Army Group A (Heeresgruppe A) was the name of several

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Army Groups during

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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. During the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

, the army group named Army Group A was composed of 45½ divisions, including 7 armored

panzer This article deals with the tanks (german: panzer) serving in the German Army (''Deutsches Heer'') throughout history, such as the World War I tanks of the Imperial German Army, the interwar and World War II tanks of the Nazi German Wehrmacht, ...

divisions. It was responsible for breaking through the heavily-forested

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

region. The operation, which was part of ''Fall Gelb'' (Case Yellow), was resoundingly successful for the Germans, as the army group outflanked the best troops of France and its allies, eventually leading to France's surrender. In 1942,

Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...

on the Eastern Front against the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

was split into Army Group A and Army Group B, and Army Group A was responsible for the invasion into the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

. In 1945, months before the fall of Nazi Germany, Army Group A was renamed

Army Group Centre Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army fo ...

Western Front, 1940

During the German invasion of the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Army Group A was under the command of

Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German ''Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East Germany, East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. ...

Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the '' Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered th ...

and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes. It was composed of 45½ divisions, including the 7 panzer divisions of

Panzer Group Kleist The XXII Motorised Corps (''XXII. Armeekorps (motorisiert)'') was a German army corps during World War II.'' History The XXII. Armeekorps (motorisiert) was created on 26 August 1939 in Wehrkreis X (Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen). The Cor ...

. Order of Battle * 4th Army

Günther von Kluge Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge (30 October 1882 – 19 August 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II who held commands on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He commanded the 4th Army of the Wehrmacht during the invasion o ...

V Army Corps (Wehrmacht) V Army Corps (V. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. Commanders * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Hermann Geyer, 16 May 1935 – 30 April 1939 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Ric ...

General Infantry

Richard Ruoff Richard Ruoff (18 August 1883 – 30 March 1967) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded the 4th Panzer Army and the 17th Army on the Eastern Front. World War II Ruoff took command of V Army Corps on 1 ...

*** 211th Infantry Division - Generalmajor

Kurt Renner Kurt Renner was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during 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 W ...

*** 251st Infantry Division - Generalmajor Hans Kratzert *** 263rd Infantry Division - Generalmajor Franz Karl **

VIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) VIII Army Corps (VIII. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. It was destroyed during the Battle of Stalingrad and reformed in mid-1943. Commanders * Cavalry General (''General der Kavallerie'') Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kle ...

General Infantry

Walter Heitz Walter Heitz (8 December 1878 – 9 February 1944) was a German general (''Generaloberst'') in the Wehrmacht during World War II who served as President of the Reichskriegsgericht, Reich Military Court and commanded part of the 6th Army (Wehrmacht ...

***

8th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) 8th Division, 8th Infantry Division or 8th Armored Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 8th Division (Australia) * 8th Canadian Infantry Division * 8th Air Division (People's Republic of China) * 8th Division (1st Formation) (People's Rep ...

GenLt

Rudolf Koch-Erpach Rudolf Koch-Erpach (9 April 1886 – 28 November 1971) was a German general during World War II who commanded the LVI Panzer Corps and the 1st Army. Biography Koch-Erpach was born in Munich, and eventually rose to the rank of general. In 1 ...

*** 28th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) GenMaj

Johann Sinnhuber __NOTOC__ Johann Sinnhuber (27 March 1887 – 23 October 1979) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the LXXXII Army Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards and decorations * K ...

II Army Corps (Wehrmacht) II Army Corps (II. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. Organisation Organisation of the corps at different times included; 1939 (September) * Corps Staff and Headquarters **402nd Corps Signals Unit **42nd Corps ...

General Infantry Adolf Strauss ***

12th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) The 12th Infantry Division (German: "12. Infanteriedivision") – later known as the 12th Volksgrenadier Division – was a Wehrmacht military unit of Nazi Germany that fought during World War II. The division was formed in 1934. It participat ...

GenLt

Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach Walther Kurt von Seydlitz-Kurzbach (; 22 August 1888 – 28 April 1976) was a German general during World War II who commanded the LI Army Corps during the Battle of Stalingrad. At the end of the battle, he gave his officers freedom of action ...

***

32nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) The 32nd Infantry Division (german: 32. Infanterie-Division) of the German Army was mobilized on 1 August 1939 for the upcoming invasion of Poland. At that time, it consisted of the usual German infantry division elements: three infantry regimen ...

GenLt

Franz Böhme Franz Friedrich Böhme (15 April 1885 – 29 May 1947) was an Army officer who served in succession with the Austro-Hungarian Arny, the Austrian Army and the German Wehrmacht. He rose to the rank of general during World War II, serving as Comm ...

XV Army Corps (Wehrmacht) The XV Army Corps / XV AK (german: XV. Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the German Army before and in the early stages of World War II. It was set up on 10 October 1938. It was also known as Gruppe Hoth / Panzergruppe Hoth during the i ...

General Infantry

Hermann Hoth Hermann Hoth (12 April 1885 – 25 January 1971) was a German army commander, war criminal, and author. He served as a high-ranking panzer commander in the Wehrmacht during World War II, playing a prominent role in the Battle of France and on t ...

*** 5th Panzer Division GenLt

Joachim Lemelsen Joachim Lemelsen (28 September 1888 – 30 March 1954) was a German general during World War II who rose to army-level command. During Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, troops of the XLVII Motorized Corps under his ...

*** 7th Panzer Division GenMaj

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

***

62nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) The 62nd Infantry Division (german: 62. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. It was formed in Wehrkreis VIII (Silesia) in August 1939. After heavy casualties in March 1944, it was first briefly reass ...

GenMaj

Walter Keiner __NOTOC__ Walter Keiner (30 December 1890 – 23 January 1978) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards and decorations * Knight's Cross of the Iron ...

* 12th Army Generaloberst

Wilhelm List Wilhelm List (14 May 1880 – 17 August 1971) was a German field marshal during World War II who was convicted of war crimes by a US Army tribunal after the war. List commanded the 14th Army in the invasion of Poland and the 12th Army in the ...

VI Army Corps (Wehrmacht) The VI Corps (german: VI. Armeekorps (VI.AK)) was an infantry corps of the German Army. It fought in several notable actions during World War II. The corps was originally formed around the 6th Division of the ''Reichswehr'' in October 1934 in ...

(

Förster Förster or Foerster is a German surname meaning "forester". (It has often been Anglicised as Forster). Notable people of this name include: Förster * Arnold Förster (1810–1884), a German entomologist * August Förster (physician) (1822–18 ...

) **

III Army Corps (Wehrmacht) III Army Corps was a corps level formation of the German Army during World War II. III Army Corps The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. The corps took part in Fall Weiss, the 1939 invasion of Poland as a part of Army Gr ...

( Haase) **

XVII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) XVII Army Corps (German: ''XVII. Armeekorps'') was a corps in the German Army during World War II. The corps was formed in Vienna on 1 April 1938 after the Annexation of Austria. Invasion of Poland At the beginning of the war in September 1939 ...

( Kienitz) * 16th Army General Infantry Ernst Busch **

VII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) VII Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. It was destroyed in August 1944 during the Jassy–Kishinev Offensive (August 1944). Commanders * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Wilhelm Adam, ...

( Schobert) **

XIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) XIII Army Corps (German: ''XIII. Armeekorps'') was a corps of the German Army during World War II. Made up of several divisions, which varied from time to time, it was formed in Nuremberg on 1 October 1937. Soon after the general mobilisation of ...

( Vietingoff) **

XXIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) German XXIII. Corps (XXIII. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. Commanders * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Erich Raschick, April 1939 – 26 October 1939 * Infantry General (''General der Infanter ...

GenLt

Albrecht Schubert Albrecht Schubert (23 June 1886 – 26 November 1966) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Life and career Born 23 June 1886 in Glatz (modern Kłodzko, Poland, th ...

** XIX Army Corps (Wehrmacht) (

Guderian Guderian is a German surname. Other spellings are '' Guderjahn'' and '' Guderjan''. It is present in Greater Poland and Mazovia Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European ...

) ***

2nd Panzer Division The 2nd Panzer Division ( en, 2nd Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II. Created as one of the original three German tank divisions in 1935, it was stationed in Austria after the Anschluss an ...

( Veiel) *** 1st Panzer Division ( Kirchner) *** 10th Panzer Division ( Schaal) ***

Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland The Infantry Regiment ''Großdeutschland'' (german: Infanterie-Regiment "Großdeutschland"; ) was an élite German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army ceremonial and combat unit which saw action during World War II. Originally formed in 1921 it was k ...

XLI Army Corps (Wehrmacht) XXXXI Panzer Corps (also written as: XLI Panzer Corps) was a Panzer (armoured) corps in the German Army during World War II. Operational history The corps was originally formed, as the XXXXI Corps, on 5 February 1940 in ''Wehrkreis'' VIII (Sile ...

( Reinhardt) ***

6th Panzer Division The 6th Panzer Division ( en, 6th Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army (1935–1945), German Army, the ''Heer'', during World War II, established in October 1939. The division, initially formed as a light brigade, particip ...

( Kempf) ***

8th Panzer Division The 8th Panzer Division was a formation of the ''Wehrmacht'' ''Heer''. The division was formed by reorganising the 3rd Light Division in October 1939. It was transferred to the west and fought in the Battle of France, in May 1940, and the Germ ...

( Kuntzen) ***

2nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) The 2nd Infantry Division of Nazi Germany's Army was created from components of the ''Reichswehr's'' old 2nd Division in 1934, at first under the cover name ''Wehrgauleitung Stettin'' and later ''Artillerieführer II''; it did not take its real na ...

( Bader) **

XIV Army Corps (Wehrmacht) XIV Panzer Corps (also: XIV Army Corps or XIV. ''Armeekorps'') was a corps-level formation of the German Army which fought on both the Eastern Front and in the Italian Campaign. History The XIV Panzer Corps was originally formed as the XIV Mot ...

( Wietersheim) *** 13th Panzer Division ( Rothkirch und Panthen) *** 29th Motorized Infantry Division ( Langermann und Erlencamp) * Reserves ** XXXX Corps - Generalleutnant

Georg Stumme Georg Stumme (29 July 1886 – 24 October 1942) was a general in the of Nazi Germany during the Second World War who briefly commanded the Axis forces at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein, and died during the Defence of Outpost Sni ...

*** 4th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) GenLt

Erick-Oskar Hansen __NOTOC__ Erick-Oskar Hansen (27 May 1889 – 18 March 1967) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Biography Born in Hamburg, Hansen entered the army ...

*** 87th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) GenLt Bogislav von Studnitz *** 211th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) GenLt

*** 263rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) GenLt Franz Karl ***

267th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) The 267th Infantry Division (german: 267. Infanterie-Division) was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 26 August 1939 in Hanover. Called the 'Horsehead' division because of its emblem, after it was mobilised in August 1939 it was ...

GenLt Ernst Fessmann

Eastern Front, 1942

In 1942,

was in southern Russia on the Eastern Front. For

Case Blue Case Blue (German: ''Fall Blau'') was the German Armed Forces' plan for the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and 24 November 1942, during World War II. The objective was to capture the oil fields of the Cauca ...

(''Fall Blau''), the summer offensive of the German Armed Forces (''

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

''), Army Group South was split into Army Group A and

Army Group B Army Group B (German: ') was the title of three German Army Groups that saw action during World War II. Operational history Army Group B first took part in the Battle of France in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The second formation of ...

. Army Group A was ordered south to capture the oil fields in the

. Army Group A included the following armies: * German 1st Panzer Army * German 11th Army * German 17th Army * Third Army (Romania), Romanian 3rd Army

Eastern Front, 1944-1945

Army Group A was formed a third time on September 23, 1944, in southern Poland and the Carpathian region by renaming Army Group North Ukraine.
The army group was used to defend southern Poland and Slovakia.
Subordinate were : * 9th Army (Wehrmacht), 9th Army, * 4th Panzer Army * the newly formed 17th Army (Wehrmacht), 17th Army * 1st Panzer Army. After the breakthrough of the Red Army near Baranow on the Vistula during the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive, on January 16, 1945 Colonel Bogislaw von Bonin, the Chief of the Operational Branch of the Army General Staff (''Generalstab des Heeres'') gave Heeresgruppe A permission to retreat rejecting a direct order from Adolf Hitler for them to hold fast. Although Heeresgruppe A escaped encirclement and regrouped, von Bonin was arrested by the Gestapo on January 19, 1945, and imprisoned. On 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups. Army Group North became Army Group Courland; Army Group Center became Army Group North and Army Group A became Army Group Center.

Commanders

Chiefs of Staff

References

{{Subject bar , portal1=Military of Germany , portal2=World War II Army groups of the German Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945