9th Army (Wehrmacht)

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9th Army
German army ( Wehrmacht)
TypeField army
Size10 August 1942: 352,867[1]
1 July 1943: 334,552[2]
1 January 1945: 110,930[3]: 504 
EngagementsWorld War II

The 9th Army (German: 9. Armee) was a World War II field army. It was activated on 15 May 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command.

History

1940

The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line during its involvement in the invasion of France. It was kept as a strategic reserve and saw little combat.

1941

By 1941, the 9th Army was heavily strengthened and was deployed with

Hitler
then sent the Panzer forces from Army Group Center to the northern and southern fronts to inflict severe economic damage to the Soviet Union. The 9th Army remained static from late July 1941 until October 1941 when Hitler finally decided to launch his long-awaited attack on Moscow.

In front of Moscow were two elaborate defensive lines: the first was 251 km long in front of Vyazma and the second on Mozhaysk. The 9th Army struck from the north, out-flanking the Vyazma defensive line and, along with the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies, encircling Soviet forces at Vyazma. This would prove to be the last major encirclement operation launched by the 9th Army.

The 9th Army was placed on the northern flank as the German 2nd, 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies and the 4th Army would spearhead the offensive on Moscow. However, the attack failed due to the cold weather, a deteriorating supply situation, and stubborn Soviet resistance. The Germans suffered severe manpower losses and large parts of the 9th Army's troops were reallocated to the other depleted German Armies.

1942

The 9th Army remained in defensive positions in 1942, dug in 200 miles outside of Moscow as the Germans concentrated their offensive in Southern Russia. As the tide of the battle turned in Southern Russia, the Soviets launched Operation Mars, a major offensive against Army Group Center. The well dug in positions of Army Group Center defeated the Soviet offensive with heavy casualties.

1943

The Germans tried again in 1943 to regain the momentum in the Eastern Front by launching a massive pincer movement at the Kursk salient where 1/6th of all Soviet forces were deployed. The spearheads would be the German 9th Army and the 2nd Panzer Army from the north and the 4th Panzer Army along with Army Detachment Kempf from the south. The Soviets believed the heaviest blow would come from the north and massively reinforced the sector directly opposite 9th Army. By July 1943, the 9th Army had become the largest army ever fielded by the Germans even surpassing the much vaunted 6th Army with 335,000 men along with 600 tanks.

Leading the advance from the north, the 9th Army ran into powerful Soviet defenses, and it gained no more than 10 km on the first day.

railway station, which was needed to continue the advance towards Kursk. However, the Soviets had massively reinforced the town's defenses, which meant the attackers took very heavy losses. After a week of ferocious fighting, the 9th Army had gained just 20 km. After being unable to breach the enemy lines, the army was then forced to deal with the Soviet counter-offensive
which if not checked could have encircled the entire 9th Army. It fought a fighting withdrawal westwards throughout the remainder of 1943.

1944

By 1944, the 9th Army was exhausted, but it had received some badly needed reinforcements and was defending the area of

Bobruysk Offensive. The 9th Army suffered nearly 80,000 casualties during Bagration of which 65,000 were taken prisoner. Nearly 40% of the 9th Army was destroyed in the summer of 1944. The army was then rebuilt by German units redeployed from Italy and was involved in the defence of Warsaw
in autumn and winter of 1944.

1945

On 1 January 1945, the 9th Army (then under

45th, 337th), two panzer divisions (19th, 25th), the German garrison in Warsaw and an autonomous blockade brigade.[3]
: 504 

The Red Army crossed Germany's border on January 12, 1945, and forced the 9th Army to retreat all along the front until it was deployed westward to the river

Frankfurt Garrison) was the V SS Mountain Corps.[5]
In total the 9th Army was reduced to 100,000 men and 800 tanks and assault guns against which the Soviets had over 1,000,000 men and 10,000 tanks and assault guns.

The

Forest south of the Seelow Heights and west of Frankfurt an der Oder.[6]

From inside the pocket west of Frankfurt Busse attempted a breakout to the west to join up with the 12th Army. The breakout, known as the Battle of Halbe, resulted in the destruction of the Ninth Army as a coherent force. Troops that were not captured or killed by the Soviets crossed the Elbe at Tangermünde and surrendered to the US Army.

Commanders-in-chief

No. Portrait Commander Took office Left office Time in office
1
Johannes Blaskowitz
Blaskowitz, JohannesGeneraloberst
Johannes Blaskowitz
(1883–1948)		15 May 194029 May 194014 days
2
Adolf Strauß
Strauß, AdolfGeneraloberst
Adolf Strauß
(1879–1973)		30 May 194014 January 19421 year, 229 days
3
Walter Model
Model, WalterGeneralfeldmarschall
Walter Model
(1891–1945)		15 January 19423 November 19431 year, 292 days
4
Josef Harpe
Harpe, JosefGeneraloberst
Josef Harpe
(1887–1968)		4 November 194320 May 1944198 days
5
Hans Jordan
Jordan, HansGeneral der Infanterie
Hans Jordan
(1892–1975)		20 May 194426 June 194437 days
6
Nikolaus von Vormann
Vormann, NikolausGeneral der Panzertruppe
Nikolaus von Vormann
(1895–1959)		27 June 194431 August 194465 days
7
Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Lüttwitz, SmiloGeneral der Panzertruppe
Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz
(1895–1975)		1 September 194419 January 1945140 days
8
Theodor Busse
Busse, TheodorGeneralleutnant
Theodor Busse
(1897–1986)		20 January 19452 May 1945102 days

See also

References

Citations
  1. ^ Aussenstelle OKH/Gen. Qu. Befehlsstelle Mitte/Qu 1. Zahlengrundlagen. Stärken von 10.8.1942. Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv (BA-MA) RH 3//182, fol. 345.
  2. ^ Armeeoberkommando 9, Ia Nr. 4006/43 g. Kdos. Betr.: Iststärkemeldung aller im Armeebereich vorhandenen Einheiten und Dienstellen des Heeres. Stand: 1.7.43. NARA T312, R322, F7890946.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9783421062376
    .
  4. ^ v. Tippelskirch
  5. ^ Beevor, Antony. p.255
  6. ^ Beevor, Antony. p.267
Bibliography
  • Beevor, Antony. Berlin: The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002,
    ISBN 0-670-88695-5
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