Army Group A

Army Group A (Heeresgruppe A) was the name of several German army groups during World War II. During the Battle of France, Army Group A was composed of 45½ divisions, including 7 panzer divisions. It was responsible for breaking through the heavily-forested Ardennes region. The operation, which was part of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), was resoundingly successful for the Germans, as the army group outflanked the best troops of France and its allies, eventually leading to France's surrender.[1]

Army Group A
Heeresgruppe A
Disbanded25 January 1945 (as Heeresgruppe A)
11 May 1945 (as Heeresgruppe Mitte)
Country Nazi Germany
Insignia
Identification
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In 1942, Army Group South on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union was split into Army Group A and Army Group B, and Army Group A was responsible for the invasion into the Caucasus. In 1945, months before the fall of Nazi Germany, Army Group A was renamed Army Group Centre.

Western Front, 1940

During the German invasion of the Low Countries and France, Army Group A was under the command of Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes. It was composed of 45½ divisions, including the 7 panzer divisions of Panzer Group Kleist.

Order of battle

Eastern Front, 1942

In 1942, Army Group South was in southern Russia on the Eastern Front. For Case Blue (Fall Blau), the summer offensive of the Wehrmacht, Army Group South was split into Army Group A and Army Group B. Army Group A was ordered south to capture the oil fields in the Caucasus.

Army Group A included the following armies:

Eastern Front, 1944-1945

Army Group A was formed a third time on September 23, 1944, in southern Poland and the Carpathian region by renaming Army Group North Ukraine. The army group was used to defend southern Poland and Slovakia.

Subordinate were:

After the breakthrough of the Red Army near Baranow on the Vistula during the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive, on January 16, 1945 Colonel Bogislaw von Bonin, the Chief of the Operational Branch of the Army General Staff (Generalstab des Heeres) gave Heeresgruppe A permission to retreat rejecting a direct order from Adolf Hitler for them to hold fast. Although Heeresgruppe A escaped encirclement and regrouped, von Bonin was arrested by the Gestapo on January 19, 1945, and imprisoned.

On 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups. Army Group North became Army Group Courland, Army Group Centre became Army Group North, and Army Group A became Army Group Centre.

Commanders
No. Portrait CommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Gerd von Rundstedt
Rundstedt, GerdGeneralfeldmarschall
Gerd von Rundstedt
(1875–1953)		15 October 19391 October 194011 months
2
Wilhelm List
List, WilhelmGeneralfeldmarschall
Wilhelm List
(1880–1971)		10 July 194210 September 19422 months
3
Adolf Hitler
Hitler, AdolfAdolf Hitler
(1889–1945)		10 September 194221 November 19422 months
4
Ewald von Kleist
Kleist, EwaldGeneralfeldmarschall
Ewald von Kleist
(1881–1954)		22 November 1942June 19436 months
5
Hubert Lanz
Lanz, HubertGeneral der Gebirgstruppe
Hubert Lanz
(1896–1982)		June 1943July 19431 month
(4)
Ewald von Kleist
Kleist, EwaldGeneralfeldmarschall
Ewald von Kleist
(1881–1954)		July 194325 March 19448 months
6
Ferdinand Schörner
Schörner, FerdinandGeneraloberst
Ferdinand Schörner
(1892–1973)		25 March 194431 March 19440 months
7
Josef Harpe
Harpe, JosefGeneraloberst
Josef Harpe
(1887–1968)		28 September 194417 January 19453 months
(6)
Ferdinand Schörner
Schörner, FerdinandGeneraloberst
Ferdinand Schörner
(1892–1973)		17 January 194525 January 19450 months

Chiefs of staff
No. Portrait Chief of StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Erich von Manstein
Manstein, ErichGeneralleutnant
Erich von Manstein
(1887–1973)		26 October 19391 February 194098 days
2
Georg von Sodenstern
Sodenstern, GeorgGeneral der Infanterie
Georg von Sodenstern
(1889–1955)		6 February 19401 October 1940238 days
3
Hans von Greiffenberg
Greiffenberg, HansGeneralleutnant
Hans von Greiffenberg
(1893–1951)		10 July 194223 February 1943228 days
4
Alfred Gause
Gause, AlfredGeneralleutnant
Alfred Gause
(1896–1967)		23 February 194313 May 194379 days
(3)
Hans von Greiffenberg
Greiffenberg, HansGeneralleutnant
Hans von Greiffenberg
(1893–1951)		13 May 194316 July 194364 days
5
Hans Röttiger
Röttiger, HansGeneralleutnant
Hans Röttiger
(1896–1960)		16 July 194324 March 1944252 days
6
Walther Wenck
Wenck, WaltherGeneralleutnant
Walther Wenck
(1900–1982)		24 March 194422 July 1944120 days
7
Wolf-Dietrich von Xylander
Xylander, WolfGeneralleutnant
Wolf-Dietrich von Xylander
(1903–1945)		28 September 194415 February 1945 †208 days

References
  1. Jackson, J. T. (2003). The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280300-9.
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