnest *** XX Corps – Major General Walton H. Walker **** 13th Armored Division – Major General John Millikin **** 65th Infantry Division – Major General Stanley E. Reinhart **** 71st Infantry Division – Major General Willard G. Wyman **** 80th Infantry Division – Major General Horace L. McBride ** Ninth Army – Lieutenant General
William H. Simpson General William Hood Simpson (May 18, 1888 – August 15, 1980) was a senior United States Army officer who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. He is best known for being the Commanding General of the Ninth United S ...
*** 2nd Armored Division – Major General
Isaac D. White Isaac Davis White (March 6, 1901 – June 11, 1990) was a senior officer in the United States Army who commanded the U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC) from July 1957 to March 1961. He was commissioned in the cavalry in 1923 and went on to serve in ...
***
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German A ...
– Major General
Troy H. Middleton Lieutenant General Troy Houston Middleton (12 October 1889 – 9 October 1976) was a distinguished educator and senior officer of the United States Army who served as a corps commander in the European Theatre during World War II and later as p ...
****
6th Armored Division The 6th Armored Division ("Super Sixth") was an armored division of the United States Army during World War II. It was formed with a cadre from the 2nd Armored Division. History The division was activated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox ...
– Major General Robert W. Grow **** 76th Infantry Division – Major General William R. Schmidt **** 87th Infantry Division – Major General Frank L. Culin Jr. **** 89th Infantry Division – Major General Thomas D. Finley *** XIII Corps – Major General Alvan C. Gillem, Jr. **** 30th Infantry Division – Major General Leland S. Hobbs **** 35th Infantry Division – Major General Paul W. Baade **** 83rd Infantry Division – Major General Robert C. Macon **** 84th Infantry Division – Major General Alexander R. Bolling **** 102nd Infantry Division – Major General Frank A. Keating *** XVI Corps – Major General
John B. Anderson John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member o ...
**** 29th Infantry Division – Major General Charles H. Gerhardt **** 75th Infantry Division – Major General Ray E. Porter **** 79th Infantry Division – Major General
Ira T. Wyche Major General Ira Thomas Wyche (16 October 1887 – 8 July 1981) was a career officer in the United States Army who ultimately became Inspector General of the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, d ...
**** 95th Infantry Division – Major General Harry L. Twaddle *** XIX Corps – Major General
Raymond S. McLain Lieutenant General Raymond Stallings McLain (April 4, 1890 – December 14, 1954) was a senior United States Army officer. In the words of General George C. Marshall, Raymond S. McLain "gave great distinction to the term 'citizen soldier. His serv ...
**** 3rd Armored Division – Brigadier General Doyle O. Hickey **** 8th Armored Division – Major General John M. Devine ** Fifteenth Army – Lieutenant General
Leonard T. Gerow Leonard Townsend Gerow (July 13, 1888 – October 12, 1972) was a general in the United States Army who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. A 1911 graduate the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Gerow served with the U ...
*** 66th Infantry Division – Major General Herman F. Kramer *** 106th Infantry Division – Major General Donald A. Stroh ***
XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "Americ ...
– Major General
Matthew B. Ridgway General Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 – July 26, 1993) was a senior officer in the United States Army, who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1952–1953) and the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1953–1955). Altho ...
**** 5th Armored Division – Major General
Lunsford E. Oliver Major General Lunsford Errett Oliver (March 17, 1889 – October 13, 1978) was a senior United States Army officer, who commanded the 5th Armored Division during World War II. Early life and military career Lunsford Errett Oliver was born on ...
**** 7th Armored Division – Major General Robert W. Hasbrouck **** 8th Infantry Division – Major General Bryant E. Moore ****
82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from thori ...
– Major General
James M. Gavin James Maurice Gavin (March 22, 1907 – February 23, 1990), sometimes called "Jumpin' Jim" and "the jumping general", was a senior United States Army officer, with the rank of lieutenant general, who was the third Commanding General (CG) of the ...
****
101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
– Major General
William C. Lee Major General William Carey Lee (March 12, 1895 –June 25, 1948) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in World War I and World War II, during which he commanded the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles". Lee is ...
*** XXII Corps – Major General
Ernest N. Harmon Major General Ernest Nason Harmon (February 26, 1894 – November 13, 1979) was a senior officer of the United States Army. He served in both World War I and World War II, and is best known for his actions in reorganizing the 1st Armored Division ...
****
17th Airborne Division The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley. It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1943 ...
– Major General William M. Miley ****
94th Infantry Division In military terms, 94th Division or 94th Infantry Division may refer to: * 94th Division (People's Republic of China) * 94th Infantry Division (German Empire) * 94th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) * 94th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) * 94th Gu ...
– Major General Harry J. Malony *** XXIII Corps – Major General Hugh J. Gaffey **** 28th Infantry Division – Major General Norman D. Cota Source: Bradley, Omar, ''A Soldier's Story'', New York: Henry Holt and Company (1950), pp. 557–561


References and notes


External links


Military situation maps produced by the Engineering Section of the 12th Army Group
– Library of Congress
Omar Nelson Bradley, Lt. General FUSAG 12TH AG
– Omar Bradley's D-Day June 6, 1944 Maps restored, preserved and displayed at Historical Registry {{Authority control 12 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945