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Army Group Centre (German: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers An army group is a Military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II On 25 January 1945, after it was encircled in the Königsberg pocket, Army Group Centre was renamed Army Group North (Heeresgruppe Nord), and Army Group A (Heeresgruppe A) became Army Group Centre. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Königsberg (Karaliaučius Low German: Königsbarg; Królewiec see also other names) was until 1946 the name of Kaliningrad. Army Group North ( Heeresgruppe Nord) was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War Army Group North ( Heeresgruppe Nord) was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II. Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II. The latter formation retained its name until the end of the war in Europe. The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945
Army Group Centre was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.

Contents

Formation

Commander in chief on formation, June 1941 Fedor von Bock

Subordinated units

June 1941

537th Signals Regiment
537th Signals Regiment (2nd echelon)
1st Cav. Fedor von Bock ( December 3, 1880 &ndash May 4, 1945) was an officer in the German Military from 1898 to Panzergruppe 2 ( 2nd Panzer Group) was formed in November 1940 from the Panzergruppe Guderian and it was called by its commander general Heinz Guderian until Div. , 3rd Pz, 4th Pz. , 10th Mot. Div. , 267th ID
SS "Das Reich" Div. Heinrich Gottfried von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel) ( December 6 1887 - February 23 1952) was a German Colonel-General , 10th Pz. Inf. Reg. "Gross Deutschland"
17th Pz, 18th Pz, 29th Mot. Div. , 167th ID
31st ID, 34th ID, 45th ID Reserve: 255th ID
7th ID, 23rd ID, 258th ID, 268th ID, 221st Sec. The 4th Army (4 Armee Oberkommando was a field army that fought in World War II. Div.
137th ID, 263rd ID, 292nd ID
17th ID, 78th ID
131st ID, 134th ID, 252nd ID Reserve: 286th ID
8th ID, 28th ID, 161st ID
162nd ID, 256th ID
87th ID, 102nd ID, 129th ID Reserve: 403rd Sec. The 9th Army (9 Armee was a World War II field army The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command Div.
5th ID, 35th ID
6th ID, 26th ID
7th Pz, 20th Pz, 14th Mot. The 3rd Panzer Group was an Army size unit which served as part of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Div. , 20th Mot. Div.
12th Pz, 18th Pz, 19th Pz

Campaign and operational history

Operation Barbarossa

Main articles: Operation Barbarossa and Battle of Moscow

On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany and its Axis allies launched their surprise offensive into Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II The Battle of Moscow (Битва под Москвой Romanized: Bitva pod Moskvoy, Schlacht um Moskau is the name given by the Soviet historians to the two Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Their armies, totaling over three million men, were to advance in three geographical directions. The Army Group Centre's initial strategic goal was to defeat the Soviet armies in Belarus, including occupation of Smolensk. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east To accomplish this, the Army Group planned for a rapid advance using Blitzkrieg operational methods for which purpose it commanded two rather than one Panzer Groups. Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war" is a popular name for an Offensive operational-level Military doctrine which involves an initial A quick and decisive victory over the Soviet Union was expected by mid-November. The Army Group's other operational missions were to support the Army Groups to its northern and southern flanks, the Army Group boundary for the later being the Pripyat River. The Pripyat River (Прип’ять 'prɨpjatʲ Прыпяць Prypiać 'prɨpʲatsʲ Prypeć 'prɨpɛtsʲ Припять 'pripjatʲ is a river in Eastern Europe, of

Offensive Campaign in Belorussia

Army Group Centre was the strongest of the three German formations. Commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, it included the 4th and 9th Army, the 2nd and 3rd Panzer Groups and the 2nd Air Fleet. Fedor von Bock ( December 3, 1880 &ndash May 4, 1945) was an officer in the German Military from 1898 to By mid-August 1941 it had crushed Soviet forces in huge encirclement battles: Battle of Białystok-Minsk and Battle of Smolensk. The Battle of Smolensk was a successful encirclement operation by Army Group Centre 's 2nd Panzer Army led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Army Once they had conquered the territories in the West of the Soviet Union, the Germans began their genocide regime, burning thousands of cities and villages, shooting and deporting hundreds of thousands of civilians. Soviet prisoners of war, 300,000 after the battle of Minsk alone, were either killed in concentration camps, or literally starved to death in prison camps, mostly nothing more than fields surrounded with barbed wire in the open. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial

July 1941
3rd Panzer Group, 9th Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Group, z. The 3rd Panzer Group was an Army size unit which served as part of the Wehrmacht during World War II. The 9th Army (9 Armee was a World War II field army The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command The 4th Army (4 Armee Oberkommando was a field army that fought in World War II. Panzergruppe 2 ( 2nd Panzer Group) was formed in November 1940 from the Panzergruppe Guderian and it was called by its commander general Heinz Guderian until Vfg. 2nd Army

August 1941
3rd Panzer Group, 9th Army, 2nd Army, Army Group of Guderian

September 1941
3rd Panzer Group, 9th Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Group, 2nd Army

Early anti-partisan Campaign

In spite of terrible losses, Soviet resistance was fierce and self-sacrificing. The 2nd Army (German 2 Armee Oberkommando) was a World War I and World War II field army The 2nd Army (German 2 Armee Oberkommando) was a World War I and World War II field army A partisan movement disrupted German supply lines. A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation Bitter fighting in the Battle of Smolensk delayed the German advance for two months due to the Lötzen decision. The Battle of Smolensk was a successful encirclement operation by Army Group Centre 's 2nd Panzer Army led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Army At the end of August 1941 the Nazi German High Command OKH had the option of either continuing the advance on Moscow or destroying the Soviet forces in the south The advance of Army Group Centre was further delayed as Hitler ordered a postponement of the offensive against Moscow, and to conquer Ukraine first. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe.

Moscow Campaign

Operation Typhoon

The German offensive against Moscow was resumed on 30 September 1941. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The delays turned out to be fatal to the German forces fighting their way on the approaches to the Soviet capital. Autumn rains turned roads into mud. In November, an unusually harsh winter set in, catching the Germans ill-equipped for winter warfare. Meanwhile, Soviet resistance grew plainly desperate, as soldiers engaged in infantry combat against German tanks. Suffering tremendous losses, the Soviets finally stopped the German advance in late November 1941, when the Germans had the Moscow Kremlin in sight. The Moscow Kremlin ( Russian: Московский Кремль Moskovskiy Kreml) usually referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified The Soviet counter-offensive in the Battle of Moscow, which started on December 6, 1941, would mark the first decisive blow against the German invaders, and the failure of the German Blitzkrieg. The Battle of Moscow (Битва под Москвой Romanized: Bitva pod Moskvoy, Schlacht um Moskau is the name given by the Soviet historians to the two Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Army Group Centre was driven back out of reach of Moscow by April 1942. It did however hold a narrow salient (the Rzhev Salient) which still threatened Moscow and would be the subject of numerous Soviet attacks in the coming year.

October 1941

56th ID, 31st ID, 167th ID
52nd ID, 131st ID
260th ID, 17th ID Reserve: 112th ID
45th ID, 134th ID
95th ID, 296th ID, 262nd ID, 293rd ID
9th Pz, 16th Mot. The 2nd Army (German 2 Armee Oberkommando) was a World War I and World War II field army The 2nd Panzer Army (2Panzerarmee was a German Tank army that was a large armoured formation within the Wehrmacht Heer field forces during World War II Div. , 25th Mot. Div.
3rd Pz, 4th Pz, 10th Mot. Div.
17th Pz, 18th Pz, 29th Mot. Div.
197th ID, 7th ID, 23rd ID, 267th ID
268th ID, 15th, 78th ID
137th ID, 263rd ID, 183rd ID, 292nd ID
34th ID, 98th ID
10th Pz, 2ndPz, 258th ID
5th Bz, llth Pz, 252nd ID
20th Pz, SS "Das Reich" Mot. The 4th Army (4 Armee Oberkommando was a field army that fought in World War II. Div. , 3rd Mot. Div. [352]
255th ID, 162nd ID, 86th ID
5th ID, 35th ID, 106th ID, 129th ID
8th ID, 28th ID, 87th ID
251st ID, 102nd ID, 256th ID, 206th ID Reserve: 161st ID
6th Pz, 7th Pz, 14th Mot. The 9th Army (9 Armee was a World War II field army The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command The 3rd Panzer Group was an Army size unit which served as part of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Div.
1st Pz, 36th Mot. Div.
110th ID, 26th ID, 6th ID

November 1941
9th Army, 3rd Panzer Group, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army, 2nd Army

Commanders in chief 19 December 1941 Günther von Kluge

Russian Defensive Campaign

See also: Battles of Rzhev and Second Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive

1942 for Army Group Centre opened with continuing attacks from Soviet forces around Rzhev. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Günther “Hans” von Kluge ( October 30, 1882 – August 19, 1944) was a German military leader Günther Blumentritt ( February 10, 1897 &ndash October 12, 1967) was a German general during World War II Rzhev Battles (Ржевская битва is a general term for a series of World War II offensives launched during January 8, 1942 &mdash Operation Mars was the operation codename for the Rzhev offensive operation part of the Rzhev-Vyazma strategic offensive operation (08 The German Ninth Army was able to repel these attacks and stabilise its front, despite continuing large-scale partisan activity in its rear areas. The 9th Army (9 Armee was a World War II field army The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command Meanwhile the German strategic focus on the Eastern Front shifted to southern Russia, with the launching of Operation Blue in June. Case Blue ( Fall Blau) was the German codename used by the German Armed Forces ( Wehrmacht) for its 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern This operation, aimed at the oilfields in the southern Caucasus, involved Army Group South alone, with the other German army groups giving up troops and equipment for the offensive. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East

Despite the focus on the south, Army Group Centre continued to see fierce fighting throughout the year. While the Soviet attacks in early 1942 had not driven the Germans back, they had resulted in several Red Army units being trapped behind German lines. Eliminating the pocket took until July, the same month in which the Soviets made another attempt to break through the army group's front; the attempt failed, but the front line was pushed back closer to Rzhev. The largest Soviet operation in the army group's sector that year, Operation Mars, took place in November. Operation Mars was the operation codename for the Rzhev offensive operation part of the Rzhev-Vyazma strategic offensive operation (08 It was launched concurrently with Operation Uranus, the counteroffensive against the German assault on Stalingrad. Operation Uranus was the Soviet encirclement of German forces in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War 2. The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the The operation was repulsed with very heavy Soviet losses, although it did have the effect of pinning down German units that could have been sent to the fighting around Stalingrad.

January 1942
9th Army, 3rd Panzer Army, 4th Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army, 2nd Army

February 1942
3rd Panzer Army, 9th Army, 4th Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army

May 1942
9th Army, 3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army

Operation Fridericus II
Battle of Voronezh (1942)

Campaign in Central Russia

Following the disaster of Stalingrad and poor results of the Voronezh defensive operations the OKH expected another attack on Army Group Centre in early 1943. The 3rd Panzer Army (3Panzerarmee was a German army that saw action during World War II. The 4th Panzer Army (German 4Panzer-Armee) was before being designated a full army the Panzer Group 4 ( Panzergruppe 4) a German Panzer The Battle of Voronezh was a battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, fought in and around the strategically important city of Voronezh on the The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 However Hitler had decided to strike first. However, before this could be done Wehrmacht had to forestall possible Soviet offensives by carrying out their Operation Büffel - the planned evacuation of the Rzhev Salient to shorten their lines. During World War II the name Büffel Bewegung (Buffalo Movement in German was given to a series of local retreats conducted by the German Army on the Russian Front during the

January 1943
LIX AK, 9th Army, 3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army

Commanders in chief 12 October 1943 Ernst Busch

February 1943
3rd Panzer Army, 9th Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army

Belorussian anti-partisan Campaign

From early in 1942 there was an intensified movement to create armed resistance to the Wehrmacht in occupied territories, and particularly the very difficult terrain of the western Belorussian region. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Ernst Busch may refer to Ernst Busch (military (1885-1945 German field marshal Ernst Busch (actor (1900-1980 German singer and actor This effort was directed by the separate Stavka Head Quarters in Moscow, utilising partisan cells trained before the war, local party officials that escaped the Gestapo, and a considerable number of Red Army troops that evaded massive encirclements of 1941. By early 1943 this movement, though only loosely interrelated within the region, numbered an estimated 250,000 combat and combat support personnel, with sophisticated bases, long range communication equipment, and increasingly disruptive to Wehrmacht's rear services and lines of communication. A line of communication (or communications) is the route that connects an operating Military unit with its Supply base.

Combating these partisan groups and bands demanded constant security deployment for German troops required by the increasingly personnel-starved field forces, and increasingly police volunteer personnel from the occupied territories, particularly from the Ukraine and the occupied Baltic republics were used alongside special Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht units. The following major anti-partisan operations were conducted in the rear of Army Group Centre, alongside many smaller operations:

Increasing coordination of the partisan activity resulted in the conducting of Operation Concert against the German forces. On the 19 September 1943 began an Operation by the Soviet partisans under the code name “Concert” which was one of largest in World War II

Operation Citadel

In July and August 1943 the Soviets succeeded in stopping the German offensive Operation Citadel into the Kursk Salient and counterattacked towards Orel and Kharkov. The Battle of Kursk (Курская битва refers to a series of German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II In tandem with the offensive into Ukraine another offensive, the Smolensk Operation (Operation Suvarov), was launched against Army Group Centre between August and October 1943. The attacks made slow progress but were successful in recapturing Smolensk and the important rail junction at Nevel, forcing the German line back on a broad front, however the attack foundered on the strong German defensive works in the Vitebsk-Orsha-Mogilev area (the Ostwall defensive line).

March 1943
3rd Panzer Army, 9th Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army, 2nd Army

April 1943
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army, 2nd Army, z. Vfg. 9th Army

July 1943
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Panzer Army, 9th Army, 2nd Army

Wotan Line defensive Campaign

Further Soviet offensives against Army Group Centre - the Gomel and Orsha Operations in November 1943 and the Vitebsk Operation in February 1944 were unsuccessful against the strong Ostwall defences. However, the Soviets did succeed in almost encircling the heavily fortified town of Vitebsk.

In comparison to the great Soviet victories in the Ukraine since Stalingrad, Soviet progress on the central front (roughly the area Minsk - Smolensk - Moscow) in the period early 1942-early 1944 had been disappointing. Soviet planners launched several offensives hoping for a grand encirclement and destruction of Army Group Centre yet had only succeeded in forcing the German line back on a broad front with heavy Soviet casualties. There were several reasons for this comparative lack of success - the terrain here was much more heavily forested and thus favoured the defender, German units in this area had had time to prepare comprehensive fortifications and the German leadership had been good, while Soviet leadership had been uninspired.

September 1943
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 9th Army, 2nd Army

November 1943
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 9th Army, 2nd Army, armed forces commander east country

January 1944
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 9th Army, 2nd Army

Destruction of Army Group Centre

However, all this was to change in summer 1944. In spring 1944 the Soviet command started concentrating massive forces along the frontline in central Russia for a huge summer offensive against Army Group Centre. The Soviets also carried out a masterful deception campaign to convince the Germans that the main Soviet summer offensive would be launched further south, against Army Group North Ukraine. The Army Group North Ukraine (Nordukraine was a major ground force formation of the German Armed forces. The German High Command was fooled and armored units were moved south out of Army Group Centre. The massive Soviet buildup opposite Army Group Centre was not detected.

The offensive, code-named Operation Bagration, was launched on 22 June 1944, the third anniversary of the German invasion and the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 1941 (this was actually a coincidence, the attack had been unexpectedly delayed several days). Operation Bagration (Oперация Багратион Operatsiya Bagration) was the Codename for the Soviet 1944 Belorussian Strategic Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The term Great Patriotic War (Великая Отечественная война Velikaya Otechestvennaya Vojna) is used in Russia and some other 185 Soviet divisions comprising about 2. 5 million soldiers and 6,000 tanks smashed into the German positions on a frontline of 1,000 km. The 500,000-strong German Army Group Centre was crushed. 350,000 Germans were killed or captured. Soviet forces raced forward, liberating Minsk and the rest of Byelorussia (Belarus) by the end of August, crossing the pre-war border and advancing into East Prussia and Poland by the end of the year. Minsk (Мінск mʲinsk Минск mʲinsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (abbreviated as Byelorussian SSR or BSSR) (Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east East Prussia (Ostpreußen; Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Prusy Wschodnie Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland In terms of casualties this was the greatest German defeat of the entire war.

Commanders in chief 28 June 1944 Walter Model

July 1944
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Army, z. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Otto Moritz Walter Model ('modəl (24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945 was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. Vfg. 9th Army

Commanders in chief 16 August 1944 Georg Hans Reinhardt

August 1944
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 4th Army, 2nd Army, IV SS Panzer Corps

Defensive Campaign in Poland and Slovakia

The Soviet commanders, after their inaction during the Warsaw Uprising, took Warsaw in January 1945. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Georg-Hans Reinhardt ( March 1, 1887 – November 23, 1963) was a German general of World War II, who was Colonel General The IVSS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured Corps which saw action on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans during World The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Over three days, the Red Army, incorporating four army Fronts, began an offensive across the Narew River and from Warsaw. A Front (фронт was a major Military organization in the Soviet Army, roughly equivalent to an Army group in the military terminology of other countries Narew Podlaskie Voivodeship The river Narew ( Belarusian: Нараў, Lithuanian: Naura) in western Belarus and north-eastern The Soviets outnumbered the Germans on average by 9:1 in troops, 9 or 10:1 in artillery and 10:1 in tanks and self-propelled artillery.

Defence of the Reich Campaign

On 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Army Group North became Army Group Courland; Army Group Centre became Army Group North and Army Group A became Army Group Centre. Army Group North ( Heeresgruppe Nord) was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War Army Group Courland (Heeresgruppe Kurland was a German Army Group on the Eastern Front which was created from remnants of the Army Group North, Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.

Defence of Slovakia

Defence of Moravia

Defence of Bohemia

Battle of Berlin

The last Soviet campaign of the war, which led to the fall of Berlin and the end of the war in Europe with the surrender of all German forces to the Allies. For the bombing campaign on Berlin by the RAF from November 1943 to March 1944 see Battle of Berlin (air. The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945 The three Soviet Fronts involved in the campaign had altogether 2. 5 million men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces and mortars, 3,255 truck-mounted "Katyusha" rocket launchers (nicknamed 'Stalin Organs' by the Germans), and 95,383 motor vehicles. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories This article is about the semi-truck For the North American use of the word see Pickup truck. Katyusha multiple rocket launchers (Катюша are a type of Rocket artillery originally built and fielded by the Soviet Union in the Second World War A rocket or rocket vehicle is a Missile, Aircraft or other Vehicle which obtains Thrust by the reaction of the The campaign started with the battle of Oder-Neisse. For the bombing campaign on Berlin by the RAF from November 1943 to March 1944 see Battle of Berlin (air. Army Group Centre commanded by Ferdinand Schörner had a front that included the river Neisse. Ferdinand Schörner ( 12 June, 1892 - July 2, 1973; also Schoerner) was a General and later Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall Neisse redirects here for other meanings see Neisse (disambiguation The Lusatian Neisse (Lužická Nisa Lausitzer Neiße Nysa Łużycka Before dawn on the morning of April 16, 1945 the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of General Konev started the attack over the river Neisse with a short but massive bombardment by tens of thousands of artillery pieces. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The 1st Ukrainian Front (RussianПервый украинский фронт was a front —a force the size of a Western Army group —of the Soviet Union's Ivan Stepanovich Konev ( Ива́н Степа́нович Ко́нев ( &ndash May 21, 1973) was a Soviet military commander who led Red . .

Commanders in chief 17 January 1945 Ferdinand Schörner

January 1945
3rd Panzer Army, 4th Army, 2nd Army

February 1945
4th Panzer Army, 17th Army (Germany), 1st Panzer Army (Germany)

May 1945
7th Army (Germany), 4th Panzer Army, 17th Army, 1st Panzer Army Army Group Ostmark

Battle of Prague

Some of Army Group Centre continued to resist until May 11 by which time the overwhelming force of the Soviet Armies sent to occupy Czechoslovakia in the Prague Offensive gave them no option but to surrender or be killed. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Ferdinand Schörner ( 12 June, 1892 - July 2, 1973; also Schoerner) was a General and later Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall The German Seventeenth Army (German 17 Armee) was a World War II Field army. The 1st Panzer Army (1Panzerarmee was a German Tank army that was a large armoured formation within the Wehrmacht Heer field forces during World War II The 7th Army (7 Armee Oberkommando was a World War II field army Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Prague Strategic Offensive (Пражская стратегическая наступательная операция "Prague Strategic Offensive" was the last major
May 1945
7th Army (Germany), 4th Panzer Army, 17th Army
Army Group Ostmark

Surrender

On May 7 the day that German Chief-of-Staff General Alfred Jodl was negotiating surrender of all German forces at SHAEF, the last that the German Armed Forces High Command (AFHC) had heard from Schörner was on May 2. The 7th Army (7 Armee Oberkommando was a World War II field army Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Alfred Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946 was a German military commander attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945 Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (abbreviated as SHAEF, pronounced "shāf" was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. He had reported that he intended to fight his way west and surrender his army group to the Americans. On the May 8 a colonel on the (AFHC), was escorted through the American lines to see Schörner. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen The colonel reported that Schörner had ordered the men under his operational command to observe the surrender but that he could not guarantee that he would be obeyed everywhere. Later that day Schörner deserted his command and flew to Austria where on the May 18 he was arrested by the Americans. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Myths

Memorials

Popular culture

References

  1. ^ Gerlach, p. 885

Footnotes

Bibliography

See also

Online resources

Further reading

The List of World War II military units of Germany contains all Military units to serve with the Armed forces of Germany during World War II.
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