German High Commanders of WW2

[genstab]

Thanks a lot, John. Appreciate it. Have a good week.
Best,
Bill in Cleveland
piddly snow melting tomorrow

[histan]

Sorry for the delay but material is now beginning to arrive from NARA. I have the Personalakte for Blaskowitz and Lemelsen.

These are the dates given in the Dienstlaufbahn and Beurteilung for Blaskowitz.
01.08.1939 OB 8 Armee
14.10.1939 OB 2 Armee
20.10.1939 Ob Ost
14.05.1940 OB 9 Armee
30.05.1940 FR
.......
25.10.1940 OB 1 Armee
mit Wirkung vom 04.02.1942 f d Dauer d Erkrankung d GFM von Witzleben zugleich d Vertreter d OB H Gr D (Vfg 18.02.1942)
10.05.1944 mStFb Armeegruppe G (Vfg 3214 v 05.05.1944)

Also, Dienstlaufbahn for Lemelsen shows:
10.05.1944 mstFb 1 Armee (Vfg 3214 v 05.05.1944)

Dates for interim commanders of 1 Armee while Blaskowitz was on leave are taken from approved applications for leave.

There is a Fernscrheiben dated 20.10.1939 addressed to 2 Armee that states "Generaloberst Blaskowitz, Oberbefehlshaber der 2 Armee wird mit sofortiger Wirkung zum oberbefehlshaber Ost ernannt".

But the list of command changes announcing a number of changes in command states:
"Es werden ernannt:
mit Wirkung vom 23 Oktober 1939
die Generalobersten
von Rundstedt, Ob.Befehls.Ost, z.Ob.Befehls.H.Gru.A
Blaskowitz, Ob.Befehls.d.2.Armee, z.Ob.Befehls.Ost
Der General d. inf.
Busch, Kom.Gen.VIII AK, z.Ob.Befehs.16 Armee
Der General d. Kav
Freiherr von Weichs, Kom Gen XIII AK, z.Ob.Befehls.2.Arme
Nr.6450/39 PA (1) VII 26 Oktober 1939

Regards

John

[askropp]

Thank you, John. Doubtless it should be "14.5.1940 OB 9 Armee". The interim commanders you mention are the same I listed in my post on AOK 1 (Schmidt, Dennerlein, Greiff, Felber)? As it seems, actual dates and Wirkung dates are different once more. So I'm still very interested in the AOK 2 KTB from 1939 (NARA R-1076).

[histan]

Yes date should be 14.05.1940 - my typo

Yes, interim commanders are as you listed, as are the dates.

I agree - I hope to have a copy of the KTB by the end of next week.

Regards

John

[histan]

From the KTB of AOK 2

"Das AOK 2 ist aus dem AOK 8 durch Umbennung hervorgegangen. Die Bezeichnung AOK 2 wurde mit dem Eintreffen des Stabes an der Westfront geführt.
Das Tagebuch beginnt mit der Rückkehr des Stabes nach Dresden am 15.10.39. Es enthält ferner Hinweise über die Vorbereitungen für den Einsatz im Westen, die für dem 15.10. liegen. Die Unterlagen hierfür befinden sich für die Zeit vor dem 15.10 im Kriegstagebuch AOK 8"

So it looks like the name change was to take place when the staff transferred to the West.

An entry on 08.10.1939 states "Der Befehl lässt den Zeitpunkt des Einsatzes noch AOK 2 offen. Das AOK soll zunächst den Friedensstandort Dresden erreichen und dort auf Abruf bereitstehen. Lediglich das VP ist bereits nach Düsseldorf in Marsch zu setzen."

So it looks like the name change would take place when the staff of AOK 8 moved to Dresden

From KTB AOK 8
14.10.1939 12,30 Uhr trifft die Kolonne in Dresden, Fabricekaserne ein. Ab 14,00 Uhr werden Uffz. und Mannschaften bis 16.10 früh beurlaubt

All this suggests a date of 14.10.1939 for the change of name from AOK 8 to AOK 2

So Blaskowitz in command from 14.10.1939 - which is the date given in his "Generalskartei" and his Beurteilung

Entry in KTB for 19.10.1939 "OB Generaloberst Blaskowitz fernmündlich zum Oberbefehlshaber Ost ernannt. Nachfolger noch nicht bekannt"
20.10.1939 "Neuer OB fernmdl.wird bekannt, dass zum Ob.Bef. AOK 2 Gen. d. Kav. Frhr. von Weichs ernannt worden ist."
23.10.1939 "12,00 trifft neuer OB ein."

Regards

John

[histan]

I have copied this from the thread on commanders of AOK 9 because it also belongs here.

From the KTB of AOK 2
30.03.1943 Der Oberbefehlshaber, General der Infanterie Weiß, fliegt in Urlaub. Die Vertretung übernimmt in allen laufenden Sachen der Chef des Stabes, Generalmajor Harteneck.
15.04.1943 Der Oberbefehlshaber, General der Infanterie Weiß, kehrt von Urlaub ins Armeehauptquartier zurück"

This is taken from NARA T-312 R-1242, which is available from one of the free sites. I had only looked at the dates when Weiß assumed command and had not read March and April and so had missed this until now.

The change of command between Blaskowitz and Weichs is now clear.
20.10.1939 Blaskowitz appointed OB Ost and von Weichs OB AOK 2
23.10.1939 von Weichs arrives at AOK 2
26.10.1939 the change of command is given wider circulation in a published change of appointments list, von Weichs is given an effective from (mit Wirkung vom) date of 23.10.1939.

The KTB also describes a meeting between von Bock and his army commanders (plus chiefs of staff) as taking place on 23.10.1939, with the Chef (Felber) deputizing for von Weichs, who arrived very late. This meeting is described in von Bock's diary

Since von Bock also describes meeting his army commanders on 21.10.1939 (von Kluge, von Reichenau, and von Weichs), it looks like von Weichs was briefed on the role of AOK 2 before he went to the army HQ.

Regards

John

[askropp]

Thank you very much, John! I suspect there must be quite a few unknown command changes, but it's difficult to find them if you don't know what you're looking for. It it is very time-consuming to read all KTBs day for day. Now I wonder if Blaskowitz took over as OB Ost from Liebmann already on 20.10.1939?

But let me repeat the AOK 2 command roster with the latest changes and additions:

2. Armee
14.10.1939 - 20.10.1939 Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz
20.10.1939 - 23.10.1939 Generalleutnant Hans-Gustav Felber (mdstvWdGb)
23.10.1939 - 11.11.1941 General der Kavallerie (19.07.1940 Generaloberst) Maximilian Freiherr von Weichs
11.11.1941 - 26.11.1941 Oberst i.G. Gustav Harteneck (mdstvWdGb)
26.11.1941 - 16.01.1942 General der Panzertruppe Rudolf Schmidt (mdstvFb)
16.01.1942 - 13.07.1942 Generaloberst Maximilian Freiherr von Weichs
13.07.1942 - 05.02.1943 General der Infanterie (30.01.1943 Generaloberst) Hans von Salmuth
05.02.1943 - 30.03.1943 General der Infanterie Walter Weiß
30.03.1943 - 15.04.1943 Generalmajor Gustav Harteneck (mdstvWdGb)
15.04.1943 - 12.03.1945 General der Infanterie (30.01.1944 Generaloberst) Walter Weiß
12.03.1945 - 07.04.1945 General der Panzertruppe Dietrich von Saucken (mdFb)

[askropp]

Okay, time to continue:

2. Panzerarmee (until 05.10.1941 Panzergruppe 2)
16.11.1940 - 26.12.1941 Generaloberst Heinz Wilhelm Guderian
26.12.1941 – 20.05.1942 General der Panzertruppe (16.03.1942 Generaloberst) Rudolf Schmidt (bis 01.01.1942 mdFb)
20.05.1942 - 10.06.1942 General der Panzertruppe Joachim Lemelsen (mdstvFb)
10.06.1942 - 14.04.1943 Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt
14.04.1943 – 25.04.1943 General der Panzertruppe Joachim Lemelsen (mdstvFb)
25.04.1943 – 13.07.1943 General der Infanterie Erich Heinrich Clößner (mdstvFb)
13.07.1943 – 13.08.1943 Generaloberst Walter Model (mdFb)
26.08.1943 – 23.06.1944 General der Infanterie (20.04.1944 Generaloberst) Lothar Rendulic
24.06.1944 – 14.07.1944 General der Gebirgstruppe Franz Böhme (mdFb)
14.07.1944 - 21.07.1944 General der Panzertruppe Gustav Fehn (mdstvFb)
21.07.1944 – 08.05.1945 General der Artillerie Maximilian de Angelis (bis 01.09.1944 mdFb)

From 13.08. to 26.08.1943, PzAOK 2 was in transit from the Ostfront to the Balkan and had neither subordinated troops nor an OB, although a rump staff technically was still in existence.

[histan]

Additions to Pz AOK 2

Lemelsen mstfb 20.05.1942 to 10.06.1942 Source Pz AOK 2 KTB Schmidt on leave
Gustav Fehn mstFb 14.07.1944 to 21.07.1944 Source KTB XXII. GebAK

Regards

John

[askropp]

The new info has been added above. As always, I'm greatly indebted to you, John! (Doubtlessly, you meant XXI. GebAK.)

[askropp]

Okay, this is easy:

3. Armee
01.09.1939 – 22.10.1939 General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler

[askropp]

3. Panzerarmee (until 01.01.1942 Panzergruppe 3)
16.11.1940 – 09.10.1941 Generaloberst Hermann Hoth
09.10.1941 – 16.08.1944 General der Panzertruppe (16.03.1942 Generaloberst) Georg-Hans Reinhardt
17.08.1944 – 10.03.1945 Generaloberst Erhard Raus
10.03.1945 – 03.05.1945 General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel

[askropp]

I wonder if the title of this thread has become somewhat misleading, or maybe I did not formulate it precisely enough in the first place. As it is now, I have tried to list not only the interim, but also the permanent army commanders (Führer and Oberbefehlshaber). In my opinion, it would not make much sense to list one group without the other. So, what we are in the process of compiling with the help of all contributors (most notably John "Histan", but also all others), has the potential of becoming the probably most complete and exhaustive list of the officers who were in command of a German field army in WW2 available in the web at this point, based primarily on original sources (KTB etc.). In consideration of this, a title like "German army commanders of WW2" or something like that would seem more appropriate to this thread now. We could ask Dr. Zinke for a title adjustment, what do you think?

[askropp]

Phew, that was quick! Vielen Dank!

[askropp]

4. Armee
01.09.1939 – 19.12.1941 General der Artillerie (01.10.1939 Generaloberst, 19.07.1940 Generalfeldmarschall) Günther von Kluge
19.12.1941 – 20.01.1942 General der Gebirgstruppe Ludwig Kübler
20.01.1942 – 06.06.1942 General der Infanterie Gotthard Heinrici
06.06.1942 – 13.07.1942 General der Infanterie Hans von Salmuth (mdstvFb)
13.07.1942 – 01.06.1943 General der Infanterie (30.01.1943 Generaloberst) Gotthard Heinrici
01.06.1943 – 31.07.1943 Generaloberst Hans von Salmuth (mdstvFb)
31.07.1943 – 15.12.1943 Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici
15.12.1943 – 07.01.1944 General der Infanterie Johannes Frießner (mdstvFb)
07.01.1944 – 04.06.1944 Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici
04.06.1944 – 18.07.1944 General der Infanterie Kurt von Tippelskirch (mdstvFb)
18.07.1944 – 20.07.1944 General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling (mdstvFb)
20.07.1944 – 29.01.1945 General der Infanterie Friedrich Hoßbach (bis 01.09.1944 mdFb)
29.01.1945 – 07.04.1945 General der Infanterie Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller