Army Group Don
| Army Group Don | |
|---|---|
| Heeresgruppe Don | |
| Active | 21 November 1942 – 12 February 1943 |
| Disbanded | 1943 |
| Country |
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| Allegiance | German Army |
| Type | army group |
| Size | 3–5 armies |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Erich von Manstein |
Army Group Don was a short-lived army group of the German Army during World War II.
On 20 November Hitler ordered again to reorganize southern front in the Soviet Union. The order was following: "Between the Army Group A and B at the turn of the river Don has to be sent another Army Group."
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 was made into the new Army Group South.[1]
The one commander of Army Group Don was Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Erich von Manstein. It consisted of the Sixth Army (Germany) in the Stalingrad pocket, which included the encircled elements of the 4th Panzer Army, together with the Romanian 3rd Army.[2]
Zhukov stated, "We now know that Manstein's plan to rescue the encircled forces at Stalingrad was to organize two shock forces - at Kotelnikovo and Tormosin." The attempt "was a total failure."[3]
It was created to hold the line between Army Group A and Army Group B.
References
Bibliography
- Tessin, Georg (1980). Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände / Die Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände) / Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943–1945 [Ground forces: Named units and formations / Air forces (Flying units and formations) / Anti–aircraft service in the Reich 1943–1945]. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen–SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 (in German). 14. Osnabrück: Biblio. ISBN 3-7648-1111-0.
