11th SS Panzer Army
| 11th SS Panzer Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | November 1944 – February 1945 |
| Country |  Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Army |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Felix Steiner |
The 11th SS Panzer Army (SS-Panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11) was little more than a paper army formed in February 1945 by Heinrich Himmler while he was commander of Army Group Vistula. (The army was officially listed as the 11th Army but it was also known as SS Panzer-Armeeoberkommando 11[1] and is often referred to in English sources as the 11th SS Panzer Army.)
Military historian Antony Beevor writes that when the 11th SS Panzer Army was created the available units at best could constitute a corps, but 'panzer army', observed Hans-Georg Eismann, 'has a better ring to it'. It also allowed Himmler to promote SS officers to senior staff and field commands within the formation. Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner was named its commander.[2]
After taking part in Operation Solstice east of the Oder River in February 1945, the army was assigned to OB West and reorganized in March 1945. Many of the units formerly subordinated to the 11th SS Panzer Army were transferred to the 3rd Panzer Army and other units were assigned to the 11th Army for operations against the Western Allies.
In early April, the 11th Army was assigned to strike west from Kassel to break the ring encircling the Ruhr pocket. After launching a few small hopeless and unsuccessful attacks against the American 3rd Army, the 11th Army retreated to the Harz Mountains[3]
After defending the Weser River and the Harz Mountains, the 11th surrendered to the Western Allies on 21 April.[1]
Orders of battle
February 1945
By 5 February the 11th SS Panzer Army, subordinated to Army Group Vistula, had the following units assigned to it:[1]
- Tettau Corps Group:
- Köslin
- Bärwalde
- X SS Corps
5th Jäger-Division- Division Nr 402
- Munzel Corps Group:
- III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps:
- XXXIX Panzer Corps
- HQ, Wehrkreis II as corps-level field command (stellv. II):
- Swinemünde Defensive Region
- Division Deneke
9th Parachute Division
- Direct army command
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March 1945
By 1 March the 11th SS Panzer Army, subordinated to Army Group Vistula, had no units assigned to it.[1]
April 1945
By 12 April the 11th SS Panzer Army was directly subordinated to OB West and had the following units assigned to it.[1]
- LXVII Army Corps:
- Kampfgruppe Fellner
- Division Ettner
- Division Heidenreich
- Division Grosskreuz
- Stellv. IX:
- LXVI Army Corps:
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See also
- Eastern Frontearlier in the war.
- Army Detachment Steiner fought in the Battle of Berlin, and because Steiner commanded that paper army it can easily be confused with the 11th SS Panzer Army.
References
- Tessin, Georg. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939 - 1945 Volume 3
- Beevor, Antony. Berlin: The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5
Footnotes