Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of
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 with ...
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 opposing ...
. The
German Army Group was subordinated to the ''
Oberkommando des Heeres
The (; 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 ...
'' (OKH), the German army high command, and coordinated the operations of attached separate
army corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
, reserve formations, rear services and logistics, including the
Army Group North Rear Area
Army Group North Rear Area (''Rückwärtiges Heeresgebiet Nord'') was one of the three Army Group Rear Area Commands, established during the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union. Initially commanded by General Franz von Roques, it was an area ...
.
Operational history
The Army Group North was created on the 2 September 1939 by reorganization of the
2nd Army Headquarters. Commander in Chief as of 27 August 1939 was Field Marshal
Fedor von Bock
Moritz Albrecht Franz Friedrich Fedor von Bock (3 December 1880 – 4 May 1945) was a German who served in the German Army during the Second World War. Bock served as the commander of Army Group North during the Invasion of Poland ...
.
Invasion of Poland
The first employment of Army Group North was in the
invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
of 1939, where in September it controlled:
*
3rd Army
*
4th Army
* a reserve of four divisions
**
10th Panzer Division
**
73rd Infantry Division
**
206th Infantry Division
**
208th Infantry Division.
The Army Group was commanded by
Fedor von Bock
Moritz Albrecht Franz Friedrich Fedor von Bock (3 December 1880 – 4 May 1945) was a German who served in the German Army during the Second World War. Bock served as the commander of Army Group North during the Invasion of Poland ...
for the operation.
After the end of the campaign, it was transferred to the Western Theatre and on the 10 October 1939 was renamed as the
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 Ar ...
, and consisted of:
*
6th Army
* 4th Army
Invasion of the Soviet Union
In preparation for
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 after ...
, 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
Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb (5 September 1876 – 29 April 1956) was a German field marshal and war criminal in World War II. Leeb was a highly decorated officer in World War I and was awarded the Military Order of Max Joseph which gr ...
and staged in
East Prussia. Its strategic goal was
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, with operational objectives being the territories of the
Baltic republics
The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
and securing the northern
flank
Flank may refer to:
* Flank (anatomy), part of the abdomen
** Flank steak, a cut of beef
** Part of the external anatomy of a horse
* Flank speed, a nautical term
* Flank opening, a chess opening
* A term in Australian rules football
* Th ...
of
Army Group Centre in
Northern Russia
Russian North (russian: Русский Север) is an ethnocultural region situated in the northwestern part of Russia. It spans the regions of Arkhangelsk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, Komi Republic, Vologda Oblast and Nenets Autonomous ...
between
Western Dvina River
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic Se ...
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
Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb (5 September 1876 – 29 April 1956) was a German field marshal and war criminal in World War II. Leeb was a highly decorated officer in World War I and was awarded the Military Order of Max Joseph which gr ...
.
Its subordinate armies were deployed with the following immediate objectives:
*
18th Army - from Koenigsberg to Ventspils - Jelgava
*
4th Panzer Group - Pskov
*
16th Army - Kaunas, Daugavpils
*Army Group troops
** Army-Group signals regiment 537
** Army-Group signals regiment 639 (2nd echelon)
The Baltic offensive operation
All operational objectives such as
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
were achieved despite stubborn Red Army resistance and several unsuccessful
counter-offensive
In the study of military tactics, a counter-offensive is a large-scale strategic offensive military operation, usually by forces that had successfully halted the enemy's offensive, while occupying defensive positions.
The counter-offensive ...
s such as the
Battle of Raseiniai
The Battle of Raseiniai (23–27 June 1941) was a large tank battle that took place in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The battle was fought between the elements of the German 4th Panzer Group an ...
, 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 a result of the Red Army
Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation.
In September 1941, the Spanish
Blue Division
The Blue Division ( es, División Azul, german: Blaue Division) was a unit of volunteers from Francoist Spain within the German Army (''Wehrmacht'') on the Eastern Front during World War II. It was officially designated the Spanish Volunteer ...
was assigned to Army Group North.
Northern Russia offensive operation
Composition:
October 1941
* 16th Army
* 18th Army
Nevsky Pyatachok
Nevsky Pyatachok (russian: Не́вский пятачо́к) is the name of the Neva Bridgehead 50 km east south-east of Leningrad and 15 km south of Shlisselburg. It was the site of one of the most critical and costly campaigns dur ...
Operation Nordlicht
Northern Russia defensive campaign
Commander in Chief 17 January 1942: GFM
Georg von Küchler
Georg Carl Wilhelm Friedrich von Küchler (30 May 1881 – 25 May 1968) was a German field marshal and war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 18th Army and Army Group North during the Soviet-German war of 1941–1945.
After the en ...
Composition:
September 1942
* 11th Army
* 16th Army
* 18th Army
December 1942
* 16th Army
* 18th Army
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket (german: Kessel von Demjansk; russian: Демя́нский котёл) was the name given to the pocket of German troops encircled by the Red Army around Demyansk, south of Leningrad, during World War II's Eastern Front. Th ...
Kholm Pocket
Soviet
Toropets-Kholm Operation
Battle of Velikiye Luki
Battle of Krasny Bor
The Battle of Krasny Bor was part of the Soviet offensive Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda in the Eastern Front of World War II. It called for a pincer attack near Leningrad to build on the success of Operation Iskra and completely lift the si ...
Baltic defensive campaign
Commander in Chief 9 January 1944: Field marshal
Walter Model
Otto Moritz Walter Model (; 24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945) was a German field marshal during World War II. Although he was a hard-driving, aggressive panzer commander early in the war, Model became best known as a practitioner of defen ...
Commander in Chief 31 March 1944: Generaloberst
Georg Lindemann
Georg Lindemann (8 March 1884 – 25 September 1963) was a German general during World War II. He commanded the 18th Army during the Soviet Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive.
World War II
In 1936, Lindemann was promoted to Generalmajor and given comm ...
Commander in Chief 4 July 1944: Generaloberst
Johannes Frießner
Commander in Chief 23 July 1944: GFM
Ferdinand Schörner
Ferdinand Schörner (12 June 1892 – 2 July 1973) was a German military commander who held the rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' in the ''Wehrmacht'' of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded several army groups and was the last Command ...
March 1944
*
Army detachment "Narwa"
* 16th Army
* 18th Army
Battle of Narva, consisting of:
#
Battle for Narva Bridgehead
The Battle of Narva Bridgehead ( et, Narva lahingud, german: Schlacht um den Brückenkopf von Narva, russian: Битва за плацдарм Нарва; 2 February – 26 July 1944) was the campaign that stalled the Soviet Estonian operati ...
and
#
Battle of Tannenberg Line
The Battle of Tannenberg Line (german: Die Schlacht um die Tannenbergstellung; russian: Битва за линию «Танненберг») or the Battle of the Blue Hills ( et, Sinimägede lahing) was a military engagement between the Germ ...
Combat in South Estonia, 1944
Soviet
Baltic Offensive
Battle of Porkuni
Battle of Porkuni ( et, Porkuni lahing) was the largest engagement between Estonians serving in the Red Army and Estonian pro-independence and Waffen-SS units. It took place on 21 September 1944 between Lake Porkuni and the Sauvälja village ab ...
Battle of Vilnius (1944)
Battle of Memel
The Battle of Memel or the siege of Memel (german: Erste Kurlandschlacht) was a battle which took place on the Eastern Front during World War II. The battle began when the Red Army launched its ''Memel offensive operation'' (russian: Меме ...
After becoming trapped in the
Courland Cauldron after 25 January 1945, the Army Group was renamed
Army Group Courland
Army Group Courland (german: Heeresgruppe Kurland) was a German Army Group on the Eastern Front which was created from remnants of the Army Group North, isolated in the Courland Peninsula by the advancing Soviet Army forces during the 1944 Balt ...
. 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.
Campaign in East Prussia
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 the Red Army, although remnants of Army Group units continued to resist on the
Heiligenbeil The term Heiligenbeil can refer to:
*The German name of Mamonovo, Russia
* Heiligenbeil concentration camp built near Mamonovo
*Heiligenbeil Pocket
The Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron (german: Kessel von Heiligenbeil) was the site o ...
&
Danzig beachheads until the end of the war in Europe.
October 1944
* 16th Army
*
Armee-Abteilung Grasser
* 18th Army
November 1944
* 16th Army
*
Armee-Abteilung Kleffel
* 18 Armee
December 1944
* 16th Army
* 18th Army
Soviet
East Prussian Offensive
Battle of Königsberg
The Battle of Königsberg, also known as the Königsberg offensive, was one of the last operations of the East Prussian offensive during World War II. In four days of urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussia ...
Heiligenbeil pocket
The Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron (german: Kessel von Heiligenbeil) was the site of a major encirclement battle on the Eastern Front during the closing weeks of World War II, in which the Wehrmacht's 4th Army was almost entirely ...
Campaign in West Prussia
Commander in Chief 27 January 1945: Generaloberst
Dr. Lothar Rendulic
Commander in Chief 12 March 1945:
Walter Weiß
__NOTOC__
General Walter-Otto Weiß, also spelt Weiss (5 September 1890 – 21 December 1967), was a German general during World War II. In 1945 he became commander in chief of Army Group North on the Eastern Front. He was a recipient of the Kni ...
Composition:
February 1945
*
Armee-Abteilung Samland
*
4th Army
Soviet
East Pomeranian Offensive
Battle of Kolberg
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket (Blockade of the Courland army group), (german: Kurland-Kessel)/german: Kurland-Brückenkopf (Courland Bridgehead), lv, Kurzemes katls (Courland Cauldron) or ''Kurzemes cietoksnis'' (Courland Fortress)., group=lower-alpha ...
On the 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups. Army Group North became
Army Group Courland
Army Group Courland (german: Heeresgruppe Kurland) was a German Army Group on the Eastern Front which was created from remnants of the Army Group North, isolated in the Courland Peninsula by the advancing Soviet Army forces during the 1944 Balt ...
, 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
Army Group A (Heeresgruppe A) was the name of several German Army Groups during World War II. During the Battle of France, the army group named Army Group A was composed of 45½ divisions, including 7 armored panzer divisions. It was responsibl ...
became Army Group Centre.
Commanders
See also
*
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 So ...
*
Army Group Centre
*
German order of battle for Operation Fall Weiss
*
Police Regiment North
Notes and references
Bibliography
*
{{Subject bar
, portal1=Military of Germany
, portal2=World War II
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
Military units and formations established in 1939
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945