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H.S. Number Document -Para 981PA5 (D.5) Fifth Panzer Ar.my, 28f Appendices to W.D. 9 Aug - 9 Sep 44
Corps
88 Corps, W.D. 35, 1 Ju1 - 31 Dec 44
88 Corps, W.D. 14lf 1 Jul - 31 Dec 44, Vol "B" of Apps
88 Corps, W.D. 1 Jul - 31 Dec 44, Vol ;'C" of Apps
B. Secondary Sources
981S0M(DI72) Blauensteiner, 36 2 Para Corps, 19 Sep 44 - 10 Mar 45
981S0M(D208) Hammer, 58 Report on 190 Inf Div
98IAGpG(DI) von Mel1enthin, 65f A Gp G,' 20 Sep - 8 Nov 44
Schramm, Der Westen, -- (ses: Primary Sources)
981S0M(DI48) Student, 34 SUpplement to Report by Col Geyer
981S0M(D94) Zimmermann , llf 65f O.B. Wast from Atlantic Wall to Siegfriod LinG, ItA StUdy in COIr.J.lland 11 XXII
Books u.s. Army, Military 14f 33, Intelligence Division, Washington, 1945, Order of Battle of the German krmy
Westphal, Siegfried 93 The German Army in the West
Wilmot, Chester 30f The Struggle for Europe Appendix "A"
Prig.eipa1 Appointments in the West
(Autumn 1944)
Ref: para 7 Appendix tlB"
O.B. West
Order of Battle
1,5 Aug 44
•
981.04,5 (D1)
,
Ref: para 10 Appendix "G"
F6h.rer Order to hold or destroy Paris
23 Ayg 44
981AG:pB (D2)
Ref: :para 17 Appendix "D"
F'!hrer Order of 25 Sep 44
98J.AGpB(D2)
•
Ref: para 70 tPpYnd:l,;x: "F" o - JSI Report No. 77
OKW!WFSt
Directive to O.B. West
29 Oct 44
981HC-N(D16)
Raf: para 102 Appendix "Aft
PRnJC,IPAL APP,OIN'n.fENTS ,IN TIlli VmST (tor period under review)
O.B. WEST (until 8 Nov 44 also known as A Gp D)
3 Jill 44 ~ 17 Aug 44 GFM Guenther von Kluge 17 Aug 44 ~ 4 Sep 44 GFM Walter Model 4 Sep 44 - 10 Mar 45 G~1 Gerd von Rundstedt
ARMY GROUPS
.L\rp1Y Group B 31 Dec 43*~ 17 Aug 44 GFM Erwin Rommel 17 Aug 44 - 17 Apr 45 GFM Walter Model
",\t:mY Group G 10 May 44 " 21 Sep 44 Col Gen Johannes Blask6witz 21 Sep 44 - 23 Dec 44 Gan pz Tps Hermann Balck
Army Group Studen (prov) I 31 Oct 44 - 10 Nov 44 Col Gen Kurt Student
Arm;r Group H 10 Nov 44 - 28 Jan 45 Col Gen Kurt Student
ArnJIIES
. First lirmy 2 Jun 44 ... 6Sep 44 Gen Inf Kurt von der Ohevallerie 6 Sep 44 ' 29 Oct 44 Gen pz Tps Otto von Knobelsdorff 29 Oct 44 ... 1 Dec 44 Gen Tnf Kurt von Tippelskiroh 1 Deo 44 - 22 Mar 45 Gen Inf Hans von Obstfelder
* . Date on which upgraded from a working staff to oommand (under O.B. West): 88 Corps {Netherlands), Fifteenth Army and Seventh Army. ·1 ,
- 2 -
~~venth Army
29 Jun 44 ~ 23 Aug 44 SS Gen Paul Hausser 24 Aug 44 " 31 Aug 44 Gen pz Tps Heinrich Eberbach 31 Aug 44 - 19 Feb 45 Gen pz Tps Erich Brandenberger
Fifteenth Army
15 Aug 43 ~ 23 Aug 44 Col Gen Hans von Salmuth 23 Aug 44 - 17 Apr 45 Gen Tnf Gustav von Zangen
·~ineteanth Army 29 Jun 44 - 15 Dec 44 Gen Tnf Friedrioh Wiese
Fifth Panzer ArmY, 9 Aug 44 ~ 10 Sap 44 SS Col Gen Sapp Dietrich 10 Sap 44 ~ Early 1945 Gen pz Tps Hasso-Eccard von Manteuffel
Sixth Panzer Army
13 Sep 44 - May 1945 SS 601 C~n Sepp Dietrich
First Parachute ~1rmy ·4 Sep 44 - 31 Oot 44 Col Gen Kurt Student 31 Oot 44 - 28 Mar 45 Gen Para Tps Alfred Sohlermn
Armed Forces Commander Netherlands 1 Sap 44 - 26 Jan 45 Gan G.A.F. Karl Friedrich Christiansen FU "l:S TI~ TTLE U y 15 AUG 44
CORPS OK. • 88 (Com of German !pa 01:. in the Bether1aDda) 70 (16S Bea), 712 89 IS 4.7, JB-{xxx), 4.9xD, 182 Res 82 1,;6••• JIt.8, 145, 226, 5 Seourity ~gt 711, ]It&, 272, JD.te 710 Portre_ Cueruel 86 319 85, 12 SS PZ, 89 "f SS PZ Spz ~tre_St~ 74 (Col ~ aleck) ') ., .., 9 SS PZ, 3 Para .1 .nb n '- SS "- _ab 91 Lehr, 353 + EIta 1 SS pz Klta S Pua Gp .36:S ... Blta »l PA A Portn_ .... c.p 2l,.3. 8lt., Battle c.p 17 55 PZ Gren, Jfa1Jl -.q ,.., Batua·Gp 275, BIta 10 55 Pa 10 SS Ps•••• 84 BI sata 2 Jlu'a u.266 "aanta 5 Para, nta 9 Pa, 2 SS Pa 7 58 PI !Wtz... Ler1u.l Uta 9 Ps, 2 Ps, RellDants pz Lehr*." 2S oerpa ".nta 9 P& 47 PZ K1ta &8 • 2I6S Battl. Gp 6 Para, 81 Portre•• St. ".'ire '52 AR EEGRUPPE Blt. B.e-.nta 265 ), BJ.ocking Pormation aa.cte1, 159 lie. 64 B 8D aad 66 Col'h 19a----, 189 Be....• 4 L .' F. 8 + 62 , 'lOF,e. I I I I I I I I
Appendix "D"
FUhrer Order of 25 Sep 44 (Translation)
The enemy has transferred the rna. in weight of his attaoks to the Dutch area and the forefield of the Northern Vosges. In the South the available foroes have been oommitted on' the whole, but in England he has still large fornations including airborne divisions - to exploit and expand suooess in Southern Holland by further landings from the air and fr~ the sea in western and northern Holland, or possibly even in Gerr~y between WilhelmBhaven and Emden. The oentre of gravity of our oounter-measures must therefore be transferred to the northern area of the western front, to hold the Netherlands and make possible the oompletion of the West Wall extension, .thereby protecting the Ruhr area. . My orders are: 1. The enemy in the Arnhem - Nijmegen area is to be destroyed by conoentrio attaok. The fooal point of this attack must be between Waal and Maas in order to take the Nijmegen-Grave road, thereby preventing a further reinforoing of the enemy north of the Maas.
The southern front of Fifteenth Army and the western front of First Paraohute ~\rmy must be held at present lines. The enemy bridgehead aoross the oanal south of Helmond is to be eliminated or seourely sealed-off at least.
The gap at the inner wings of Fifteenth f~y and First Parachute ~tr.my at Veghel is to be olosed by means of a ooncentric attack in order to meet the preliminary requirement for the destruotion of the enew~ north of the Maas. 4. Army Group G will stand fast forward of the Vosges poaition thereby winning by fighting the time required for the completion of that position as well as of the Vosges Battle-position. The long and unprepared triangle of the Western position from south of Metz via Falkenberg, Pftttlingen to Elamont is completely unsuitable for defence. In order to be· able to oonduct mobile operations in the area Duss - Nomeny -.Luneville all panzer and panzer grenadier divisions as well as the panzer brigades presently under the i~y Group are to remain with it. The assembly of a mobile reserve also behind the Nineteenth i~y is necessary (sic).
For the attaok of First Parachute f~ny between Waal and Maas, .108 pz Bde 1 741 Ry A Tk En and .506 Tiger En are to be moved-·in, furthermore also 116 and 9 pz Divs, the latter two to be relieved by Fortress Ens and, if necessary, by moving-in 246 Inf Div. 2
6. The Chief of Army Equipment and CODwlander of the Replacement Training l~y has been instructed to move strong forces into the area WilhelmShaven Leeuwarden - Apelaoorn - Rheine. Orders concerning this and further work on the western Position and the West Wall will follow. 7£ Operational Intentions and Dispositions are to be reported.
Adolf Hitler
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CORi-~
t • 85~, B~ttle 7l1~, ?lg~ 64', ?Q¢, Gp 346¢, 61 88 '15 Battle Group 712~ H.,. 344 -----~--- 89 .J ... 363 V.Gr. 12 55 9 Pl., B Battle Group 9 3S Fl., Battle ~roup 10 SS f~ 2 5S PZ Dl•• po. 406%%, Battle Group 84, Div No.l0QxX I PARA 2 PARA : i v. 110: !e6 Battle Group Nalter (107 pz Bde), 3 itara xX Di .No. 180, Div. 10. 176 86 5 • 5 • undergoing 183 V.J~, ~~ts 4911, 116 Pz, 108 pz Bde 1 5S PZ rehabilitation o 246 V.Gr, 12 V.Gr. 81 ------t 347~ 256 V.Cr. 275-, 89, Bettle Group 1~ 7 ~61 V.Gr. cta 1 55 PZ Remts 12--SS- ~Div.NO.172x~, f ttle Group ~ ~ rz, Battle Group 2 ~z 66 36 V.GI@ D------.--~---~ ---- s 1 ul taneotl 1J Z5 8Z ------7 SS pz Gr, R~mts 553 V.Gr, 559 v.Gr, t8 1~ I 15 rz Gr 1"'"""------Z 19S1e: 9 106 pz Bde
static, ~ wi thout Asslt GlUl Bn I 1.., ld - (Ie,rIIILD ~iv19ions ~~th tr-e prefix -No.-
.. ". OKW/WFst D'ire,ctive to O.B,. West
(29 Oct 44)
1'., The Ftnlrer expects Fifteenth ~'\.rmy to stand tast with all its power in the present main line of resistance along the line Bergen op Zoom ~ Breda ... fs':"Hertogenbosch - south of the Maas. 2'. Should new and deep penetrations resulting from further enemy attacks place elements of the forces in danger of being destroyed, the Fifteenth Army would then have to hold on at least in large bridgeheads south of the Maas. In that case the right wing of the ...'u"my would have to wheel around towards the West to block the crossings to the ScheIdt islands and thus prevent a breaking-up of the ScheIdt defences from the East. 3. The defence of the ScheIdt Estuary depends on the heavy batteries on the island of Walcheren. Therefore this island is to be defended fanatically. Should in the long run 70 Inf Div no longer be able to hold on to South Beveland, the forces committed there must be withdrawn to North Beveland and Walcheren. After the last heavy batteries of the Breskens bridgehead had been lost, that bridgehead was of little further value for the blocking of the Scheidt Estuary. It is to be reported whether at this time there are still well founded prospects of transferring substantial elenents of 64 Inf Div to Walcheren. If not, 64 Inf Div in the bridgehead will also have to stand fa st to the last. 4. The conduct of the operations of Fifteenth and First Parachute Armies is to be coordinated forthwith under Col Gan Student. The arrival of the }~y Group headquarters staff is not to be waited for. For the tliae being the most necessary elements of the command apparatus are to be plaoed at the disposal of Col Gen Student by the Arned Forces Commander Netherlands, Fifteenth l\rmy and First Parachute Army. ,. In order to make possible the speedy replacement of the casualties suffered by Fifteenth Army in its hard struggle, the 'activation of the 8th, 9th and lOth Paraohute Divisions is to be renounced for the present. The units and transfer battalions (including those still in the Home Defence Area) which have been organized for these divisions, are to be despatched to the Fifteenth Army by the Inspector General of the Parachute Army as required by CO'I Gen Student. Numerical strength and location of the units are to be reported forthwith to Col Gen StUdent, G.B. West and OKW. - 2 -
3rd, 5th; 6th and 7th Parachute Divisions, including the replaceBents earmarked for them, will not be drawn upon. 6. To strengthen Fifteenth L~~y with regard to materiel, beginning on 30 Oct seventeen assault howitzers will be despatched to the Army. Additional heavy materiel and weapons for Fifteenth Army are to be drawn from Army Group Bfs own stocks~ Gaps thereby created in the materiel of other forma~ions will be filled by means of higher allocations in November. The numbers of weapons transferred are to be reported.
OKW/WFSt/OpS No ••773955/44, Top Secret
(Note: The foregoing is a translation of the text of OKW signal OICW/WFSt/Ops No. 773955/44, as passed on by the Operations Section of the Naval Operations Staff to the other section of that staff in the form of a certified copy bearing the number 1.Skl.B. No. 3416/44, Top Secret, 29 Oct 44.)
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