11th Army (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The 11th Army was a World War I
and a World War II
field army
.
The 11th Army was part of Army Group South
when it invaded Russia in Operation Barbarossa
. In September 1941, Erich von Manstein
was appointed its commander. His predecessor, Colonel-General Eugen Ritter von Schobert
, had perished when his plane landed in a Russian minefield.
Before the start of Barbarossa, the 11th Army included:
Army Staff
Army assets
The 11th Army was tasked with invading the Crimea
and the pursuit of enemy forces on the flank of Army Group South
during its advance into Russia.
The 11th Army order of battle included two Corps: XXX Corps, which was composed of the 22nd, 72nd and Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler divisions and the LIXth Mountain Corps, consisting of the 170th Infantry Division and the 1st and 4th Mountain Divisions; and LIVth Corps, consisting of the 46th, 73rd and 50th Infantry Divisions. The latter formation had been in charge of the advance into the Crimean peninsula earlier in September. The Romanian 3rd Army, three Mountain brigades and three cavalry brigades, were also under von Manstein's command.
. It did not take part in Operation Blue
when Army Group South attacked in Southern Russia towards Stalingrad. The 11th Army cut the Soviets off from the sea, thus sealing the fate of the remaining defenders. An estimated 100,000 prisoners marched into captivity. For his achievements in this battle, Manstein was promoted to Field Marshal. A grateful Adolf Hitler
also authorized the Crimean Shield to commemorate the efforts of the 11th Army. Manstein recommended that the 11th Army either cross the straits of Kerch
and push into the Kuban
area to aid in the capture of Rostov
, or be placed into Army Group South reserve. Instead, part of the 11th Army, along with the heavy siege train, was transferred to Army Group North
. Ordered to oversee Leningrad
's reduction, Manstein transferred with them. The remainder of the 11th Army was parceled out to Army Group Center and Army Group South
.
This breakup of the 11th Army and its disappearance from the order of battle of Army Group South would have dire consequences for Nazi Germany. During the course of the following winter of 1942, the battle of Stalingrad took place. The Luftwaffe had largely reduced the city to rubble and the presence of the Volga behind the city made it virtually impossible for the Germans to follow the classical dual pincer envelopment strategy. The Red Army
now opted 'hugging' tactics, (keeping the front lines as close to the Axis
forces as possible), thereby rendering tanks, aircraft and artillery largely redundant and placing the entire responsibility on the infantry.
Although the 6th Army had almost managed to capture the entire city and had pushed the Russians on to the banks of the river Volga, it needed several more infantry divisions (as explained above), to take the city completely. In spite of repeated requests to the German high command, the 6th Army was not reinforced because no other reinforcements were available in the region, or close enough to support them. As the battle grew more intense, the Russians counter-attacked on both sides of the 6th Army's flanks and destroyed the Romanian 2nd and 3rd Armies. The Soviet pincers then linked up, thereby trapping, surrounding and ultimately destroying the 6th Army.
Had the 11th Army been available as a reserve, it could have been used to reinforce the 6th Army or at least plug the gap as soon as the Russians had broken through the Romania
n lines.
The 11th Army was de-activated on November 21 1942 and used to form the newly created Army Group Don
.
.
Heinrich Himmler
while he was commander of Army Group Vistula
.
The military historian Antony Beevor, writes that when the Eleventh SS Panzer Army was created, the available units could constitute a corps at best, "'But panzer army' observed Eismann 'has a better ring to it'". It also allowed Himmler to promote SS officers to senior staff and field commands within the formation. Obergruppenführer
Felix Steiner
, probably the best SS officer available, was named its commander. The formation was officially listed as the 11th Army but it was also known as SS Panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11. and is often referred to in English as the 11th SS Panzer Army.
After fighting east of the Oder River during February 1945 the 11th was assigned to OB West
, reorganized and given command of new units, for combat against the Western Allies
in March 1945. After defending the Weser River
and the Harz
mountains, the Eleventh surrendered to them on April 21.
Army Detachment Steiner
fought in the Battle of Berlin; because Steiner commanded that paper army it can easily be confused with the Eleventh SS Panzer Army.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
field army
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
.
World War I
The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack. On April 22, it was transferred and placed with the Austrian 4th Army under Mackensen's command, behind the Gorlice-Tarnow gap, south of the Vistula River. In July 1915, the 11th Army advanced into Russian territory in a general German offensive. It continued to fight on the Eastern Front until the armistice in 1917. It was then re-deployed to the Western Front where it took part in the German spring offensive in 1918. After the German surrender in November 1918, the 11th Army was disbanded.World War II
The 11th Army was re-activated in 1940 to prepare for the forthcoming German attack on the Soviet Union.The 11th Army was part of Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
when it invaded Russia in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. In September 1941, Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein was a field marshal in World War II. He became one of the most prominent commanders of Germany's World War II armed forces...
was appointed its commander. His predecessor, Colonel-General Eugen Ritter von Schobert
Eugen Ritter von Schobert
Eugen Siegfried Erich Ritter von Schobert was a German general who served in World War I and World War II. He died in the Soviet Union when his observation plane crashed in a Soviet minefield.-Early life:...
, had perished when his plane landed in a Russian minefield.
Before the start of Barbarossa, the 11th Army included:
Army Staff
- LIV Corps
- 22nd Infantry Division
- 24th Infantry Division24th Infantry Division (Germany)The 24th Infantry Division was a German Army infantry division in World War II.-Formation and the Polish Campaign:...
- 50th Infantry Division50th Infantry Division (Germany)The 50th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 26 August 1939 from the Grenzkommandantur Küstrin.-50. Infanterie-Division 1939:*Infanterie-Regiment 121*Infanterie-Regiment 122...
- 132nd Infantry Division132nd Infantry Division (Germany)The 132nd Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 5 October 1940 in Landshut and was destroyed in the Courland Pocket in 1945.-Commanding officers:...
- 4th mountain rifle division (Rum.)
- 306th artillery division
- 138th artillery brigade
- 1st missile brigade
- 190th assault gun battalion
- 197th assault gun battalion
- 46th combat engineer battalion
- 744th combat engineer battalion
- 454th Corps signal battalion
- XXX Corps
- 72nd Infantry Division72nd Infantry Division (Germany)The 72nd Infantry Division was created on 19 September 1939 in Trier from Grenz-Division Trier, which was a border security unit. It was destroyed on the Eastern front 25 March 1944 and reformed June 1944.-Commanding officers:...
- 170th Infantry Division170th Infantry Division (Germany)The 170th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 1 December 1939.-170...
- 28th Light Infantry Division28th Jäger Division (Germany)The 28th Jäger Division was a German military unit during World War II.-Background:The main purpose of the German Jäger Divisions was to fight in adverse terrain where smaller, coordinated units were...
- 249th assault gun battalion
- 610th anti-aircraft artillery battalion
- 70th rocket mortars battalion(150- mm mortars 280 mm guns)
- 110th artillery brigade
- 690th field-engineer regiment
- 430th Corps signal battalion
- 430th Corps Supply battalion
- 430th Corps cartographic battalion
- 72nd Infantry Division
- Mountain-rifle Corps (Romanian)
- 1st mountain rifle division (Romanian)
- 18th infantry division (Romanian)
- 7th Corps artillery regiment (Romanian)
- XLII Corps
- VII Corps (Romanian)
Army assets
- Rail road operations command
- 19th construction brigade
- 300th tank battalion
- 617th cartography battalion
- 756th traffic controllers battalion
- 766th artillery regiment
- 926th construction command
- 558th army communications regiment
- 693rd propaganda company
The 11th Army was tasked with invading the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
and the pursuit of enemy forces on the flank of Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
during its advance into Russia.
The 11th Army order of battle included two Corps: XXX Corps, which was composed of the 22nd, 72nd and Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler divisions and the LIXth Mountain Corps, consisting of the 170th Infantry Division and the 1st and 4th Mountain Divisions; and LIVth Corps, consisting of the 46th, 73rd and 50th Infantry Divisions. The latter formation had been in charge of the advance into the Crimean peninsula earlier in September. The Romanian 3rd Army, three Mountain brigades and three cavalry brigades, were also under von Manstein's command.
Battle of Sevastopol
The 11th Army fought in southern Russia from 1941 until mid-summer 1942 and laid siege to SevastopolBattle of Sevastopol
The Siege of Sevastopol took place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The campaign was fought by the Axis powers of Germany, Romania and Italy against the Soviet Union for control of Sevastopol, a port in Crimea on the Black Sea. On 22 June 1941 the Axis invaded the Soviet Union under...
. It did not take part in Operation Blue
Operation Blue
Case Blue , later renamed Operation Braunschweig, was the German Armed Forces name for its plan for a 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and November 1942....
when Army Group South attacked in Southern Russia towards Stalingrad. The 11th Army cut the Soviets off from the sea, thus sealing the fate of the remaining defenders. An estimated 100,000 prisoners marched into captivity. For his achievements in this battle, Manstein was promoted to Field Marshal. A grateful Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
also authorized the Crimean Shield to commemorate the efforts of the 11th Army. Manstein recommended that the 11th Army either cross the straits of Kerch
Kerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. Kerch, founded 2600 years ago, is considered as one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
and push into the Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
area to aid in the capture of Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
, or be placed into Army Group South reserve. Instead, part of the 11th Army, along with the heavy siege train, was transferred to Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
. Ordered to oversee Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
's reduction, Manstein transferred with them. The remainder of the 11th Army was parceled out to Army Group Center and Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
.
This breakup of the 11th Army and its disappearance from the order of battle of Army Group South would have dire consequences for Nazi Germany. During the course of the following winter of 1942, the battle of Stalingrad took place. The Luftwaffe had largely reduced the city to rubble and the presence of the Volga behind the city made it virtually impossible for the Germans to follow the classical dual pincer envelopment strategy. The Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
now opted 'hugging' tactics, (keeping the front lines as close to the Axis
Axis
Axis may refer to:In mathematics:*Axis of rotation, line around which an object rotates*Axis of symmetry, a line that divides a two-dimensional object into identical shapes...
forces as possible), thereby rendering tanks, aircraft and artillery largely redundant and placing the entire responsibility on the infantry.
Although the 6th Army had almost managed to capture the entire city and had pushed the Russians on to the banks of the river Volga, it needed several more infantry divisions (as explained above), to take the city completely. In spite of repeated requests to the German high command, the 6th Army was not reinforced because no other reinforcements were available in the region, or close enough to support them. As the battle grew more intense, the Russians counter-attacked on both sides of the 6th Army's flanks and destroyed the Romanian 2nd and 3rd Armies. The Soviet pincers then linked up, thereby trapping, surrounding and ultimately destroying the 6th Army.
Had the 11th Army been available as a reserve, it could have been used to reinforce the 6th Army or at least plug the gap as soon as the Russians had broken through the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n lines.
The 11th Army was de-activated on November 21 1942 and used to form the newly created Army Group Don
Army Group Don
Army Group Don was a short-lived German army group during World War II.Army Group Don was created from the headquarters of the Eleventh Army in the southern sector of the Eastern Front on 22 November 1942. The army group only lasted until February 1943 when it was combined with Army Group B and...
.
Order of Battle During the Battle for Sevastopol
The 11th Army, during the battle of Sevastopol, consisted of nine German infantry divisions (including two taken on strength during the battle), in two corps, and two Romanian rifle corps, plus various supporting elements, including 150 tanks, several hundred aircraft and one of the heaviest concentrations of artillery fielded by the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
.
- LIV Corps
- 22nd Infantry Division - commanded by General der Infanterie Ludwig WolffLudwig Wolff (general)Ludwig Wolff was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XXXIII. corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
- 24th Infantry Division24th Infantry Division (Germany)The 24th Infantry Division was a German Army infantry division in World War II.-Formation and the Polish Campaign:...
- 50th Infantry Division50th Infantry Division (Germany)The 50th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 26 August 1939 from the Grenzkommandantur Küstrin.-50. Infanterie-Division 1939:*Infanterie-Regiment 121*Infanterie-Regiment 122...
- 132nd Infantry Division132nd Infantry Division (Germany)The 132nd Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 5 October 1940 in Landshut and was destroyed in the Courland Pocket in 1945.-Commanding officers:...
- 22nd Infantry Division - commanded by General der Infanterie Ludwig Wolff
- XXX Corps - commanded by General der Infanterie Hans von SalmuthHans von SalmuthHans Eberhard Kurt von Salmuth was a German general during World War II. A lifelong professional soldier, he served his country as a junior officer in World War I, a staff officer in the inter-war period and early World War II, and an army level commander...
- 28th Light Division28th Jäger Division (Germany)The 28th Jäger Division was a German military unit during World War II.-Background:The main purpose of the German Jäger Divisions was to fight in adverse terrain where smaller, coordinated units were...
- 72nd Infantry Division72nd Infantry Division (Germany)The 72nd Infantry Division was created on 19 September 1939 in Trier from Grenz-Division Trier, which was a border security unit. It was destroyed on the Eastern front 25 March 1944 and reformed June 1944.-Commanding officers:...
- 170th Infantry Division170th Infantry Division (Germany)The 170th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 1 December 1939.-170...
- 28th Light Division
- Romanian Mountain Corps
- 1st Mountain Division
- 4th Mountain Division
- 18th Infantry Division
October 1944 to April 1945
The 11th SS Panzer Army (SS panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11. ), was not much more than a paper formation formed between November 1944 and February 1945 by Reichsführer-SSReichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
while he was commander of Army Group Vistula
Army Group Vistula
Army Group Vistula was an Army Group of the Wehrmacht, formed on January 24, 1945. It was put together from elements of Army Group A , Army Group Centre , and a variety of new or ad-hoc formations...
.
The military historian Antony Beevor, writes that when the Eleventh SS Panzer Army was created, the available units could constitute a corps at best, "'But panzer army' observed Eismann 'has a better ring to it'". It also allowed Himmler to promote SS officers to senior staff and field commands within the formation. Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
Felix Steiner
Felix Steiner
Felix Martin Julius Steiner was a German Reichswehr and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, probably the best SS officer available, was named its commander. The formation was officially listed as the 11th Army but it was also known as SS Panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11. and is often referred to in English as the 11th SS Panzer Army.
After fighting east of the Oder River during February 1945 the 11th was assigned to OB West
OB West
The German Army Command in the West The German Army Command in the West The German Army Command in the West (Oberbefehlshaber West (German: initials OB West) was the overall command of the Westheer, the German Armed Forces on the Western Front during World War II. It was directly subordinate to...
, reorganized and given command of new units, for combat against the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
in March 1945. After defending the Weser River
Weser River
The Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
and the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains, the Eleventh surrendered to them on April 21.
Army Detachment Steiner
Army Detachment Steiner
Army Detachment Steiner , was a temporary military unit, something more than a corps but less than an army, created on paper by German dictator Adolf Hitler on 21 April 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, and placed under the command of SS Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner...
fought in the Battle of Berlin; because Steiner commanded that paper army it can easily be confused with the Eleventh SS Panzer Army.
Commanders
- Generaloberst Eugen Ritter von SchobertEugen Ritter von SchobertEugen Siegfried Erich Ritter von Schobert was a German general who served in World War I and World War II. He died in the Soviet Union when his observation plane crashed in a Soviet minefield.-Early life:...
(October 5, 1940 – September 12, 1941) - Generalfeldmarschall Erich von MansteinErich von MansteinErich von Manstein was a field marshal in World War II. He became one of the most prominent commanders of Germany's World War II armed forces...
(September 12, 1941 – November 21, 1942) - General der Infanterie Anton GrasserAnton GrasserAnton Grasser was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(October 1944 – March 1945) - General der Infanterie Otto HitzfeldOtto HitzfeldOtto Hitzfeld was a German Officer during both World War I and World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 9 May 1945...
(March 1945 – March 1945) - General der Artillerie Walter LuchtWalter LuchtWalter Lucht was a German general who held commands at division, corps and army levels during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme...
(March 1945 – April 10, 1945)