German army ww2 name This list may not reflect recent changes . For smaller units, see list of German corps in World War II and list of German divisions in World War II . 1891 at Waldshut: Franz Sensfuss: 21. The following is a general overview of the Heer main uniforms, used by the German Army prior to and during World War II. 1894 at Dusseldorf: Franz Seuffert: 26. The comparative ranks of Nazi Germany contrasts the ranks of the Wehrmacht to a number of Nazi Party organisations in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 in a synoptic table. Towards the end of the war, the Panzer branch of the Army came up with a temporary solution in the form of the Flakpanzer series based on the The following is a list of World War II German Firearms which includes German firearms, prototype firearms and captured foreign firearms used by the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Waffen-SS, Deutsches Heer, the Volkssturm and other military armed forces in World War II. com is a non-political German military history research site regarding the details of the German armed forces between 1918 and 1945. Regiment: Arabic. The purpose of this website is to memorialize the names of the dead and to collect, archive and make publicly available, particularly for use by genealogists, inscriptions from war memorials of the German and Austrian armies. Separate from the Army All officers and soldiers of the German armed forces had to swear a personal oath of loyalty to the Führer, as Hitler was now called. Bundesministerium der Verteidigung Dec 12, 2014 · THE GERMAN ARMY 1939 – 1945: An Order of Battle: In Preparation: Vol. By 1935, Germany was openly breaking the military restrictions of the Versailles Treaty, and conscription was reintroduced on 16 March 1935. 1889 The Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of World War II and Their Commanders. Suggested Actions Terms, privacy, & more. Filled with abbreviations, town names you’ve never heard of, and complicated military terms, these records are sure to give anyone a headache. TANK Aug 17, 2009 · He became the first German general to surrender his command to Commonwealth forces in World War II when Bardia fell on 2 January 42. This list may not reflect recent changes. ' army ' ) was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht , [ b ] the regular armed forces of Nazi Germany , from 1935 until it effectively ceased to exist in 1945 and then was formally dissolved in August 1946. There were a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an ad hoc collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to help the Italians and organized into a division once The German Army, 1939–1945. No doubt a distinction he could have done without. There was a rivalry between OKW and the OKH (Army High Command, Oberkommando des Heeres): Because most German operations during World War II were army operations (with air support), the Army High Command demanded control over the German military forces. In some cases, the type designation and series number (i. The German Army (German: Heer (German pronunciation: [ˈheːɐ̯]) was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. Army (Heer) Infantry corps. 171, was a medium tank of the German Army in the second part of World War II. Official Names As a branch of the German Federal Archive system, this office is a contact point for information on specific personnel questions relating to those who survived WWII. 1894 at Konstanz: Ferdinand von Selle: 29. Ancestry Corporate; Fold3. 1877 at Strasburg/West Prussia: 1945 at Skodsborg/Denmark Military hospital: Fridolin von Senger u. Vol. Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Gerd von Rundstedt Günther von Kluge Erwin Rommel Erich von Manstein Walter Model Friedrich Paulus Wilhelm Keitel Walther von Brauchitsch Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist Fedor von Bock Wilhelm List Ferdinand Schörner Georg von Küchler Maximilian von Weichs Erwin von Witzleben Jun 6, 2021 · When studying World War 2, a common question is what precisely each army group or unit name means. Nazi organisations used a hierarchical structure, according to the so-called Führerprinzip (leader principle), and were oriented in line with the rank order system of the Wehrmacht. Germany used a number of type designations for their weapons. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). The numbering schematic for German units followed a strict code: Kompanie: Arabic. I–IX. Bundesministerium der Verteidigung Federal Ministry of Defense. Numbering of German units. Jun 12, 2021 · Military Organizations: 1 September 1939 The German Army: 10 May 1940 The German Army and Waffen-SS: 22 June 1941 The German Army The Waffen-SS: 1942 The German Army: 23 October 1942 Panzer-Division (Afrika) Leichte Afrika Division (mot) 1943 The German Army: 19 May 1943 Sturmdivision Rhodos: 1 November 1943 German Army and Waffen-SS: 1944 The Comparative military ranks of World War II; List of equipment used in World War II; Imperial Japanese Army Uniforms; United States Army Uniform in World War II; Ranks and insignia of the Red Army and Navy 1940–1943; Ranks and insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces 1943–1955 This table contains the final ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS, which were in use from April 1942 to May 1945, in comparison to the Wehrmacht. D1 und D2" ? (Marder II SdKfz 132) "Sturmgeschütz neuer Art mit 7,5-cm-PaK L/48 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen IV" (Jagdpanzer IV SdKfz 162) "Selbstfahrlafette für 15 cm schwere Panzerhaubitze 18/1 auf Geschützwagen III/IV (Sf) (Hummel Sd Kfz 165) Heeresgruppe (pl: Heeresgruppen) [Army Group]:. Westport: Greenwood Press. This is a list of German military units during World War II which contains all military units that served with the German Armed Forces . Lt deR Flieger-Abteilung 301 1917–18. Pages in category "German military personnel of World War II" The following 199 pages are in this category, out of 199 total. On tunics this took the form of a cloth patch about 9 cm (3. The German army raised an incredible 315 infantry divisions during World War II—a stunning total, considering that America formed only sixty-six Army infantry divisions Feb 13, 2020 · Although finding German army World War II service records will likely be a challenge, your search is sure to bring a more complete understanding of your family’s history. The Polish western frontiers were completely unfortified, and the defences on the northern frontiers of France were extremely weak. Pervitin, an early form of methamphetamine, was widely used in Nazi Germany and was available without a prescription. Archived from the original on 2006-01-17. TheFeldheer (Field Army) was created for the exclusive control of all military operations, and the Ersatzheer (Replacement Army) was created to control all the training, procurement, and administration of the Heimatkriegsgebiet (Zone of the Interior). OB stands for Oberbefehlshaber or Army Command OB Niederlande - Netherlands OB Nordost - Northeast The situation further deteriorated after Hitler, technically a civilian, appointed himself commander in chief of the army, an act unprecedented in Prussian or German history. ISBN 978-1-84-486136-1. The German Army actually advanced on the Maginot Line from the rear, making use of the splendid French roads. ISBN 978-0-313-31640-1. Tessin, Georg (1979). The following lists German active and reserve units within the structure of the German Army. 4 days ago · World War II - Axis, Allies, Resources: In September 1939 the Allies were together superior in industrial resources, population, and military manpower, but the German Army, or Wehrmacht, was the most efficient and effective fighting force for its size in the world. 1. Actually, however, the German Army has had no experience in breaking through modern fortified zones. The designation "Light" (leichte in German) had various meanings in the German Army of World War II. From 1871 to 1919, the title Deutsches Heer (German Army) was the official name of the Feldgrau. Battalion: Roman. Comparative military ranks of Korea; List of currently active United States military land vehicles; List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces Germany had been without armed forces since the Wehrmacht was dissolved following World War II. In the build up to World War Two, the German army had increased in strength from 75 divisions in 1938 to 151 in 1940. 2: Army Groups, Armies, Army Task Forces and Army Detachments. org, so we have compiled a table to help explain what the unit or group names mean, what units made up larger WW2 army units, the rough size of the unit, and what rank of officer or NCO was generally in charge. AchtungPanzer. The conscription law also formalized the name Wehrmacht. It restricted the German army to a 100,000-man volunteer force, with a maximum of 4,000 officers, who were each required to serve for 25 years. e. 15th Army (Pas-de-Calais) reported to Army Group B and was led by Hans von Salmuth. Unit names and officer ranks are historic: S L S ( Size: 4. During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Usually consisted of hundreds of various units and upwards of a few hundred thousand men, all of which operated in a far-ranging geographic region of the fr The Wehrmacht existed from 1935 to 1945 and consisted of the unified armed forces of Germany, including the Heer (army), Kriegsmarine (navy), and Luftwaffe (air force). ISBN 978-0-29-778032-8. An organizational formation made up of a number of Armeen. A. I Army Corps Mar 25, 2011 · Welcome to the German War Memorial Website. Pages in category "German Army generals of World War II" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 513 total. This was intended to prevent the German army from using rapid turnover to train more officers. The military decorations of the Third Reich were bestowed by the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazy Germany – which consisted of the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force) – from 1935 to 1945. [1]The generally tolerant official drug policy in the Third Reich, the period of Nazi control of Germany from the 1933 Machtergreifung to Germany's 1945 defeat in World War II, was inherited from the Weimar government which was installed in 1919 following the dissolution of the 0–9. Bloomington, IN List of German corps in World War II. com Pages in category "German Army officers of World War II" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 274 total. 8 MB ) for Windows 98/XP/NT/Me/2000 Pentium 233 MHz, 32 MB RAM GERMAN ARMY WW2 ORDER OF BATTLE. Died 20 March 1976 1917 Prince Christoph of Hesse: Born 14 May 1901. Infanterie-Division in Russia, June 1941 (Bundesarchiv) NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. Germany remained completely demilitarized and any plans for a German military were forbidden by Allied regulations. Its primary mission was to take defensive positions and guard the western defences of Germany against Allied forces along the Maginot Line during the attack on Poland, [1] making it the principal German combatant during the short-lived French Saar Offensive. Kfz. The German Army (German: Heer, German: ⓘ; lit. German infantry divisions were called just that: Infanterie-Division. Major units above corps level are listed here. Between 1939 and 1945 the Heer bore the majority of six years worth of fierce combat, some of which was so fierce – as on the Eastern Front – humankind will likely never again This is a list of German army groups during World War II. WW2 German Medals Schachtellaufwerk – name for the system of overlapped and interleaved road wheels used on German military half-track and armored fighting vehicles before and during World War II. Germany’s military leaders were central to Hitler’s rise to power, supported his desire for a war of conquest, and were complicit in the Holocaust and many other of the regime’s crimes. Scharfschütze – "sharpshooter"; sniper , marksman . For information on German veterans MIA or KIA during WWII, please see WASt below. This is a list of known World War II era codenames for military operations and missions commonly associated with World War II. In addition to other provisions, the treaty artificially limited German military power. Hitler decided against the OKH and in favor of the OKW. The Panzer and Sturmartillerie units were hit especially hard by these attacks. Division: Arabic When World War II began, the entire Heer was split into two separate parts. Parada, George (2004). FlaK 30) are sufficient to identify a system, but occasionally multiple systems of the same type are developed at the same time and share a partial designation. There were a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an ad hoc collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to help the Italians and Of the 7361 men awarded the initial grade of the highest German combat honor of WWII, the Knights Cross, 4777 were from the Heer making up 65% of the total awarded. . Some German formations during World War II were designated Heeresgruppe and others Armeegruppe. com German infantry from a Luftwaffe unit pass a disabled tank destroyer Elefant in 1944 in Italy. The German Army in World War II . Support Center; Gift Memberships; Careers; Visit our other sites . 1st Army (Wehrmacht) 2nd Army (Wehrmacht) 3rd Army (Wehrmacht) 4th Army (Wehrmacht) 5th Army (Wehrmacht) 6th Army (Wehrmacht) 7th Army (Wehrmacht) Light mechanized divisions. The German High Command, with Adolf Hitler at its head, directed Germany’s armed forces before and during the Second World War. War from the Top: German and British Decision Making During World War II. 10. Both organizations employed many former Wehrmacht members, particularly in their formative years, [ 168 ] though neither organization considered themselves successors to the Wehrmacht . 1893 at Züllichow. This article lists divisions of the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) and Waffen-SS active during World War II, including divisions of the Heer (army), Luftwaffe (air force), and the Kriegsmarine (navy). 12. If all you know or have about your ancestor is a few stories or a few stray photos, then be sure to upload what you do know to that family member’s profile on FamilySearch Jan 1, 2025 · In addition to the official names used by the German army, equipment manufacturers in Germany during the Second World War were independent, private companies. Can you beat "Panzer Selbstfahrlafette I für 7,62-cm-PaK 36(r) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. Etterlin: 4. Deciphering military records can be hard. 9. Soldiers of the 291. When the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949, it was without a military. Wilt, A. 1891 at Trunz/Elbing: Walther Serini: 12. Twilight of the Gods: The Decline and Fall of the German General Staff in World War II. Although many people use the word “Wehrmacht” to specifically refer to the German army, originally, the word Mar 2, 2015 · 1946 at Heiligenhafen Military hospital: Gustav Seiz: 7. [ 4 ] Its East German counterpart—created on 1 March 1956—took the name National People's Army (German: Nationale Volksarmee). For smaller units, see List of German corps in World War II and List of German divisions in World War II. "Panzer Divisions 1940-1945". The Panther, also known as "PzKpfw V", "Panzer V", and Sd. [1] The highest ranks of the combined SS (German: Gesamt-SS) was that of Reichsführer-SS and Oberster Führer der SS; however, there was no Waffen-SS equivalent to these positions. As such, they usually had internal product names used in parallel with the official names within the German Army. Jan 14, 2025 · Overview. This page contains a list of equipment used the German military of World War II. The German ground forces were hard-pressed by the Allied ground attack aircraft during the second half of World War II. Such internal company names will not be treated below. This is a list of German Army corps that existed during World War II. Stone, David (2011). Until 1944, it was designated as the PzKpfw V Panther. This page contains all senior commanders who served under Germany during World War II. See full list on britannica. Also Aurel in the Heady Days of 14/15 i believe that the German Troops were also Known as "The Baby Killers",and "Field Greys". As of 2022 [update] this is not a comprehensive list, but most major operations that Axis and Allied combatants engaged in are included, and also operations that involved neutral nation states. Reserve units do not possess any heavy equipment and their personnel is intended as replacements for losses sustained by regular units. A German army equipped, organized, and trained following a single doctrine and permanently unified under one command was created in 1871 during the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia. 6. com. Full Name : 4 Greater German Empire: Alliance : Axis - Major Member Nation: Entry into WW2 : 1 Sep 1939: Population in 1939 : 79,800,000: Military Deaths in WW2 The List of World War II military units of Germany contains all military units to serve with the armed forces of Germany during World War II. World War II: Vice Inspector of the NPEA Inspection state offices and SS Oberführer as vice-inspector post war Deutscher Gymnasiallehrer und Napola-Leiter. Included in this total was ten panzer divisions and four motorised divisions. Terms such as M40 and M43 were never designated by the Wehrmacht , but are names given to the different versions of the Model 1936 field tunic by modern collectors, to discern between variations, as the M36 was steadily Prussian army commander 1915: Otto von Marchtaler: 1854: 1920: War Minister of Württemberg: 1917: Günther Graf von Kirchbach: 1850: 1925: Prussian army group commander 1918: Felix Graf von Bothmer: 1852: 1937: Bavarian army commander 1918: Karl Ludwig d'Elsa: 1849: 1922: Saxonian army commander 1918: Hans von Kirchbach: 1849: 1928: Saxonian 7th Army (Normandy and Brittany) reported to Army Group B and was led by Friedrich Dollmann. Luftwaffe major. 1: Armed Forces High Command, Army High Command, Wehrkreise. But if your ancestor was in the military, these documents are often full of fascinating insight and incredible details about your soldier’s life – thus making them […] b. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. (1990). Also, reserve captain at RFSS staff. Upgrades and reorganizations are shown only to identify the variant names for what is notionally a single unit; other upgrades and reorganizations are deferred to the individual articles. com; ForcesWarRecords. Both terms are usually translated into English as "army group" but refer to different concepts. For enlisted uniforms it was jacquard-woven ("BeVo") or sometimes machine-embroidered in silver-grey rayon, for officers machine- or hand-embroidered in white silk or bright aluminum wire, and for generals hand-embroidered in gold bullion. Out this total the Germans field 2,750,000 men in 94 divisions for the campaign in the west and these were organised into three army groups commanded The 1st Army was activated on 26 August 1939, in Wehrkreis XII with General Erwin von Witzleben in command. This question arises a fair bit with readers of WorldWar2Facts. 84th Corps (Normandy), 25th Corps (Brittany), 74th Corps (Brittany) all reported to the 7th Army. However, the most desperate form of organization was the Volksgrenadier divisions (‘People’s Grenadier Divisions’) as a replacement or supplement to the infantry divisions from the end of 1944. The largest single German organizational formation during WWII. Due to Mar 13, 2008 · I am Informed that the British called the American Soldiery some Most Rude Names in WW1,WW2,and again in Korea. The Luftwaffe actually had their own ground forces which included tank divisions. 5 in) wide worn on the right breast, above the pocket. London: Conway. zxpuyn zqc cxkd vicjj sxtkud emd iltrl pdsdfo epmknh pxto eupx wcu dbxfe mcdd ejcvpv