Morning All,
From the aspect of the researcher the mobilization of the Heer in 1939 was a mess. Knowing it was all done with paper and pencil instead of computers requires us to cut them some serious slack on the mass confusion. There were a huge number of pre-Mobilization units which just "vanished" by being renamed or broken-up. Some of the confusion is a lack of documentation, some is simple slop (repeating errors without investigation) and some is convenience (maybe to prevent confusion, but still sloppy).
What I would like to do is throw out to everything to everyone and kick it around in an attempt to clear up some of that confusion.
The easy ones first:
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 1 → Armee-Oberkommando 2 (AOK 2) / 2. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 2 → Heeresgruppe C
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 3 → Armee-Oberkommando 8 (AOK 8) / 8. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 4 → Armee-Oberkommando 10 (AOK 10) / 10. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 5 → Armee-Oberkommando 14 (AOK 14) / 14. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 6 → Armee-Oberkommando 4 (AOK 4) / 4. Armee
I think everyone can agree on those.
Heeresgruppe Nord u. Heeresgruppe Süd did not exist as such on 01.09.1939 they were, respectively 2. Armee and 12. Armee until 02.09.1939.
(Sorry, pet peeve.)
1. Welle {Active / Peacetime Divisions}
All of these Divisions were already in existence, so there is no problem there, but...
three were created and retroactively assigned to 1. Welle:
Grenzkommandantur Küstrin → Stab 50. Infanterie-Division (bei der Mobilmachung)
and the 50ths three regiments:
Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 121 → Infanterie-Regiment 121 am 10. November 1939
Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 122 → Infanterie-Regiment 122 am 10. November 1939
Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 123 → Infanterie-Regiment 123 am 10. November 1939
and later:
Verband Danzig (auch als Kampfgruppe Eberhardt, als Brigade Eberhardt; vorm. Kommando der Landespolizei Danzig) → 60. Infanterie-Division am 15. Oktober 1939
Grenz-Kommandantur Trier → Grenz-Division Trier → 72. Infanterie-Division am 19. September 1939
The next three posts are planned for 2., 3., and 4. Welle - where confusion abounds and assistance is needed.
Have a great weekend.
Rick
From the aspect of the researcher the mobilization of the Heer in 1939 was a mess. Knowing it was all done with paper and pencil instead of computers requires us to cut them some serious slack on the mass confusion. There were a huge number of pre-Mobilization units which just "vanished" by being renamed or broken-up. Some of the confusion is a lack of documentation, some is simple slop (repeating errors without investigation) and some is convenience (maybe to prevent confusion, but still sloppy).
What I would like to do is throw out to everything to everyone and kick it around in an attempt to clear up some of that confusion.
The easy ones first:
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 1 → Armee-Oberkommando 2 (AOK 2) / 2. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 2 → Heeresgruppe C
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 3 → Armee-Oberkommando 8 (AOK 8) / 8. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 4 → Armee-Oberkommando 10 (AOK 10) / 10. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 5 → Armee-Oberkommando 14 (AOK 14) / 14. Armee
Heeresgruppen-Kommando 6 → Armee-Oberkommando 4 (AOK 4) / 4. Armee
I think everyone can agree on those.
Heeresgruppe Nord u. Heeresgruppe Süd did not exist as such on 01.09.1939 they were, respectively 2. Armee and 12. Armee until 02.09.1939.
(Sorry, pet peeve.)
1. Welle {Active / Peacetime Divisions}
All of these Divisions were already in existence, so there is no problem there, but...
three were created and retroactively assigned to 1. Welle:
Grenzkommandantur Küstrin → Stab 50. Infanterie-Division (bei der Mobilmachung)
and the 50ths three regiments:
Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 121 → Infanterie-Regiment 121 am 10. November 1939
Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 122 → Infanterie-Regiment 122 am 10. November 1939
Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 123 → Infanterie-Regiment 123 am 10. November 1939
and later:
Verband Danzig (auch als Kampfgruppe Eberhardt, als Brigade Eberhardt; vorm. Kommando der Landespolizei Danzig) → 60. Infanterie-Division am 15. Oktober 1939
Grenz-Kommandantur Trier → Grenz-Division Trier → 72. Infanterie-Division am 19. September 1939
The next three posts are planned for 2., 3., and 4. Welle - where confusion abounds and assistance is needed.
Have a great weekend.
Rick
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