German High Commanders of WW2

[histan]

As is often the case, primary sources give different dates and the secondary sources pick whichever they want!

The best that I can do is:
Fernschreiben to AOK 5, AOK 1, H Gr C
Generalmajor Hollidt, Kdr d 52 Inf Div, wird zum Chef d Gen Stabes der 5 Armee ernannt. Übergabe der Geschäfte hat bis 12.9 zu erfolgen. Generalmajor Sixt von Armin steht ab 12 dem PA als Div Kdr zur Verfügung.
OKH GZ (I) Nr.262/39 g. dated 09.09.1939

The KRL for 5 Armee gives the date of Sixt von Armin leaving and Hollidt taking over as 12.09.1939.

Hollidt's Personalakte contains more than one list of his appointments and promotions for 1930 to 1940.
One of these has the entry
15.09.1939 mit Wirkung vom 12.09.1939 Chef d Gen Stabes d 5 Armee 5010/39

However - his Dienstlaufbahn has the following entry:
15.09.1939 AOK 5 Chef d Gen St m d 10.09. ern [Keilig and Mehner pick 15.09.1939 and Bradley picks 10.09.1939] [Also no reference Number]

And his Beurteilung has:
16.09.1939 - 15.10.1939 Chef AOK 5

I am going with 12.09.1939

Regards

John

[Stauffenberg II]

John, what can I say... just marvellous. Thanks

And I agree with you that it should read 12.09. The term Sixt von Armin steht ab 12. Zur Verfuegung implies that he held his job until 11.

Juergen

[askropp]

7. Armee
01.09.1939 – 28.06.1944 General der Artillerie (19.07.1940 Generaloberst) Friedrich Dollmann
28.06.1944 – 21.08.1944 SS-Obergruppenführer (01.08.1944 SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer) Paul Hausser (bis 01.08.1944 mdFb)
21.08.1944 – 22.08.1944 General der Panzertruppe Hans Freiherr von Funck (mdstvFb)
22.08.1944 – 31.08.1944 General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Eberbach (mdFb)
31.08.1944 – 21.02.1945 General der Panzertruppe Erich Brandenberger (mdFb)
22.02.1945 – 25.03.1945 General der Infanterie Hans-Gustav Felber (mdstvFb)
25.03.1945 – 08.05.1945 General der Infanterie Hans von Obstfelder

I'm not quite sure about the 1945 changes. Also, it is nearly certain that Dollmann must have been on leave during his long tenure, just as Blaskowitz, Rundstedt etc. in the West were. But I don't have the original documents (KTB).

[Stauffenberg II]

Dear Askropp,

In August 1940, Gen. d. Art. (Fl.) Leonhard Kaupisch was in command of the 7. Armee. There are two excellent GE documents held in Russia (Heeresgruppe B, Akte 66) which clearly show that on 14.08.1940 and on 19.08.1940 Kaupisch was in command planning the invasion of Ireland (Operation Grün). As far as I know this is not mentioned in any secondary source, so quite surprising.

See for example the 14.08.1940 document signed by Kaupisch himself:

[askropp]

Thank you very much for this interesting information!

[Stauffenberg II]

6. Armee
10.10.1939 – 14.01.1942 Generaloberst (19.07.1940 Generalfeldmarschall) Walter von Reichenau
16.01.1942 – 20.01.1942 Generaloberst Hermann Hoth (mdstvFb)
20.01.1942 – 31.01.1943 General der Panzertruppe (30.11.1942 Generaloberst, 31.01.1943 Generalfeldmarschall) Friedrich Paulus
06.03.1943 – 23.11.1943 General der Infanterie (17.09.1943 Generaloberst) Karl-Adolf Hollidt
23.11.1943 – 25.11.1943 General der Gebirgstruppe Ferdinand Schörner (mdstvFb)
25.11.1943 – 20.12.1943 General der Artillerie Maximilian de Angelis (mdstvFb)
20.12.1943 – 05.04.1944 Generaloberst Karl-Adolf Hollidt
05.04.1944 – 19.07.1944 General der Artillerie Maximilian de Angelis (bis 20.04.1944 mdstvFb, dann mdFb)
19.07.1944 – 23.12.1944 General der Artillerie Maximilian Fretter-Pico (mdFb)
23.12.1944 – 08.05.1945 General der Panzertruppe Hermann Balck

I'm not sure about Kleist, but he was mstvFb HGr Süd shortly, and both Reichenau and Hoth held both commands during their tenure.

Dear Askropp,

I am quite sure that in Dec. 1940 and early 1941 - when Reichenau had a stroke and was on leave (see "Paltzo letter" 28.03.1966 - http://www.ifz-muenchen.de/archiv/zs/zs-2098.pdf) - somebody must have been acted as deputy.

[askropp]

KTB AOK 6 (in fact, for some time there are two KTBs, covering the dwindling staff in France and the assembling staff in Poland) does not tell anything about a Vertreter for the period from 01.01.1941 to 25.04.1941 when Reichenau rejoined the staff. It would appear to me that Heim, who is frequently mentioned, did the daily work and Reichenau occasionally intervened from Germany. I do not have the 1940 KT yet, but I assume it worked like this all the way.

[askropp]

8. Armee
01.09.1939 – 14.10.1939 General der Infanterie (01.10.1939 Generaloberst) Johannes Blaskowitz
------
16.08.1943 – 23.12.1944 General der Infanterie Otto Wöhler (bis 15.11.1943 mdFb)
23.12.1944 – 25.12.1944 General der Panzertruppe Ulrich Kleemann (mdstvFb)
25.12.1944 – 08.05.1945 General der Gebirgstruppe Hans Kreysing

John said that the listing of Lemelsen as Führer AOK 6 is a typo and that AOK 8 was meant. As the KTB is silent about him, I assume his appointment was also cancelled?

[genstab]

In the 6th Armee thread, I had Gen d. Pz Tr Joachim Lemelsen acting from 5-3-44 to late March and John (Histan) said this was a typo in Bradley, and Lemelsen was at 8th Army.

[histan]

I said that 6 Armee was a typo and that Bradley, basing his entries on the Dienstlaufbahn, should have said 8 Armee. I also said that Lemelsen would be discussed under 8 Armee.

The HPA sent a Fernschreiben to the IIa at H Gr Süd dated 04.03.1944 saying that Lemelsen had been tasked to stand in for Wöhler while he was on leave

There was a follow up PV (I don't have a copy) because there is an entry in his Dienstlaufbahn, on one of his "Generalskartei", and on the HPA card that lists the commanders of 8 Armee. Unfortunately I can't make out the reference (It looks like Vfg 26....... 4.44). I am happy to e-mail someone a copy, its too large a file to post.

This made its way into Wegmann & Zweng and Bradley.

One of the "Generalskartei" states "n.wirks.gew" so it looks like it was cancelled.

I am convinced that I read somewhere (can't remember where - old age?) that it was cancelled because von Manstein and Wöhler didn't think that Lemelsen was up to commanding an army on the Eastern Front.

Worth discussing here, I think, in case other researchers look at these primary sources and question why his "command" is not mentioned.

Regards

John

[askropp]

Thank you for the clarification. I just wonder why no one else came? Wöhler seems to have carried on without leave. Or did I just not search far enough in the KTB (I checked March and April 1944)?

[histan]

Hi askropp

I couldn't find anyone either perhaps we both need to look again!

Regards

John

[askropp]

Tricky because of the many changes. I would assume that Strauß also went on leave some time between the Westfeldzug and Barbarossa.

9. Armee
14.05.1940 – 30.05.1940 Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz
30.05.1940 – 15.01.1942 General der Infanterie (19.07.1940 Generaloberst) Adolf Strauß
15.01.1942 – 23.05.1942 General der Panzertruppe (28.02.1942 Generaloberst) Walter Model
23.05.1942 – 02.06.1942 General der Infanterie Albrecht Schubert (mdstvFb)
02.06.1942 – 08.08.1942 General der Panzertruppe Heinrich von Vietinghoff (mdstvFb)
08.08.1942 – 19.03.1943 Generaloberst Walter Model
19.03.1943 – 30.03.1943 General der Artillerie Robert Martinek (mdstvFb)
30.03.1943 – 17.04.1943 General der Panzertruppe Josef Harpe (mdstvFb)
17.04.1943 – 20.05.1943 Generaloberst Walter Model
20.05.1943 – 11.06.1943 General der Panzertruppe Josef Harpe (mdstvFb)
11.06.1943 – 05.11.1943 Generaloberst Walter Model
05.11.1943 – 03.05.1944 General der Panzertruppe (20.04.1944 Generaloberst) Josef Harpe
03.05.1944 – 22.05.1944 General der Infanterie Friedrich Wiese (mdstvFb)
22.05.1944 – 26.06.1944 General der Infanterie Hans Jordan (mdFb)
26.06.1944 – 27.06.1944 General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling (mdstvFb)
27.06.1944 – 21.09.1944 General der Panzertruppe Nikolaus von Vormann (mdFb)
21.09.1944 – 19.01.1945 General der Panzertruppe Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz (mdFb)
19.01.1945 – 01.05.1945 General der Infanterie Theodor Busse (mdFb)

[histan]

More information on possible stand-ins when commanders were sick or on leave.

Panzer AOK 1
Two sources that suggest where to look in the KTB.

von mackensen 01.jpg

Fretter-Pico (90).jpg

Panzer Gruppe 3 / Panzer AOK 3
Two more sources that suggest where to look in the KTB

Hoth (26).jpg

Reinhardt (19).jpg

Regards

John

[askropp]

Congratulations, John, great finds!

The April 1943 KTB of PzAOK 1 is silent on Mackensen's absence. I will later try to check the May KTB and / or the KTB of Fretter-Pico's XXX. AK.
I am not aware of the existence of any KTB or Tätigkeitsbericht for PzGr 3 in January 1941, so we will have to accept the HPA note and assume that Hünersdorff indeed stood in for Hoth. The PzAOK 3 KTB for March / April 1942 exists, but I was so far not able to get my hands on it.

P.S. When Fretter-Pico says that Eberhardt will take over for him, I assume he is talking of his Korps, so probably Mackensen got also 20 days leave and returned on or before 12 May.