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Colmar Pocket
The Colmar Pocket (; ) was the area held in central Alsace, France, by the German Nineteenth Army from November 1944 to February 1945, against the U.S. 6th Army Group (6th AG) during World War II. It was formed when 6th AG liberated southern and northern Alsace and adjacent eastern Lorraine, but could not clear central Alsace. During Operation Nordwind in December 1944, the 19th Army attacked north out of the Pocket in support of other German forces attacking south from the Saar into northern Alsace. In late January and early February 1945, the French First Army (reinforced by the U.S. XXI Corps) cleared the Pocket of German forces. Background Formation of the Pocket A German bridgehead on the west bank of the Rhine long and deep was isolated in November 1944 when the German defenses in the Vosges Mountains The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian (linguistics), Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its France–Germany border, border with G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks in World War II, Tanks and Air warfare of World War II, aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II is the List of wars by death toll, deadliest conflict in history, causing World War II casualties, the death of 70 to 85 million people, more than half of whom were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Allied-occupied Germany, Germany, Allied-occupied Austria, Austria, Occupation of Japan, Japan, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LXIV Army Corps (Wehrmacht)
The LXIV Corps (German: ''LXIV. Armeekorps'') was a corps-level command of the German Army on the Western Front during World War II. History It was created on 24 September 1942, in Military Region (''Wehrkreis'') VIII as the LXIV Reserve Corps with the mission of supervising reserve divisions assigned to OB West, the German high command in the west. Activated on 5 August 1944 and renamed the LXIV Corps.Tessin LXIV Corps was headquartered in the vicinity of Dijon from October 1942 until April 1944. During May and June 1944, the LXIV Corps Headquarters was located in northern France. In July 1944, the corps was sent to southwestern France near the Gironde Estuary. The following month, the LXIV corps had to retreat under difficult conditions to avoid being cut off by Allied units that had broken out of Normandy and other Allied forces that had invaded southern France. By September 1944, LXIV Corps had established a line of defense in the Vosges Mountains as part of the German N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
338th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 338th Infantry Division () was a division of the German Army in World War II. In 1944, the division was in southern France, and fought against the Western Allies in Operation Dragoon. Order of Battle 1944 *757th Fortress Grenadier Regiment (two battalions) *758th Fortress Grenadier Regiment (two battalions) *759th Fortress Grenadier Regiment (two battalions) *338th Artillery Regiment (three battalions) *338th Panzerjäger Battalion *338th Reconnaissance Battalion *338th Pioneer Battalion *338th Signals Battalion Commanders The following commanders commanded the 338th Infantry Division: * 10 Nov 1942 to 5 Jan 1944: Generalleutnant Josef Folttmann * 5 Jan 1944 to 18 Sep 1944: Generalleutnant René de l'Homme de Courbière * 18 Sep 1944 to Oct 1944: Generalmajor Hans Oschmann * Oct 1944: Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LXIII Corps (Germany)
The LXIII Army Corps () was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was formed in November 1944. History The LXIII Army Corps was formed on 14 November 1944 using the officer staff of '' Generalkommando Dehner'' in southern France. The initial corps commander of the LXIII Army Corps was Friedrich-August Schack. The corps was initially assigned to 19th Army (Friedrich Wiese) in the Upper Rhine area, initially under Army Group G ( Hermann Balck), between December 1944 and January 1945. On 13 December 1944, Schack was succeeded as corps commander by Erich Abraham. By 1945, the 19th Army under which LXIII Army Corps was placed had been moved from the supervision of Army Group G to the supervision of Army Group Upper Rhine (Heinrich Himmler). The corps was then moved to the 1st Parachute Army ( Alfred Schlemm) under Army Group H (Johannes Blaskowitz) in February and March 1945 and eventually the Army Detachment Lüttwitz ( Heinrich v. Lüttwitz) unde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
16th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)
The 16th Volksgrenadier Division (''16. Volksgrenadier-Division''; 16. VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army (''Heer'') during the Second World War, active from October 1944 to May 1945. History The 16th Volksgrenadier Division was established on 9 October 1944 from the remnants of the 16th Infantry Division, the 158th Reserve Division and the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division in the Vosges in France. She took part in the defensive battles between Langres and Epinal. On 2 February 1945, the division was in a defensive position in the area of Turckheim, but on 8 February was ordered to pull back across the Rhine over the bridge in Neuchatel to help defend the Westwall. On 15 March 1945, the expected attack by the French First Army and US VI Corps started and after resisting for one day the division was forced to pull back. The last remnants of the division capitulated on 5 May 1945 in the Kufstein Kufstein (; ) is a town in the Austrian state of Tyrol, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
708th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)
The 708th Volksgrenadier Division (708th People's Grenadier Division, ), formerly the 708th Infantry Division () was a German army division active during World War II. It took part in ''Operation Northwind'', where it was subsequently destroyed. Operational history The 708th Infantry Division was formed from men around Strasbourg in Wehrkreis VIII. Reactivation The 708th Division was reactivated in September 1944 as a new ''Volksgrenadier'' division, and placed under the leadership of ''Major'' Hans-Ludwig Kuhlenkampff on the 10th. The division was sent to occupy and defend Czechoslovakia from the Soviet advance. After two months, the division was sent to the western front as part of the LXIV Army Corps, with ''Lieutenant Colonel'' Johannes Marahrens taking over as commanding officer the following January. The division was destroyed the following month in the "Colmar Pocket". Commanders *Colonel/Major General Walter Drobenig (May 1941 – March 1942) *Lieutenant General Herm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
189th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 189th Infantry Division was a reserve division of the German Army in World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo .... Operational history *September 26, 1942: Formation of the 189. Reserve-Division *December 6, 1942: The 189. Reserve-Division is renamed 189. Infanterie-Division (B) *May 15, 1943: The 189. Reserve-Division is reformed in France from Division Nr. 189. In 1944, it fought against the Allied landings in Operation Dragoon in the South of France and suffered heavy losses. *October 8, 1944: The 189. Infanterie-Division was reformed in France from the 189. Reserve-Division and the 242. Infanterie-Division. *February 1945: The 189. Infantry-Division is destroyed in the Colmar Pocket. *March 1945: The 189. Infantry-Division was reformed again and fough ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
198th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 198th Infantry Division () was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. Initially assembled in December 1939, the 198th Infantry Division participated in the German invasion of Denmark as well as the occupation of Copenhagen on 9 April 1940. The division was subsequently transferred in July 1940 to serve occupation duty in German-occupied France between July 1940 and March 1941. It was then sent to the German-aligned Kingdom of Romania and transferred through the German-friendly Kingdom of Bulgaria to participate in the German invasion of Greece in early April 1941. After the German victory in Greece, it was redeployed to Romania, from where it participated in the German invasion of the Soviet Union ("Operation Barbarossa") on 22 June 1941. The 198th Infantry Division remained in combat on the Eastern Front against the forces of Soviet Union until early 1944. It participated in the First Battle of Rostov, Winter campaign of 1941/42, the German summe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LXIV Corps (Germany)
The LXIV Corps (German: ''LXIV. Armeekorps'') was a corps-level command of the German Army on the Western Front during World War II. History It was created on 24 September 1942, in Military Region (''Wehrkreis'') VIII as the LXIV Reserve Corps with the mission of supervising reserve divisions assigned to OB West, the German high command in the west. Activated on 5 August 1944 and renamed the LXIV Corps.Tessin LXIV Corps was headquartered in the vicinity of Dijon from October 1942 until April 1944. During May and June 1944, the LXIV Corps Headquarters was located in northern France. In July 1944, the corps was sent to southwestern France near the Gironde Estuary. The following month, the LXIV corps had to retreat under difficult conditions to avoid being cut off by Allied units that had broken out of Normandy and other Allied forces that had invaded southern France. By September 1944, LXIV Corps had established a line of defense in the Vosges Mountains as part of the German N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)
The 2nd Mountain Division () was a ''Gebirgsjäger'' division of the German Army which served in World War II, mainly in the northernmost sector of the Eastern Front, near the Arctic. Formed in 1938, the division was disbanded at the end of the war in 1945. Operational history Following the ''Anschluss'', the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, the 2nd Mountain Division was formed on 1 April 1938, with personnel of the 6th Division of the Austrian Army. Based at Innsbruck, part of Wehrkreis XVIII, most of its men were from the Salzburg and Tyrol region of Austria. Commanded by ''Generalleutnant'' (Lieutenant General) Valentin Feurstein, it fought as part of Army Group South during the Invasion of Poland and then took part in Operation Weserübung, the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. It carried out a cross country march to rescue the 3rd Mountain Division, which was under siege from British forces during the Battles of Narvik. The division moved into Lapland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French First Army
The First Army () was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War. World War I On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the charge of the First Army, which comprised the 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th, and 21st Army Corps, two divisions of cavalry and one reserve infantry division. It was massed between Belfort and the general line Mirecourt-Lunéville with headquarters at Epinal. First Army then took part, along with the French Second Army, in the Invasion of Lorraine. The First Army intended to take the strongly defended town of Sarrebourg. Bavarian Crown Prince Rupprecht, commander of the German Sixth Army, was tasked with stopping the French invasion. The French attack was repulsed by Rupprecht and his stratagem of pretending to retreat and then strongly attacking back. On 20 August Rupprecht launched a major counter-offensive, driving the French armies out. Dubail was replaced in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saarland
Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in population apart from Bremen. Saarbrücken is the state capital and largest city; other cities include Neunkirchen and Saarlouis. Saarland is mainly surrounded by the department of Moselle (Grand Est) in France to the west and south and the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany to the north and east; it also shares a small border about long with the canton of Remich in Luxembourg to the northwest. Having long been a relatively small part of the long-contested territories along the Franco-German linguistic border, Saarland first gained specific economic and strategic importance in the nineteenth century due to the wealth of its coal deposits and the heavy industrialization that grew as a result. Saarland was first est ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
