Army Group B

Army Group B
Heeresgruppe B
Country	Nazi Germany
Insignia
Identification symbol

Army Group B (German: Heeresgruppe B) was the title of three German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.

Operational history

Army Group B took part in Battle for France in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The second formation of Army Group B was established when Army Group South was divided for the summer offensive of 1942 on the Eastern Front. Army Group B was given the task of protecting the northern flank of Army Group A, and included the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad. In February 1943, Army Group B and Army Group Don were combined to create a new Army Group South.

A new Army Group B was formed in northern Italy under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in 1943 and was moved to Northern France. On 19 July, Field Marshal Günther von Kluge took command from Rommel and on 17 August, Field Marshal Walter Model replaced Kluge. Army Group B participated in the Battle of Normandy. Moving to the Low Countries, Model received a shock when his HQ was located at Osterbeek close to Arnhem during the 17 September start of Operation Market Garden before the army group participated in the Battle of the Bulge.^[1] The army group was isolated in the Ruhr Pocket in northern Germany and after being divided up into smaller and smaller sections, the final section surrendered to the Allies on 21 April 1945.

Commanders

Western Front

• 12 October 1939 to August 1940 Field Marshal Fedor von Bock

Eastern Front

• August 1942 to February 1943 Generaloberst Maximilian von Weichs

Northern Italy/Northern France

• 14 July 1943 Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
• 19 July 1944 Field Marshal Günther von Kluge
• 17 August 1944 to April 1945 Field Marshal Walter Model

Chiefs of Staff

• 12 October 1939 - 9 May 1941 General Hans von Salmuth
• 20 May 1941 General Hans von Greiffenberg

Eastern Front

• August 1942 - 20.5.1943 General Georg von Sodenstern

Order of battle

References

Bibliography

• Builder, Carl H., Bankes, Steven C. & Nordin Richard, Command concepts: a theory derived from the practice of command and control, RAND, Santa Monica, CA, 1999