German High Commanders of WW2

[Rossano]

P.S.: additional data
1) war diary of LV.AK : Harpe OB AOK 9 until 21.05.44 then Jordan from 22.05. (maybe correct Wiese until 21.05., or Wiese really until 18.05 then Harpe again until 21.05 ?). By the way, if Wiese from 03.05 (as from AOK KTB, by John), Harpe then until 02.05. ???
2) one last thing, from the war diary of AOK 9 (1943) : 20.05. - 11.06.43 Gen.d.Pz.Tr. Harpe i.V. (but from Model' s biographie it was GdI Weiß i.V. instead)

[askropp]

There is nothing new to add. All dates given on page 6 of this thread for the years 1943 and 1944 are corroborated by the KTB AOK 9.

[histan]

askropp is correct, all the dates given are supported by the KTB and IIa files of AOK 9.

Harpe went on leave from AOK 9 on 02.05.1944 and took over at Pz AOK 4 on 22.05.1944.

Regards

John

[Rossano]

OK, thanks to both of You

[iggy88]

According to an entry for 28 Dec 1941 in the KTB of XX. Armeekorps, General der Gebirgstruppe Ludwig Kübler assumed command of AOK 4 on that date.

[Rossano]

Hello Todd
Thanks for Your precious informations.
Is it reported in the KTB of XX. AK who the Ic was and when the Ia returned ?
Rgds., Rossano

[iggy88]

Rossano,
The KTB ends three days later on 31 Dec 1941, so I'm not sure about the Ia.
I'll look through it again to see if I can find the Ic mentioned.
Todd

[askropp]

KTB HGr Mitte shows:

18.12. Hitler fires Bock and appoints Kluge as his successor. Kübler, who is to replace Kluge, is expected "in den nächsten Tagen"
19.12. Kluge takes over HGr Mitte, daily affairs at AOK 4 are managed by Blumentritt
23.12. As Kübler has not yet arrived, Reinhardt is scheduled to stand in for him
26.12. Talking with Halder, Kluge mentions that Reinhardt was not able to reach AOK 4 "by car, plane or sleigh" because of the bad weather.
Later in the day, Kübler arrives at Kluge's HQ and plans to take over AOK 4 on the 27th.

The weather may have cost him another day.

Also, I noticed that Rudolf Schmidt was already mstFb PzAOK 2 while Guderian was at the FHQ on 20/21 December.

[askropp]

18. Armee
04.11.1939 – 18.01.1942 General der Artillerie (19.07.1940 Generaloberst) Georg von Küchler
18.01.1942 – 28.03.1944 General der Kavallerie (05.07.1942 Generaloberst) Georg Lindemann
28.03.1944 – 04.09.1944 General der Artillerie Herbert Loch (bis 06.05.1944 mstFb, danach mFb)
04.09.1944 – 08.05.1945 General der Infanterie Ehrenfried Boege (bis 30.01.1945 mFb)

[iggy88]

From Ferngespräch OB Heeresgruppe Nord (GO Georg Lindemann) to AOK 18 on 31 Mar 1944, GdA Kurt Herzog was briefly m.d.st.F.b. der 18. Armee (01 Apr 1944-03 Apr 1944) while Loch filled in at the Heeresgruppe.

[histan]

Good find iggy88 - sent me to the KTB for AOK 18 and XXXVIII. AK. When I first read the KTB for 18. Armee I was so pleased with finding out the detailed information about Loch taking over at 18. Armee on 28.03.1944 that I stopped reading and missed this completely!

"7.00 Abfahrt Gen.d.Art. Loch, stellv.OB, zur H.Gr. Nord zur Vertretung des OB der Heeresgruppe."
"10.00 Eintreffen Gen.d.Art. Herzog, K.G. XXXVIII. AK, beim A.O.K. zur Stellvertretung Gen.d.Art. Loch als O.B. der Armee
KTB 18. Armee dated 01.04.1944

"15.30 Abfahrt Gen.d.Art. Herzog (Stellvertreter von Gen.d.Art. Loch als stellv.O.B. der 18 Armee) zu XXXVIII. AK.
15.50 Rückkehr Gen.der Art. Loch von der Vertretung des O.B. der Heeresgruppe Nord."
KTB 18. Armee dated 03.04.1944

Regards

John

[askropp]

Hm ... we know that Lindemann left AOK 18 on 28 March. Does anybody know if he took over HGr Nord on the same day, and did Model leave simultaneously? The official takeover date was 31 March, but it seems improbable that he was idling around in the HQ for three days.

[Rossano]

Hello gentlemen
from his biogr. Model left die HGr. Nord on 30.03, then well known Lindemann took it over on 31.03. Besides, I have Lindemann leaving AOK.18 on 29.03 and Loch taking it over on the same day.
But I have a question about Herzog. Did he really return to his Korps on 03.04 (like written in the KTB. AOK.18), or did he go directly on Holiday (from various sources) ???
Rgds., Rossano

[histan]

Christian Hansen was stellv. O.B. 16 Armee between 24.01.1943 and 16.03.1943, while Busch was on leave.

"14.30 General Hansen übernimmt vertretungsweise die Führung der Armee"
KTB 16 Armee dated 24.01.1943

"18.10 Uhr Stellv. O.B. AOK 16 (Komm. General X. AK) meldet Chef. H.Gr. Übernahme des Befehls über die Armee."
KTB H.Gr. Nord dated 24.01.1943

"Mit dem heutigen Tage hat Generalfeldmarschall Busch die Führung der Armee wieder übernommen. (vgl.dazu: AOK 16, Ia Nr1560/43 gen.v.16.3.43)"
KTB 16 Armee dated 16.03.1943

Regards

John

[iggy88]

Here are the Ferngespräche of OB AOK 18 on 29 Mar 1944. (Although not named, the OB must be GdA Herbert Loch.) He communicates twice with GO Georg Lindemann on that date. Since Lindemann is listed by name, he must have been in command somewhere else on that date (i.e. at Heeresgruppe Nord).