Army Group B

Army Group B was a major formation of the German Army during World War II. It was activated multiple times, serving across several critical theaters including Poland, France, the Soviet Union, and Northwest Europe. The army group was involved in some of the war's most significant campaigns, from the Blitzkrieg offensives to the desperate defensive battles against the Allies.

History

The formation was first established in October 1939 from the former Army Group North, which had just completed the Invasion of Poland. It played a central role in the Battle of France in 1940, spearheading the decisive thrust through the Ardennes that led to the Dunkirk evacuation and the eventual Armistice of 22 June 1940. Following the victory in the west, it was disbanded but reactivated in 1942 for the Eastern Front, where it was tasked with protecting the northern flank of the drive toward the Caucasus during Operation Blue. After the Battle of Stalingrad and the subsequent Soviet winter offensive, it was again dissolved in early 1943. Its final and most famous activation came in mid-1943, when it was reformed in Northern Italy before being transferred to France to defend against the anticipated Allied invasion of Normandy.

Organization

Throughout its existence, the composition of subordinate units varied widely depending on its theater of operations. During the 1940 campaign, it commanded powerful panzer formations like Panzer Group Kleist and infantry armies such as the 4th and 6th Armies. On the Eastern Front, it included forces like the 2nd Army and the Hungarian Second Army. For the defense of France, it controlled the 7th Army in Normandy, the 15th Army in the Pas-de-Calais, and the Panzer Group West, later renamed the 5th Panzer Army. Its structure was constantly altered by the heavy losses inflicted by the Red Army on the Eastern Front and the Western Allies after the D-Day landings.

Commanders

The army group was led by several prominent Wehrmacht field commanders. Its first commander was Generaloberst Fedor von Bock, who had previously led Army Group North in Poland. He was succeeded by Generalfeldmarschall Maximilian von Weichs during its stint on the Eastern Front in 1942. For its final and most critical period defending Western Europe, command was given to Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel in 1943, famed for his leadership of the Afrika Korps. Following Rommel's severe injury after the July 20 Plot, command passed to Generalfeldmarschall Walther Model, known as the "Führer's fireman" for his skill in defensive warfare during the retreat from France and the Battle of the Bulge.

Operations

Its operational history spans the breadth of Germany's war, from offensive triumphs to catastrophic defeats. In 1940, it executed the decisive Manstein Plan through the Ardennes, leading to the Fall of France. On the Eastern Front in 1942, it guarded the flank of Army Group A during the advance to the Volga River, but was overwhelmed during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. Reactivated in Italy, it initially faced the Allied invasion of Sicily and the landings at Salerno. Its most famous operation was the defense of the Atlantic Wall in Northern France, where it engaged the Allies following the Normandy landings. It was decisively defeated in the Falaise Pocket and later mounted a final major offensive in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.

Dissolution

The final collapse began after the failure of the Battle of the Bulge and the subsequent Western Allied invasion of Germany. With its forces shattered by the Operation Veritable and Operation Grenade offensives, the remnants were trapped in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945. Facing encirclement by the United States Army's 1st and 9th Armies, Generalfeldmarschall Walther Model dissolved the formation on April 17, 1945, and ordered his troops to surrender. Model himself took his own life in the Teutoburg Forest shortly thereafter, marking the end of one of the Wehrmacht's most frequently deployed army groups.

Category:Army groups of Germany in World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1939 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945