11th SS Panzer Army

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{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=11th SS Panzer Army

|image=

|caption=

|dates=November 1944 – February 1945

|country={{flag|Nazi Germany}}

|branch={{army|Nazi Germany}}
{{flagicon|Schutzstaffel}} Waffen-SS

|type=Panzer

|role=Armoured warfare

|size=Army

|command_structure=

|garrison=

|garrison_label=

|nickname=

|battle_honours=

|battles=World War II

• Eastern Front
• Operation Solstice

|notable_commanders= Felix Steiner

|associated units=

}}

The 11th SS Panzer Army (SS-Panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11) was little more than a paper army formed in February 1945 by Heinrich Himmler while he was commander of Army Group Vistula. (The army was officially listed as the 11th Army but it was also known as SS Panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11Tessin p.194 and is often referred to in English sources as the 11th SS Panzer Army.)

Military historian Antony Beevor writes that when the 11th SS Panzer Army was created the available units at best could constitute a corps, but 'panzer army', observed Hans-Georg 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 was named its commander.Beevor p.88

File:Advance through Germany - 5-18 April 1945.jpg by that date, 11th Army in the Harz Mountains (center right) became the only large cohesive formation on the western front capable of offering significant resistance.]]

After taking part in Operation Solstice east of the Oder River in February 1945, the army was assigned to OB West and reorganized in March 1945. Many of the units formerly subordinated to the 11th SS Panzer Army were transferred to the 3rd Panzer Army and other units were assigned to the 11th Army for operations against the Western Allies.

In early April, the 11th Army was assigned to strike west from Kassel to break the ring encircling the Ruhr pocket. After launching a few small hopeless and unsuccessful attacks against the American 3rd Army, the 11th Army retreated to the Harz Mountains{{cite web |url=https://www.axishistory.com/books/148-germany-heer/heer-armeen/2638-11-armee |title=11. Armee |author= |date=7 April 2012 |work=Axis History |accessdate=June 13, 2023}}{{better|date=June 2023}}

After defending the Weser River and the Harz Mountains, the 11th surrendered to the Western Allies on 21 April.

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