Army Group North#Wotan Line Campaign

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-120-11, Fedor von Bock.jpg, commander of Army Group North in September 1939]]

The staff of Army Group North was formally assembled on 2 September 1939 from the headquarters of 2nd Army,{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände – Die Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände) – Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943–1945 |publisher=Verlag E. S. Mittler |year=1980 |isbn=3764811110 |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 |volume=14 |location=Osnabrück |pages=166 |language=de |chapter=Heeresgruppe Nord (1939)}} which in turn had been activated just a few days prior, on 26 August.{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Die Landstreitkräfte 001–005 |publisher=Verlag E. S. Mittler |year=1966 |isbn=3764808713 |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 |volume=2 |location=Frankfurt/Main |pages=83 |language=de |chapter=2. Armee (AOK 2)}} Fedor von Bock, commanding general of 2nd Army, became the first commanding general of Army Group North.

During the Invasion of Poland, Army Group North had two armies placed under its supervision: 3rd Army (Georg von Küchler) and 4th Army (Günther von Kluge). Additionally, it held four divisions as part of its army group reserves: 10th Panzer Division, 73rd Infantry Division, 206th Infantry Division and 208th Infantry Division.{{Cite book |last=Zaloga |first=Steven J. |title=Poland 1939: The Birth of Blitzkrieg |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=1841764086 |pages=35 |chapter=German Army Order of Battle, 1 September 1939}}

On the morning of 1 September 1939, 3rd Army began its advance from East Prussia southwards towards central Poland, whereas 4th Army attacked from Pomerania into the Danzig Corridor.

Important battles by the 3rd Army during the Polish campaign included the Battle of Grudziądz, the Battle of Mława, the Battle of Różan, the Battle of Łomża, the Battle of Wizna and the Battle of Brześć Litewski.{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Die Landstreitkräfte 001–005 |publisher=Verlag E. S. Mittler |year=1966 |isbn=3764808713 |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 |volume=2 |location=Frankfurt/Main |pages=153f |language=de |chapter=3. Armee (AOK 3)}} Important battles of the 4th Army included the Battle of Tuchola Forest, the Battle of Westerplatte, the Battle of Hel and the Battle of Gdynia.{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Die Landstreitkräfte 001–005 |publisher=Verlag E. S. Mittler |year=1966 |isbn=3764808713 |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 |volume=2 |location=Frankfurt/Main |pages=219–225 |language=de |chapter=4. Armee (AOK 4)}}

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, Army Group North was reformed from Army Group C on 22 June 1941. Army Group North was commanded by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb{{cite book|last=Kirchubel|first=Robert|title=Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2): Army Group North|year=2012|publisher=Osprey|page=18|isbn=9781782004264|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BFICi1RBEWMC&q=german+%22army+group+north%22&pg=PA18}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and staged in East Prussia. Its strategic goal was Leningrad, with operational objectives being the territories of the Baltic republics and securing the northern flank of Army Group Centre in Northern Russia between Western Dvina River and Daugavpils-Kholm Army Group boundary. On commencement of the Wehrmacht's Baltic offensive operation the army group deployed into Lithuania and northern Belorussia. It served mainly in Baltic territories and north Russia until 1944. Commander in Chief 22 June 1941: Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.

Its subordinate armies were deployed with the following immediate objectives:

• 18th Army - from Koenigsberg to Ventspils - Jelgava
• 4th Panzer Group - Pskov
• 16th Army - Kaunas, Daugavpils
• Army Group troops
• Army-Group signals regiment 537
• Army-Group signals regiment 639 (2nd echelon)

All operational objectives such as Tallinn were achieved despite stubborn Red Army resistance and several unsuccessful counter-offensives such as the Battle of Raseiniai, and the army group approached Leningrad, commencing the Siege of Leningrad. However, while the Baltic states were overrun, the Siege of Leningrad continued until 1944, when it was lifted as a result of the Red Army Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation.

In September 1941, the Spanish Blue Division was assigned to Army Group North.

Composition:

October 1941

• 16th Army
• 18th Army

Nevsky Pyatachok

Operation Nordlicht

Commander in Chief 17 January 1942: GFM Georg von Küchler

Composition:

September 1942

• 11th Army
• 16th Army
• 18th Army

December 1942

• 16th Army
• 18th Army

Demyansk Pocket

Kholm Pocket

Soviet Toropets-Kholm Operation

Battle of Velikiye Luki

Battle of Krasny Bor

Commander in Chief 9 January 1944: Field marshal Walter Model

Commander in Chief 31 March 1944: Generaloberst Georg Lindemann

Commander in Chief 4 July 1944: Generaloberst Johannes Frießner

Commander in Chief 23 July 1944: GFM Ferdinand Schörner

March 1944

• Army detachment "Narwa"
• 16th Army
• 18th Army

Battle of Narva, consisting of:

1. Battle for Narva Bridgehead and
2. Battle of Tannenberg Line

Combat in South Estonia, 1944

Soviet Baltic Offensive

Battle of Porkuni

Battle of Vilnius (1944)

Battle of Memel

After becoming trapped in the Courland Cauldron after 25 January 1945, the Army Group was renamed Army Group Courland. On the same day, in East Prussia, a new Army Group North was created by renaming Army Group Center. On the 2 April 1945, the army group was dissolved, and the staff formed the 12th Army headquarters.

Army Group North (old Army Group Centre), was driven into an ever smaller pocket around Königsberg in East Prussia. On April 9, 1945 Königsberg finally fell to the Red Army, although remnants of Army Group units continued to resist on the Heiligenbeil & Danzig beachheads until the end of the war in Europe.

October 1944

• 16th Army
• Armee-Abteilung Grasser
• 18th Army

November 1944

• 16th Army
• Armee-Abteilung Kleffel
• 18 Armee

December 1944

• 16th Army
• 18th Army

Soviet East Prussian Offensive

Battle of Königsberg

Heiligenbeil pocket

Commander in Chief 27 January 1945: Generaloberst Dr. Lothar Rendulic

Commander in Chief 12 March 1945: Walter Weiß

Composition:

February 1945

• Armee-Abteilung Samland
• 4th Army

Soviet East Pomeranian Offensive

Battle of Kolberg

Courland Pocket
On the 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups. Army Group North became Army Group Courland, more appropriate as it had been isolated from Army Group Centre and was trapped in Courland, Latvia; Army Group Centre became Army Group North and Army Group A became Army Group Centre.

Between January and February 1945, Army Group North sustained 213,000 casualties, including 30,000 dead, 126,000 wounded, and 57,000 missing.{{Cite book |last=Lakowski, Richard |title=Die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht |publisher=Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt |year=2008 |isbn=9783421062376 |editor-last=Müller, Rolf-Dieter |series=Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg |volume=10/1 |location=München |pages=491–681 |language=de |chapter=Der Zusammenbruch der deutschen Verteidigung zwischen Ostsee und Karpaten}}{{Rp|page=559}}

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| officeholder_title = Commander

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-120-11, Fedor von Bock.jpg

| military_rank = Generalfeldmarschall

| officeholder = Fedor von Bock

| officeholder_sort = Bock, Fedor

| born_year = 1880

| died_year = 1945

| term_start = 27 August 1939

| term_end = 20 June 1941

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1939|08|27|1941|06|20}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L08126, Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.jpg

| military_rank = Generalfeldmarschall

| officeholder = Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb

| officeholder_sort = Leeb, Wilhelm

| born_year = 1876

| died_year = 1956

| term_start = 20 June 1941

| term_end = 17 January 1942

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1941|06|20|1942|01|17}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R63872, Georg von Küchler.jpg

| military_rank = Generalfeldmarschall

| officeholder = Georg von Küchler

| officeholder_sort = Küchler, Georg

| born_year = 1881

| died_year = 1968

| term_start = 17 January 1942

| term_end = 9 January 1944

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|01|17|1944|01|09}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Walther Model on the front.jpg

| military_rank = Generalfeldmarschall

| officeholder = Walter Model

| officeholder_sort = Model, Walter

| born_year = 1891

| died_year = 1945

| term_start = 9 January 1944

| term_end = 31 March 1944

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1944|01|09|1944|03|31}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L08017, Georg Lindemann.jpg

| military_rank = Generaloberst

| officeholder = Georg Lindemann

| officeholder_sort = Lindemann, Georg

| born_year = 1884

| died_year = 1963

| term_start = 31 March 1944

| term_end = 4 July 1944

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1944|03|31|1944|07|04}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1984-018-27A, Johannes Friessner.jpg

| military_rank = Generaloberst

| officeholder = Johannes Frießner

| officeholder_sort = Frießner, Johannes

| born_year = 1892

| died_year = 1971

| term_start = 4 July 1944

| term_end = 23 July 1944

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1944|07|04|1944|07|23}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 7

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L29176, Ferdinand Schörner.jpg

| military_rank = Generalfeldmarschall

| officeholder = Ferdinand Schörner

| officeholder_sort = Schörner, Ferdinand

| born_year = 1892

| died_year = 1973

| term_start = 23 July 1944

| term_end = 27 January 1945

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1944|07|23|1945|01|27}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 8

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1995-027-32A, Lothar Rendulic.jpg

| military_rank = Generaloberst

| officeholder = Lothar Rendulic

| officeholder_sort = Rendulic, Lothar

| born_year = 1887

| died_year = 1971

| term_start = 27 January 1945

| term_end = 12 March 1945

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1945|01|27|1945|03|12}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 9

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-088-3724-06A, Russland, Generale vor Holzhaus (cropped).jpg

| military_rank = Generaloberst

| officeholder = Walter Weiß

| officeholder_sort = Weiß, Walter

| born_year = 1890

| died_year = 1967

| term_start = 12 March 1945

| term_end = 2 April 1945

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1945|03|12|1945|04|02}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

• Army Group South
• Army Group Centre
• German order of battle for Operation Fall Weiss
• Police Regiment North

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Frieser

| first1 = Karl-Heinz

| author-link1 = Karl-Heinz Frieser

| first2 =Klaus

| last2 = Schmider

| first3 =Klaus

| last3 = Schönherr

| first4 = Gerhard

| last4 = Schreiber

| first5 = Kristián

| last5 = Ungváry

| author-link5 = Krisztián Ungváry

| first6 =Bernd

| last6=Wegner

| authorlink6 = Bernd Wegner

| volume = VIII

| title = Die Ostfront 1943/44 – Der Krieg im Osten und an den Nebenfronten

| trans-title = The Eastern Front 1943–1944: The War in the East and on the Neighbouring Fronts

| publisher = Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt

| location = München

| year = 2007

| isbn = 978-3-421-06235-2

| language = German

}}

• {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/OspreyCampaign148OperationBarbarossa19412ospreyCa/osprey%20-%20campaign%20148%20operation_barbarossa_1941__2%5Bosprey%20ca/|title=Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2)|publisher=Osprey Publishing|first=Robert|last=Kirchubel|year=2005}}

{{Army Groups Germany}}

{{Army Group Rear Area (Wehrmacht)}}

North

Category:Military units and formations established in 1939

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945