Army Group H(German:Heeresgruppe H) was a German army group during World War II, active between November 1944 and May 1945. It was deployed mainly in theGerman-occupied Netherlands.The staff was known asSupreme Commander North West(German:Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest) from 7 April. The army groupsurrendered at Lüneburg Heathon 4 May 1945.
| Army Group H | |
|---|---|
| German:Heeresgruppe H | |
 Allied advance in the Netherlands and in Northwestern Germany in April 1945. Army Group H is labelledH.Gr. H. | |
| Active | 11 November 1944 – 4 May 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | German Army (Wehrmacht) |
| Type | Army Group |
| Engagements | World War II (Western Front) |
| Commanders | |
| First | Kurt Student |
| Second | Johannes Blaskowitz |
| Last | Ernst Busch |
H was the highest letter given to a German army group during World War II.[1]: 8
History
editIn mid-to-late 1944, the Western Allies had undertaken the ambitiousOperation Market Garden,a multi-layered airborne assault against several targets in theLow Countrieswith the aim to quickly cross the major geographic barrier of the area, theRhine river.Although the German counterattack against Market Garden broadly succeeded and inflicted heavy Allied casualties (especially atArnhem), German operational planners feared repeated Allied attempts to break through the German defenses in the northern sector of the Western Front.[2]: 39
Army Group H was formed on 11 November 1944 in theGerman-occupied Netherlands,using personnel from the formerArmy Detachment Kleffelas well as parts of the formerArmy Detachment Serbia.[3]: 110 Kurt Studentwas assigned for command of the army group, then being prepared for formation, on 27 October 1944.[4]: 354 The staff for the army group was assembled on 10 November.[5]: 620 After 7 April 1945, the command staff of Army Group H was also designated "Supreme Commander North West".[3]: 110
Army Group H was mainly to hold the German defenses along the Rhine river, though it also had to shield several key targets on the west bank of the river, such as theDüsseldorf–Duisburgbridgehead (which stretched fromDinslakenviaKrefeldto Düsseldorf), with which the Germans intended to shield the vitalRhine-Ruhr industrial region.Secondary defensive lines inside this bridgehead were installed atDuisburg-Homburg,Krefeld-Uerdingen,and Düsseldorf.[2]: 40
As of December 1944, Army Group H contained the 1st Parachute Army and the 15th Army.[3]: 110 On 1 December 1944, Army Group H counted 484,656 soldiers.[4]: 277 In the broader German strategy of theWestern Front,Army Group H was subordinate toSupreme Command West(also known, from its previous designation, as "Army Group D" ), along withArmy Group BandArmy Group G.[4]: 314 Army Group H stood opposite the northern flank of the Western Allied forces, which was mainly covered by theAllied 21st Army Group(with the1st Canadian Armyand2nd British Army).[2]: 39
Planning for the GermanArdennes Offensive( "Battle of the Bulge",December 1944 – January 1945) initially gave Army Group H an active role, but the 15th Army was then repurposed to merely serve to cover the flank of the advancing6th SS Panzer Army.Army Group H was then intended to join the offensive with a southwards thrust once the operational breakthrough toAntwerphad been secured. As this breakthrough did not materialize, Army Group H did not join the Ardennes Offensive with its own forces.[5]: 620 Initially, Army Group H had been intended to receive theI SS Panzer Corps(with1st SS Panzer Divisionand12th SS Panzer Division) in late January 1945 to possibly commence counterattacks against the advancing Western Allies, but the I SS Panzer Corps was rerouted on short notice to join theAustrian front,where theRed Armywas making rapid gains.[4]: 355
Johannes Blaskowitzreplaced Student as commander of Army Group H on 30 January 1945. Between January and March 1945, the army group contained the 1st Parachute and the 25th Army.[3]: 110 On 1 February 1945, the army group was supplied with the172nd Reserve Divisionfor coastal defense inFrisia.[4]: 355 On 10 February 1945,VI Flak Corpswas formed to oversee16th Flak Division,9th Flak Brigadeand18th Flak Brigadein the sector of Army Group H.[6]: 10
On 1 March 1945, the army group had an overall strength of seven infantry divisions, four airborne divisions, one panzer division, onePanzergrenadierdivision and the 106th Panzer Brigade.[4]: 314 With the deep advances by the Western Allies into the German heartland between March and April (such as the capture ofEisenachandWürzburgon 7 April), western Germany was effectively split into several areas of defense, of which the remaining forces of Army Group H in the "Fortress Holland", especially 25th Army, were the strongest.[4]: 443f.
Ernst Buschreplaced Blaskowitz as commander of Army Group H on 15 April 1945.[3]: 110
Noteworthy individuals
edit- Kurt Student,commander of Army Group H from 7 November 1944 until 30 January 1945.
- Johannes Blaskowitz,commander of Army Group H from 30 January until 15 April 1945 (also "Supreme Commander North West" from 7 April 1945 until 15 April 1945).
- Ernst Busch,commander of Army Group H (and "Supreme Commander North West" ) from 15 April 1945 until capitulation.
References
edit- ^Tessin, Georg (1977).Die Waffengattungen — Gesamtübersicht.Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 (in German). Vol. 1. Osnabrück: Biblio.ISBN3764810971.
- ^abcZaloga, Steven J. (2011).Defense of the Rhine 1944–45.Oxford: Osprey Publishing.ISBN9781849083874.
- ^abcdeTessin, Georg (1980).Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände / Die Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände) / Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943–1945.Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 (in German). Vol. 14. Osnabrück: Biblio.ISBN3764811110.
- ^abcdefgZimmermann, John (2008). "Die deutsche militärische Kriegführung im Westen 1944/45". In Müller, Rolf-Dieter (ed.).Die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht.Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg. Vol. 10/1. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 277–490.ISBN9783421062376.
- ^abVogel, Detlef (2001). "Deutsche und alliierte Kriegführung im Westen". In Boog, Horst; et al. (eds.).Das Deutsche Reich in der Defensive: Strategischer Luftkrieg in Europa, Krieg im Westen und in Ostasien 1943–1944/45.Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. 7. Stuttgart/Munich: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 419–639.ISBN3421055076.
- ^Tessin, Georg (1967).Die Landstreitkräfte 006–014.Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 (in German). Vol. 3. Frankfurt/Main: Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH.