German order of battle for Operation Fall Weiss
|
|
The German order of battle for Operation Fall Weiss details the major German combat units used during Operation Fall Weiss, Germany's code name for the invasion of Poland. Generally, the order of battle remained more or less intact throughout the campaign.
The German forces for the invasion of Poland were divided strategically into two army groups: Army Group North (consisting of the German 3rd and 4th armies) and Army Group South (consisting of the German 8th, 10th, and 14th armies, as well as the Slovakian Army Group Bernolak).
| Contents |
Army Group North
Army Group North was commanded by Colonel General Fedor von Bock. Its initial objectives were to capture the "Polish Corridor" (4th Army) and drive southwards towards Warsaw from East Prussia (3rd Army).
Army Group Reserve Troops
Four divisions, including one panzer division, were held in reserve by Army Group North:
- Army Group North Reserve
- 10th Panzer Division (10.Panzer-Division)
- Commanded by General Ferdinand Schaal
- Brigades: 4th Panzer Brigade and 10th Motorized Infantry Brigade
- 73rd Infantry Division (73.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Friedrich von Rabenau
- Regiments: 170th, 186th, and 213th infantry
- 206th Infantry Division (206.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Hugo Höfl
- Regiments: 301st, 312th, and 413th infantry
- 208th Infantry Division (208.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Moritz Andreas
- Regiments: 309th, 337th, and 338th infantry
- 10th Panzer Division (10.Panzer-Division)
4th Army
4th Army (4.Armee) was commanded by General of Artillery Günther von Kluge. It was based in Western Pomerania and was positioned to sweep into Poland north of the Poznan region and cut off Danzig and the Polish Corridor.
- 4th Army Reserves
- 23rd Infantry Division (23.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt
- Regiments: 9th, 67th, and 68th infantry
- 218th Infantry Division (218.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Woldemar Freiherr Grote
- Regiments: 323rd, 386th, and 397th infantry
- 23rd Infantry Division (23.Infanterie-Division)
- I Frontier Guard Corps
- 207th Infantry Division (207.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Karl von Tiedemann
- Regiments: 322nd, 368th, and 374th infantry
- 207th Infantry Division (207.Infanterie-Division)
- XIX Corps
- Commanded by General Heinz Guderian
- 3rd Panzer Division (3.Panzer-Division)
- Commanded by General Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg
- Brigades: 3rd Panzer Brigade and 3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Motorized Division (2.Infanterie-Division (mot))
- Commanded by General Paul Bader
- Regiments: 5th, 25th, and 92nd motorized infantry
- 20th Motorized Division (20.Infanterie-Division (mot))
- Commanded by General Mauritz von Wiktorin
- Regiments: 69th, 76th and 80th motorized infantry
- Panzer Battalion Lehr (attached to 3rd Panzer Division)
- Reconnaisance Battalion Lehr.
- II Corps
- Commanded by General Adolf Strauβ
- 3rd Infantry Division (3.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Walter Lichel
- Regiments: 8th, 29th, and 50th infantry
- 32nd Infantry Division (32.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Franz Böhme
- Regiments: 4th, 94th, and 96th infantry
- III Corps
- Commanded by General Curt Haase
- 50th Infantry Division (50.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Konrad Sorsche
- Regiments: 121st, 122nd, and 123rd infantry
- Netze Infantry Brigade
- Commanded by General Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz
3rd Army
3rd Army was commanded by General of Artillery Georg von Küchler. It was based in East Prussia and was positioned to sweep south into the central regions of Poland, including the capital, Warsaw.
- 3rd Army Reserves
- 217th Infantry Division (217.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Richard Baltzer
- Regiments: 311th, 346th, and 389th infantry
- German 1st Cavalry Brigade
- Commanded by General Kurt Feldt
- 217th Infantry Division (217.Infanterie-Division)
- XXI Corps
- Commanded by General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst.
- 21st Infantry Division (21.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Hans-Kuno von Both
- Regiments: 3rd, 24th, and 45th infantry
- 228th Infantry Division (228.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Hans Suttner
- Regiments: 325th, 356th, and 400th infantry
- I Corps
- Commanded by General Walter Petzel
- Panzer Division Kempf
- Commanded by General Werner Kempf
- Regiments: 7th Panzer Regiment and the "Großdeutschland" Motorized Infantry Regiment
- 11th Infantry Division (11.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Max Bock
- Regiments: 2nd, 23rd, and 44th infantry
- 61st Infantry Division (61.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Siegfried Hänicke
- Regiments: 151st, 162nd, and 176th infantry
- Wodrig Corps
- Commanded by General Albert Wodrig
- Later renamed to XXVI Corps
- 1st Infantry Division (1.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Joachim von Kortzfleisch
- Regiments: 1st, 22nd, and 43rd infantry
- 12th Infantry Division (12.Infanterie-Division)
- Commanded by General Ludwig von der Leyen
- Regiments: 27th, 48th, and 89th infantry
- Brand Corps
- Commanded by General Fritz Brand
- "Lötzen" Infantry Brigade
- Commanded by General Offenbacher
- Regiments: 161st and 162nd Landwehr Infantry Regiments.
- "Goldap" Infantry Brigade
- Commanded by General Notle
Army Group South
Army Group South was commanded by Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt. Its inital objective was to drive from Silesia towards Warsaw (8th and 10th armies), and to destroy the Polish forces around Krakow (14th Army).
Army Group Reserve Troops
- 62nd Infantry Division - Commanded by General Walter Keiner. Consisted of the 164th, 183rd, and 190th Infantry Regiments.
- 213th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Rene de l'Homme de Courbiere. Consisted of the 318th, 354th, and 406th Infantry Regiments.
- 221st Infantry Division - Commanded by General Johann Pflugbeil. Consisted of the 350th, 360th, and 375th Infantry Regiments.
- VII Corps - Commanded by General Eugen Ritter von Schobert. In reserve at the start of the campaign.
- 27th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Friedrich Bergmann. Consisted of the 40th, 63rd, and 91st Infantry Regiments.
- 68th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Georg Braun. Consisted of the 169th, 188th, and 196th Infantry Regiments.
- Arriving...
- 1st Mountain Division - Commanded by General Ludwig Kübler. Consisted of the 98th, 99th, and 100th Mountain Jäger Regiments.
8th Army
8th Army was commanded by General of Infantry Johannes Blaskowitz. It was based in northern Silesia.
- X Corps - Commanded by General Wilhelm Ulex.
- 24th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Friedrich Olbricht. Consisted of the 31st, 32nd, and 102nd Infantry Regiments.
- 30th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Kurt von Briesen. Consisted of the 6th, 26th, and 46th Infantry Regiments.
- XIII Corps - Commanded by General Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs.
- 10th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Conrad von Cochenhausen. Consisted of the 20th, 41st, and 85th Infantry Regiments.
- 17th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Herbert Loch. Consisted of the 21st, 55th, and 95th Infantry Regiments.
- SS Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler" Motorized Infantry Regiment - Commanded by Josef "Sepp" Dietrich.
10th Army
10th Army was commanded by General of Artillery Walter von Reichenau. It was based in southern Silesia.
- 10th Army Reserves
- 1st Light Division — Commanded by General Friedrich-Wilhelm von Löper. Consisted of the 11th Panzer Regiment and 6th Rifle Brigade.
- 3rd Light Division — Commanded by General Adolf Kuntzen. Consisted of the 10th Panzer Regiment and 8th Rifle Brigade.
- XI Corps — Commanded by General Emil Leeb.
- 18th Infantry Division — Commanded by General Friedrich-Karl Cranz. Consisted of the 30th, 51st, and 54th Infantry Regiments.
- 19th Infantry Division — Commanded by General Günther Schwantes. Consisted of the 59th, 73rd, and 74th Infantry Regiments.
- XVI Corps — Commanded by General Erich Höpner.
- 1st Panzer Division — Commanded by General Rudolf Schmidt. Consisted of the 1st Panzer Brigade and 1st Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- 14th Infantry Division — Commanded by General Peter Weyer. Consisted of the 11th, 53rd, and 116th Infantry Regiments.
- 31st Infantry Division — Commanded by General Rudolf Kämpfe. Consisted of the 12th, 17th, and 82nd Infantry Regiments.
- IV Corps — Commanded by General Viktor von Schwedler.
- 4th Infantry Division — Commanded by General Eric Hansen. Consisted of 10th, 52nd, and 103rd Infantry Regiments.
- 46th Infantry Division — Commanded by General Paul von Hase. Consisted of the 42nd, 72nd, and 97th Infantry Regiments.
- XV Corps — Commanded by General Hermann Hoth.
- 2nd Light Division — Commanded by General Georg Stumme. Consisted of the 25th Panzer Regiment and 7th Rifle Brigade.
- XIV Corps — Commanded by General Gustav von Wietersheim.
- 4th Panzer Division — Commanded by General Georg-Hans Reinhardt. Consisted of the 7th Panzer Brigade and 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- 13th Motorized Division — Commanded by General Moritz von Faber du Faur. Consisted of the 33rd, 66th, and 93rd Motorized Infantry Regiments.
- 29th Motorized Division — Commanded by General Joachim Lemelsen. Consisted of the 15th, 86th, and 71st Motorized Infantry Regiments.
14th Army
14th Army was commanded by Colonel General Wilhelm List. It was based in Moravia and Slovakia.
- XXII Corps - Commanded by General Ewald von Kleist. It began the campaign in reserve.
- 2nd Mountain Division - Commanded by General Valentin Feurstein. Consisting of the 136th, 137th, and 140th Mountain Jäger Regiments.
- VIII Corps - Commanded by General Ernst Busch.
- 5th Panzer Division - Commanded by General Heinrich von Viettinghoff-Scheel. Consisted of the 8th Panzer Brigade and 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- 8th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Rudolf Koch-Erpach. Consisted of the 28th, 38th, and 84th Infantry Regiments.
- 28th Infantry Division - Commanded by Geneal Hans von Obstfelder. Consisted of the 7th, 49th, and 83rd Infantry Regiments.
- 239th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Ferdinand Neuling. Consisted of the 327th, 372nd, and 444th Infantry Regiments.
- SS "Germania" Motorized Infantry Regiment - Commanded by General Karl-Maria Demelhuber.
- XVII Corps - Commanded by General Werner Kienitz.
- 7th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Eugen Ott. Consisted of the 19th, 61st, and 62nd Infantry Regiments.
- 44th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Albrecht Schubert. Consisted of the 131st, 132nd, and 134th Infantry Regiments.
- 45th Infantry Division - Commanded by General Friedrich Materna. Consisted of the 130th, 133rd, and 135th Infantry Regiments.
- XVIII Corps - Commanded by General Eugen Beyer.
- 2nd Panzer Division - Commanded by General Rudolf Veiel. Consisted of the 2nd Panzer Brigade and 2nd Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- 4th Light Division - Commanded by Dr. Alfred Ritter von Hubicki. Consisted of the 33rd Panzer Regiment and 9th Rifle Brigade.
- 3rd Mountain Division - Commanded by General Eduard Dietl. Consisted of the 138th and 139th Mountain Jäger Regiments.
Slovakian Army Group Bernolak
See Slovakian army units invading Poland in 1939
Supporting Forces
- Luftwaffe
- 1st Air Fleet - Supporting Army Group South.
- 4th Air Fleet - Supporting Army Group North.
- Kriegsmarine - Navy Group East
- Battleship "Schleswig-Holstein".
- Battleship "Schleisen".
See also
External links
- Order of Battle Fall "Weiß" 1.September 1939 (http://chrito.users1.50megs.com/kstn/okh/1sept1939.htm)