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The Twelfth United States
Army Group An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization handled ...
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 A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and with ...
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 Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hi ...
,
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 b ...
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 ...
. 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 Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
, 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 George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
, 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 General Courtney Hicks Hodges (January 5, 1887 – January 16, 1966) was a decorated senior officer in the United States Army who commanded First U.S. Army in the Western European Campaign of World War II. Hodges was a notable "mustang" officer ...
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 The First Canadian Army (french: 1reArmée canadienne) was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 19 ...
in the British headquarters formation
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...
, commanded by
General Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and ...
. 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, Au ...
(
Seventh United States Army The Seventh Army was a United States army created during World War II that evolved into the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) during the 1950s and 1960s. It served in North Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and Fran ...
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 ...
). As the Twelfth advanced through Germany in 1945, it grew to control four United States field armies: the
First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, the
Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hi ...
, the
Ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, ...
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 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 o ...
** First Army – General Courtney H. Hodges *** 78th Infantry Division – Major General
Edwin P. Parker Jr. Major General Edwin Pearson Parker Jr. (July 27, 1891 – June 7, 1983) was a senior officer in the United States Army. Parker commanded the 78th Infantry Division during the Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe, campaigns of World War ...
*** VII Corps – Lieutenant General J. Lawton Collins **** 9th Infantry Division – Major General
Louis A. Craig Louis A. Craig (July 29, 1891 – January 3, 1984) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and served in both World War I and World War II. Craig served as a corps and division commander during W ...
**** 9th Armored Division – Major General
John W. Leonard Lieutenant General John William Leonard (January 25, 1890 – October 26, 1974) was a senior United States Army officer who served during World War I, World War II and Cold War. Early years and World War I John William Leonard was born on Janua ...
**** 69th Infantry Division – Major General Emil F. Reinhardt ****
104th Infantry Division 104th Division may refer to: * 104th Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1948–1951 * 104th Division (2nd Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1951–1955 * 104th Jäger Division (Wehrmacht), a unit of the German Army * 10 ...
– Major General
Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. (April 1, 1888 – September 12, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Allen was a decorated World War I veteran, where he commanded an infantry ...
** Third Army – General George S. Patton, Jr. ***
1st Infantry Division 1st Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) *1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) *1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoured Division (Australi ...
– Major General
Clift Andrus Major General Clift Andrus (October 12, 1890 – September 29, 1968) was a highly decorated senior officer of the United States Army. He is most noted for his service as a commander of 1st Infantry Division at the end of World War II. In military ...
*** 2nd Infantry Division – Major General Walter M. Robertson *** 70th Infantry Division – Major General Allison J. Barnett ***
97th Infantry Division The 97th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Nicknamed the "Trident division" because of its shoulder patch, a vertical trident in white on a blue background, it was originally trained in amph ...
– 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 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
– 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 Lieutenant General Willard Stewart Paul (February 28, 1894 – March 21, 1966) was a senior United States Army officer who commanded the 26th Infantry Division during World War II. Early life and military career He was born in Worceste ...
****
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 Div ...
– Major General Herbert L. Earnest *** XX Corps – Major General
Walton H. Walker Walton Harris Walker (December 3, 1889 – December 23, 1950) was a United States Army four-star general who served with distinction in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, where he commanded the Eighth United States Army before dying ...
**** 13th Armored Division – Major General
John Millikin Major General John Millikin (January 7, 1888 – November 6, 1970) was a senior United States Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, Millikin commanded III Corps in General George S. Patton's U.S. Third ...
**** 65th Infantry Division – Major General Stanley E. Reinhart **** 71st Infantry Division – Major General
Willard G. Wyman General Willard Gordon Wyman (March 21, 1898 – March 29, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer who served as Commanding General of Continental Army Command from 1956 to 1958. Military career Wyman was born in Augusta, Maine. He en ...
**** 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 Lieutenant General Troy Houston Middleton (12 October 1889 – 9 October 1976) was a distinguished educator and senior officer of the United States Army who served as a corps commander in the European Theatre during World War II and later as pre ...
****
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 o ...
– Major General
Robert W. Grow Major General Robert Walker Grow (February 14, 1895 – November 3, 1985) was a senior United States Army officer who commanded the 6th Armored Division during World War II. He was notable for his court-martial in 1951 for failing to safeguard cl ...
**** 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 Major General Leland Stanford Hobbs (February 4, 1892 – March 6, 1966) was a decorated senior United States Army officer who commanded the 30th Infantry Division in Western Europe during World War II. Early life and military career Hobbs ...
**** 35th Infantry Division – Major General
Paul W. Baade Major General Paul William Baade (April 16, 1889 – October 9, 1959) was a highly decorated United States Army officer. The United States Military Academy (USMA) alumni and veteran of World War I, he is most noted as one of the four wartime com ...
**** 83rd Infantry Division – Major General
Robert C. Macon Major general (United States), Major General Robert Chauncey Macon (July 12, 1890 – October 20, 1980) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who commanded the 7th Infantry Regiment (United States), 7th Infantry Regiment ...
**** 84th Infantry Division – Major General Alexander R. Bolling **** 102nd Infantry Division – Major General
Frank A. Keating Major General Frank Augustus Keating (February 4, 1895 – April 28, 1973) was a career officer of the United States Army who commanded the 102nd Infantry Division during World War II, was Governor of the U.S. Zone of Germany, and was Chief U.S. ...
*** XVI Corps – Major General John B. Anderson **** 29th Infantry Division – Major General
Charles H. Gerhardt Major General Charles Hunter Gerhardt (June 6, 1895 – October 9, 1976) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he commanded the 29th Infantry Division from 1943 until the end o ...
**** 75th Infantry Division – Major General Ray E. Porter **** 79th Infantry Division – Major General
Ira T. Wyche Major General Ira Thomas Wyche (16 October 1887 – 8 July 1981) was a career officer in the United States Army who ultimately became Inspector General of the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, d ...
**** 95th Infantry Division – Major General Harry L. Twaddle *** XIX Corps – Major General
Raymond S. McLain Lieutenant General Raymond Stallings McLain (April 4, 1890 – December 14, 1954) was a senior United States Army officer. In the words of General George C. Marshall, Raymond S. McLain "gave great distinction to the term 'citizen soldier. His serv ...
**** 3rd Armored Division – Brigadier General Doyle O. Hickey **** 8th Armored Division – Major General John M. Devine ** Fifteenth Army – Lieutenant General
Leonard T. Gerow Leonard Townsend Gerow (July 13, 1888 – October 12, 1972) was a general in the United States Army who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. A 1911 graduate the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Gerow served with the Uni ...
*** 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 **** 7th Armored Division – Major General Robert W. Hasbrouck **** 8th Infantry Division – Major General Bryant E. Moore ****
82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from thor ...
– Major General
James M. Gavin James Maurice Gavin (March 22, 1907 – February 23, 1990), sometimes called "Jumpin' Jim" and "the jumping general", was a senior United States Army officer, with the rank of lieutenant general, who was the third Commanding General (CG) of the 8 ...
****
101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operat ...
– Major General
William C. Lee Major General William Carey Lee (March 12, 1895 –June 25, 1948) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in World War I and World War II, during which he commanded the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles". Lee is o ...
*** XXII Corps – Major General
Ernest N. Harmon Major General Ernest Nason Harmon (February 26, 1894 – November 13, 1979) was a senior officer of the United States Army. He served in both World War I and World War II, and is best known for his actions in reorganizing the 1st Armored Division ...
****
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 1943 bu ...
– Major General
William M. Miley Major General William Maynadier "Bud" Miley (December 26, 1897 – September 24, 1997) was a senior United States Army officer and a professor of military science who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter, he was one of t ...
****
94th Infantry Division In military terms, 94th Division or 94th Infantry Division may refer to: * 94th Division (People's Republic of China) * 94th Infantry Division (German Empire) * 94th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) * 94th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) * 94th G ...
– Major General Harry J. Malony *** XXIII Corps – Major General Hugh J. Gaffey **** 28th Infantry Division – Major General
Norman D. Cota Norman Daniel "Dutch" Cota, Sr. (May 30, 1893 – October 4, 1971) was a senior United States Army officer who fought during World War II. Cota was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in June 1944, ...
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