Richard Ruoff
Encyclopedia
Richard Ruoff was an officer in the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) before and during World War II
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Colonel-General (Generaloberst) Richard Ruoff commanded the 4th Tank Army from 8 January 1942 to 31 May 1942. The 4th Tank Army was part of Army Group A
(Heeresgruppen A) which was formed when Army Group South
(Heeresgruppen Sud) was split into two formations for the summer offensive of 1942.
Ruoff commanded the 17th Army
from 1 June 1942 to 24 June 1943. The 17th Army was also part of Army Group A. Ruoff was the commander of the 17th Army when, on 3 June 1942, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
(Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) was briefly subordinated to it. From June to July, the German 17th Army, the CSIR, and the Romanian 3rd Army were organized as "Army Group Ruoff" (Heeresgruppen Ruoff).
By July 1942, Ruoff lost the Italian unit. The CSIR was subsumed by the larger Italian Army in Russia
(Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR) and transferred to Army Group B
(Heeresgruppen B).
During the late summer, as part of Army Group A, Ruoff and the 17th Army attacked towards the Caucasus oilfields. By December, Soviet forces had destroyed the armies defending its flanks (including the ARMIR) and had en-circled the German 6th Army at Stalingrad.
Army Group B was withdrawn from southern Russia but Ruoff and the 17th Army were ordered to hold the "Kuban Bridgehead
."
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...
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Colonel-General (Generaloberst) Richard Ruoff commanded the 4th Tank Army from 8 January 1942 to 31 May 1942. The 4th Tank Army was part of Army Group A
Army Group A
Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.-Western Front, 1940:During the German invasion of the Low Countries and France Army Group A was under the command of General Gerd von Rundstedt, and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes...
(Heeresgruppen A) which was formed when 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...
(Heeresgruppen Sud) was split into two formations for the summer offensive of 1942.
Ruoff commanded the 17th Army
17th Army (Germany)
The German Seventeenth Army was a World War II field army.-Commanding officers:* General der Infanterie Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel * Generaloberst Hermann Hoth...
from 1 June 1942 to 24 June 1943. The 17th Army was also part of Army Group A. Ruoff was the commander of the 17th Army when, on 3 June 1942, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
During World War II, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia was a corps-sized expeditionary unit of the Regio Esercito that fought on the Eastern Front...
(Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) was briefly subordinated to it. From June to July, the German 17th Army, the CSIR, and the Romanian 3rd Army were organized as "Army Group Ruoff" (Heeresgruppen Ruoff).
By July 1942, Ruoff lost the Italian unit. The CSIR was subsumed by the larger Italian Army in Russia
Italian Army in Russia
The Italian Army in Russia was an army-sized unit of the Italian Royal Army which fought on the Eastern Front during World War II...
(Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR) and transferred to Army Group B
Army Group B
Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.-Battle for France:The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam...
(Heeresgruppen B).
During the late summer, as part of Army Group A, Ruoff and the 17th Army attacked towards the Caucasus oilfields. By December, Soviet forces had destroyed the armies defending its flanks (including the ARMIR) and had en-circled the German 6th Army at Stalingrad.
Army Group B was withdrawn from southern Russia but Ruoff and the 17th Army were ordered to hold the "Kuban Bridgehead
Kuban River
The Kuban River is a river in Russia, in the North Caucasus region. It flows mostly through Krasnodar Krai but also in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Adygea....
."
Command History
- Commanding Officer, 13th Regiment - 1933 to 1934
- Chief-of-Staff, V Corps - 1934 to 1936
- Chief-of-Staff, 3rd Army Group Command - 1936 to 1938
- Chief-of-Staff, 5th Army Group Command - 1938 to 1939
- General Officer Commanding V Corps - 1939 to 1942
- General Officer Commanding, 4th Tank Army, Eastern FrontEastern Front (World War II)The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
- 1942 - General Officer Commanding, 17th Army17th Army (Germany)The German Seventeenth Army was a World War II field army.-Commanding officers:* General der Infanterie Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel * Generaloberst Hermann Hoth...
, Eastern Front - 1942 to 1943 - Retired - 1943