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296th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 296th Infantry Division () was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. History The 296th Infantry Division was formed on 5 February 1940 as a division of the eighth ''Aufstellungswelle'' in the Passau-Deggendorf area in Wehrkreis XIII. Its initial regiments were the Infantry Regiment 519, 520, 521, as well as Artillery Regiment 296 "Reichsgründung". The initial commander of the 296th Infantry Division was Wilhelm Stemmermann, appointed on 1 January 1941. Between the summer of 1940 and the spring of 1941, the 296th Infantry Division was stationed in the Lille area. Between June 1941 and July 1944, the 296th Infantry Division fought on the Eastern Front. Between June and September 1941, the division served under Army Group South, and was then transferred to Army Group Center, where it remained until its destruction in 1944. The division fought at the Battle of Kiev between August and September 1941 and then advanced via Tula towards Oryol, where it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Army (Wehrmacht)
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the German Air Force, ''Luftwaffe'' (German Air Force). , the German Army had a strength of 63,047 soldiers. History Overview 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. From 1871 to 1919, the title ''German Army (German Empire), Deutsches Heer'' (German Army) was the official name of the German land forces. Following the German defeat in World War I and the end of the German Empire, the main army was dissolved. From 1921 to 1935 the name of the German land forces was the ''Reichswehr, Reichsheer'' (Army of the Realm) and from 1935 to 1945 the name ''German Army (We ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre () was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created during the planning of Operation Barbarossa, Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, as one of the three German Army formations assigned to the invasion. After Army Group North was trapped in the Courland Pocket in mid-1944, it was renamed to Army Group Courland and the first Army Group Centre was renamed "Army Group North". The second iteration of Army Group Centre was formed by the redesignation of Army Group A as the replacement for the first Army Group Centre. Formation and Command The army group was officially created by Adolf Hitler when he issued Führer Directive 21 on 18 December 1940, ordering German forces to prepare for an attack on Soviet Russia in 1941. The first commanding officer of Army Group Centre was Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, who would lead it until he was relieved on 18 December 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
17th Army (Wehrmacht)
The German Seventeenth Army () was a field army of Nazi Germany during World War II. Operation Barbarossa On 22 June 1941, the 17th Army was part of Army Group South when Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union. From 1 July, the Hungarian "Mobile Corps" (''Gyorshadtest'') was subordinated to the 17th Army. Along with 1st Panzer Army, the 17th Army encircled Soviet forces in central Ukraine during the Battle of Uman. Approximately 100,000 Soviet troops were captured. The 17th Army participated in the Battle of Kiev (1941), Battle of Kiev. Army Group South was ordered to resume the offensive, with the objective of capturing Rostov-on-Don, the gateway to the Caucasus oil fields, and Kharkov, a major center of heavy industry for the Soviet Union. In October 1941, the army came under the command of Hermann Hoth, who was convicted post-war in the High Command Trial. Hoth was an active supporter of the Eastern Front (World War II), war of annihilation (') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
XXIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht)
German XXIII. Corps (XXIII. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. Commanders * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Erich Raschick, April 1939 – 26 October 1939 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Albrecht Schubert, 26 October 1939 – 25 July 1942 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Carl Hilpert, 25 July 1942 – 19 January 1943 * Colonel-General (''Generaloberst'') Johannes Frießner, 19 January 1943 – 7 December 1943 * Panzer General (''General der Panzertruppe'') Hans Freiherr von Funck, 7 December 1943 – 2 February 1944 * Pioneer General (''General der Pioniere'') Otto Tiemann, 2 February 1944 – 12 October 1944 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Walter Melzer, 12 October 1944 – 8 May 1945 Area of operations * West Wall – September 1939 – June 1941 * Eastern Front, central sector – June 1941 – May 1945 See also * List of German corps in World W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
16th Army (Wehrmacht)
The 16th Army () was a World War II field army of the Wehrmacht. History It took part in the Battle of France. It was then deployed with Army Group North during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It fought its way into northern Russia where in January 1942 part of it was encircled by the Soviets near Demyansk. Hitler forbade a withdrawal and the Army was re-supplied by air until a land corridor was opened in April 1942. It was subsequently involved in the Siege of Leningrad. The Soviets relieved Leningrad in January 1944. On February 19, 1944, the Soviet 2nd Baltic Front launched a fresh set of attacks against the German 16th Army around Kholm. The Soviet 22nd Army (Soviet Union), 22nd Army made good progress in the initial assault. These attacks greatly diminished the 16th Army. It, along with the 18th Army was cut off in the Courland Peninsula when the Soviets launched their Operation Bagration, summer and autumn offensives of 1944. It stayed trappe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
V Army Corps (Wehrmacht)
V Army Corps (V. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army during World War II. Commanders * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Hermann Geyer, 16 May 1935 – 30 April 1939 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Richard Ruoff, 1 May 1939 – 1 June 1942 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Wilhelm Wetzel, 1 June 1942 – 1 July 1943 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Karl Allmendinger, 1 July 1943 – 1 May 1944 * Lieutenant-General (''Generalleutnant'') Hermann Böhme, 1 May 1944 – 4 May 1944 * Lieutenant-General (''Generalleutnant'') Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller, 4 May 1944 – 2 June 1944 * Infantry General (''General der Infanterie'') Dr. Franz Beyer, 2 June 1944 – 19 July 1944 * Artillery General (''General der Artillerie'') Dr. Ing. Kurt Wäger, 26 January 1945 – 8 May 1945 First formation The V corps was formed a Corps level formation of the 17th Army assigned to Army Group So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. Belgium covers an area of and has a population of more than 11.8 million; its population density of ranks List of countries and dependencies by population density, 22nd in the world and Area and population of European countries, sixth in Europe. The capital and Metropolitan areas in Belgium, largest metropolitan region is City of Brussels, Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven. Belgium is a parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a complex Federation, federal system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country is divided into three highly autonomous Communities, regions and language areas o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Army Group A
Army Group A () was the name of three distinct army groups of the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'', the ground forces of the ''Wehrmacht'', during World War II. The first Army Group A, previously known as "Army Group South", was active from October 1939 to June 1941 and notably served in the Battle of France as the decisive army group in the implementation of the "Manstein Plan, Sickle Cut" military plan that inflicted crushing subsequent defeats on the French armed forces at occasions such as the Battle of Sedan (1940), Battle of Sedan, Battle of Boulogne and Battle of Dunkirk and that ultimately led to the Armistice of 22 June 1940. Army Group A was subsequently used in the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, German occupation of France and temporarily became the first Oberbefehlshaber West in German-occupied France. It was eventually replaced in this function by Army Group D and redeployed to German-occupied Poland in preparation for Operatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
9th Army (Wehrmacht)
The 9th Army () was a World War II German 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 Army Group Center for the invasion of the Soviet Union. During the initial phase of Operation Barbarossa the 4th Army formed the Southern pincer of a massive encirclement of Soviet troops deployed at Białystok, with the German 9th Army forming the Northern pincer. It continued its advance, and soon launched another pincer movement of Soviet troops at Smolensk. Even though successful in encircling Soviet troops, many Soviet troops escaped the pockets due to the large distances it had to secure. Hitler then sent the Panzer forces from Army Group Center to the northern and southern fronts to inflict s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
XIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht)
XIII Army Corps ( German: ''XIII. Armeekorps'') was a corps of the German Army during World War II. Made up of several divisions, which varied from time to time, it was formed in Nuremberg on 1 October 1937. Soon after the general mobilisation of August, 1939 the corps was engaged in the Polish campaign. Made up of the 10th, 17th, and 221st Infantry, it was part of the 8th Army. After the decisive German victory at the Battle of the Bzura, the Corps was transferred to the 16th Army in the Trier area of western Germany. During the Invasion of France the following year the corps advanced to the River Meuse through Luxembourg in May, 1940. Reassigned to the 16th Army in the Champagne district they had reached Chalons-sur-Saône by the time of the Armistice. In July XIII Corps was moved to northern France to take a leading role in the planned, and then abandoned, Operation Sealion, the invasion of England. Instead they were moved to the Netherlands. In May 1941 they were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oberkommando Des Heeres
The (; abbreviated OKH) was the high command of the Army of Nazi Germany. It was founded in 1935 as part of Adolf Hitler's rearmament of Germany. OKH was ''de facto'' the most important unit within the German war planning until the defeat at Moscow in December 1941. During World War II, OKH had the responsibility of strategic planning of Armies and Army Groups. The General Staff of the OKH managed operational matters. Each German Army also had an Army High Command ( or AOK). The Armed Forces High Command () then took over this function for theatres other than the Eastern front. The OKH commander held the title of Commander-in-chief of the Army (). After the Battle of Moscow, the OKH commander Field marshal Walther von Brauchitsch was removed from office, and Hitler appointed himself as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. From 1938, OKH was, together with () and () formally subordinated to the . OKH vs OKW OKH had been independent until February 1938, when Hitler creat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gomel
Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest towns in Belarus, second-largest city in Belarus, with 501,193 inhabitants. Etymology There are at least six narratives of the origin of the city's name. The most plausible is that the name is derived from the name of the stream Homeyuk, which flowed into the Sozh river, river Sozh near the foot of the hill where the first settlement was founded. Names of other Belarusian cities are formed along these lines: for example, Polotsk from the river Palata (river), Palata, and Vitebsk from the river Vitsba. The first appearance of the name, as "Gomy", dates from 1142. Up to the 16th century, the city was mentioned as Hom', Homye, Homiy, Homey, or Homyi. These forms are tentatively explained as derivatives of unattested ''*gomŭ'' of uncertain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
