12th Army Group
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The Twelfth United States Army Group was the largest and most powerful
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
formation ever to take to the field, commanding four field armies at its peak in 1945:
First United States Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kore ...
, Third United States Army,
Ninth United States Army The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM). Activated just eight weeks bef ...
and
Fifteenth United States Army The Fifteenth United States Army, commonly known as Fifteenth Army, was a field army of the United States in the European Theater of World War II. It was the last United States field army to see service in northwestern Europe during the war a ...
. Formed eight days after the
Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
, it initially controlled the First and the Third US Armies. Through various configurations in 1944 and 1945, the Twelfth US Army Group controlled the majority of American forces on the Western Front. It was commanded by General
Omar Bradley Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and over ...
with its headquarters established in London on 14 July 1944. During the first week of the Normandy landings and the
Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
, Bradley's First US Army formed the right wing of the Allied lines. They were joined during July by the Third US Army, under the command of General George S. Patton, to form the Twelfth Army Group. Twelfth Army Group became operational in France on 1 August 1944. With General Omar Bradley assuming command of the Twelfth Army Group, Lieutenant General Courtney Hodges assumed command of the First Army. Until 1 September 1944, when
General Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
assumed overall command of the Allied land forces in
Northwest Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...
, the U.S. forces in Normandy were included with the
British Second Army The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...
and the First Canadian Army in the British headquarters formation 21st Army Group, commanded by General Montgomery. After the breakout from the beach-head at Normandy, the Twelfth Army Group formed the center of the Allied forces on the Western Front. To the north was the British 21st Army Group (the First Canadian and British Second)) and, to the south, advancing from their
landing Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or ...
on the Mediterranean coast, was the
Sixth United States Army Group The 6th United States Army Group was an Allied Army Group that fought in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Made up of field armies from both the United States Army and the French Army, it fought in France, Germany, A ...
( Seventh United States Army and
French First Army The First Army (french: 1re Armée) was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War. First World War On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the ch ...
). As the Twelfth advanced through Germany in 1945, it grew to control four United States field armies: the First, the Third, the Ninth and the
Fifteenth In music, a fifteenth or double octave, abbreviated ''15ma'', is the interval between one musical note and another with one-quarter the wavelength or quadruple the frequency. It has also been referred to as the bisdiapason. The fourth harmonic, ...
. By
V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
, the Twelfth Army Group was a force that numbered over 1.3 million men.CSI REPORT No. 6, Larger units: Theater Army – Army Group – Field Army, Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 198

/ref> Twelfth Army Group was disbanded on 12 July 1945 upon the departure of General Bradley to become Director of the
Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...
. Its subordinate elements then became directly subordinate to
United States Army Europe United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...
.


Order of Battle – 8 May 1945

* 12th Army Group – General Omar N. Bradley ** First Army – General Courtney H. Hodges *** 78th Infantry Division – Major General Edwin P. Parker Jr. *** VII Corps – Lieutenant General J. Lawton Collins **** 9th Infantry Division – Major General Louis A. Craig **** 9th Armored Division – Major General John W. Leonard **** 69th Infantry Division – Major General Emil F. Reinhardt **** 104th Infantry Division – Major General
Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. Major general (United States), Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. (April 1, 1888 – September 12, 1969) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Allen was a decorated W ...
** Third Army – General George S. Patton, Jr. *** 1st Infantry Division – Major General Clift Andrus *** 2nd Infantry Division – Major General Walter M. Robertson *** 70th Infantry Division – Major General Allison J. Barnett *** 97th Infantry Division – Brigadier General Milton B. Halsey *** III Corps – Major General
James Van Fleet General James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and gradu ...
**** 4th Infantry Division – Major General Harold W. Blakeley **** 14th Armored Division – Major General Albert C. Smith ****
99th Infantry Division The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...
– Major General Walter E. Lauer *** V Corps – Major General Clarence R. Huebner **** 16th Armored Division – Brigadier General John L. Pierce *** XII Corps – Major General Stafford LeRoy Irwin **** 4th Armored Division – Major General William M. Hoge **** 5th Infantry Division – Major General Albert E. Brown **** 11th Armored Division – Major General Holmes E. Dager **** 26th Infantry Division – Major General Willard S. Paul ****
90th Infantry Division 90th Division may refer to: ;Infantry * 90th Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1949–1950 * 90th Division (2nd Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1950–1952 * 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) * 90th Infantry Divi ...
– Major General Herbert L. Earnest *** XX Corps – Major General Walton H. Walker **** 13th Armored Division – Major General John Millikin **** 65th Infantry Division – Major General Stanley E. Reinhart **** 71st Infantry Division – Major General Willard G. Wyman **** 80th Infantry Division – Major General Horace L. McBride ** Ninth Army – Lieutenant General William H. Simpson *** 2nd Armored Division – Major General Isaac D. White *** VIII Corps – Major General Troy H. Middleton ****
6th Armored Division The 6th Armored Division ("Super Sixth") was an armored division of the United States Army during World War II. It was formed with a cadre from the 2nd Armored Division. History The division was activated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox ...
– Major General Robert W. Grow **** 76th Infantry Division – Major General William R. Schmidt **** 87th Infantry Division – Major General Frank L. Culin Jr. **** 89th Infantry Division – Major General Thomas D. Finley *** XIII Corps – Major General Alvan C. Gillem, Jr. **** 30th Infantry Division – Major General Leland S. Hobbs **** 35th Infantry Division – Major General Paul W. Baade **** 83rd Infantry Division – Major General Robert C. Macon **** 84th Infantry Division – Major General Alexander R. Bolling **** 102nd Infantry Division – Major General Frank A. Keating *** XVI Corps – Major General John B. Anderson **** 29th Infantry Division – Major General Charles H. Gerhardt **** 75th Infantry Division – Major General Ray E. Porter **** 79th Infantry Division – Major General Ira T. Wyche **** 95th Infantry Division – Major General Harry L. Twaddle *** XIX Corps – Major General Raymond S. McLain **** 3rd Armored Division – Brigadier General Doyle O. Hickey **** 8th Armored Division – Major General John M. Devine ** Fifteenth Army – Lieutenant General Leonard T. Gerow *** 66th Infantry Division – Major General Herman F. Kramer *** 106th Infantry Division – Major General Donald A. Stroh ***
XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
– Major General Matthew B. Ridgway **** 5th Armored Division – Major General
Lunsford E. Oliver Major General Lunsford Errett Oliver (March 17, 1889 – October 13, 1978) was a senior United States Army officer, who commanded the 5th Armored Division during World War II. Early life and military career Lunsford Errett Oliver was born on ...
**** 7th Armored Division – Major General
Robert W. Hasbrouck Robert W. Hasbrouck (February 2, 1896 - August 19, 1985) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general and was a recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, ...
**** 8th Infantry Division – Major General Bryant E. Moore **** 82nd Airborne Division – Major General James M. Gavin **** 101st Airborne Division – Major General William C. Lee *** XXII Corps – Major General Ernest N. Harmon ****
17th Airborne Division The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley. It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1 ...
– Major General William M. Miley **** 94th Infantry Division – Major General Harry J. Malony *** XXIII Corps – Major General Hugh J. Gaffey **** 28th Infantry Division – Major General Norman D. Cota Source: Bradley, Omar, ''A Soldier's Story'', New York: Henry Holt and Company (1950), pp. 557–561


References and notes


External links


Military situation maps produced by the Engineering Section of the 12th Army Group
– Library of Congress
Omar Nelson Bradley, Lt. General FUSAG 12TH AG
– Omar Bradley's D-Day June 6, 1944 Maps restored, preserved and displayed at Historical Registry {{Authority control 12 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945