16th Army (Wehrmacht)

File:Расстрел мирных людей офицерами вермахта.jpg

It took part in the Battle of France. It was then deployed with Army Group North during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It fought its way into northern Russia where in January 1942 part of it was encircled by the Soviets near Demyansk. Hitler forbade a withdrawal and the Army was re-supplied by air until a land corridor was opened in April 1942. It was subsequently involved in the Siege of Leningrad. The Soviets relieved Leningrad in January 1944.

On February 19, 1944, the Soviet 2nd Baltic Front launched a fresh set of attacks against the German 16th Army around Kholm. The Soviet 22nd Army made good progress in the initial assault. These attacks greatly diminished the 16th Army. It, along with the 18th Army was cut off in the Courland Peninsula when the Soviets launched their summer and autumn offensives of 1944. It stayed trapped there in the Courland Pocket as part of Army Group Courland until the end of the war. In May 1945 the remnants of the army, now reduced to corps strength, capitulated to the Red Army and were marched into captivity. The survivors were eventually repatriated in 1955.

{{Officeholder table start

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| officeholder_title = Commander

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{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Ernst Bernhard Wilhelm Busch.jpg

| military_rank = Generalfeldmarschall

| officeholder = Ernst Busch

| officeholder_sort = Busch, Ernst

| born_year = 1885

| died_year = 1945

| term_start = 22 October 1939

| term_end = 11 October 1943

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1939|10|22|1943|10|11}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-035-88, Christian Hansen.jpg

| military_rank = General der Artillerie

| officeholder = Christian Hansen

| officeholder_sort = Hansen, Christian

| born_year = 1885

| died_year = 1972

| term_start = 11 October 1943

| term_end = 1 July 1944

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1943|10|11|1944|07|01}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image =

| military_rank = General der Infanterie

| officeholder = Paul Laux

| officeholder_sort = Laux, Paul

| born_year = 1887

| died_year = 1944

| term_start = 2 July 1944

| term_end = 30 August 1944

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1944|07|02|1944|08|30}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image =

| military_rank = Generaloberst

| officeholder = Carl Hilpert

| officeholder_sort = Hilpert, Carl

| born_year = 1888

| died_year = 1947

| term_start = 3 September 1944

| term_end = 10 March 1945

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1944|09|03|1945|03|10}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image =

| military_rank = General der Infanterie

| officeholder = Ernst-Anton von Krosigk

| officeholder_sort = Krosigk, Ernst

| born_year = 1898

| died_year = 1945

| died = y

| term_start = 10 March 1945

| term_end = 16 March 1945

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1945|03|10|1945|03|16}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Porträt Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach.jpg

| military_rank = General der Gebirgstruppen

| officeholder = Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach

| officeholder_sort = Kirchensittenbach, Friedrich

| officeholder_note = [http://eng.9may.ru/09.05.1945/eng_inform/m9004260 May 10th, 1945 (From the Soviet Information Bureau Our Victory)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530175957/http://eng.9may.ru/09.05.1945/eng_inform/m9004260 |date=2007-05-30 }} part of the RIA Novosti [http://eng.9may.ru/eng_press/ 60 anniversary of surrender project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514183758/http://eng.9may.ru/eng_press/ |date=May 14, 2007 }}

| born_year = 1894

| died_year = 1989

| term_start = 17 March 1945

| term_end = 10 May 1945

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1945|03|17|1945|05|10}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

{{reflist}}

{{Armies of the German Army}}

16

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945

Category:Military units and formations established in 1939