German Ninth Army
Encyclopedia
The 9th Army was a World War II
field army.
The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz
in command.
when it was involved in the invasion of France. It was kept as a strategic reserve
and saw little fighting.
the 9th Army formed the southern pincer of a massive encirclement of Soviet troops deployed at Białystok with the German 4th Army forming the northern pincer. It continued its advance where it launched another pincer movement of Soviet troops at Smolensk
. Even though successful in encircling Soviet troops, due to the large distances it had to cover, many Soviet troops escaped the pockets. Hitler changed strategies and send the Panzer forces from Army Group Center to the northern and southern fronts to inflict severe economic damage to the Soviet Union. The 9th Army remained static from late July 1941 until October 1941 when Hitler finally decided to launch his long awaited attack on Moscow.
In front of Moscow were two elaborate defensive lines, the first was 250 km long in front of Vyazma
and the second on Mozhaysk
. The 9th Army struck from the north out flanking the Vyazma defensive line and along with the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies, and encircling Soviet forces at Vyazma. This would prove to be the last major encirclement operation launched by the 9th Army.
The 9th Army was placed on the northern flank as the German 2nd, 3rd and 4th Panzer and 4th Army would spearhead the offensive on Moscow. However the attack failed due to the cold weather, deteriorating supply situation and stubborn Soviet resistance. The Germans suffered severe losses in men and large parts of the 9th Army's troops were reallocated to the other depleted German Armies.
, a major offensive against Army Group Center. The well dug in positions of Army Group Center defeated the Soviet offensive with heavy casualties.
where 1/6th of all Soviet forces were deployed. The spearheads would be the German 9th Army and the 2nd Panzer Army from the north and the 4th Panzer Army along with Army Detachment Kempf from the south. The Soviets believed the heaviest blow would come from the north and massively reinforced the sector directly opposite 9th Army. By July 1943, the 9th Army had become the largest army ever fielded by the Germans even surpassing the much vaunted 6th Army with 335,000 men along with 600 tanks.
Leading the advance from the north, the 9th Army ran into powerful Soviet defenses, and it gained no more than 10 km on the first day. Walter Model
ordered the capture of the key and heavily fortified Ponyri railway station, which was needed to continue the advance towards Kursk. However, the Soviets had massively reinforced the town's defenses, which meant the attackers took very heavy losses. After a week of ferocious fighting, the 9th Army had gained just 20 km. After being unable to breach the enemy lines, the army was then forced to deal with the Soviet offensive
which if not checked could have encircled the entire 9th Army. It fought a fighting withdrawal westwards throughout the remainder of 1943.
, the Soviets began their colossal Operation Bagration whose overall objective was the destruction of Army Group Center. The 9th Army suffered nearly 80,000 casualties during Bagration of which 65,000 were taken prisoner. Nearly 40% of the 9th Army was destroyed in the summer of 1944. The army was then rebuilt by German units redeployed from Italy and was involved in the defence of Warsaw
in autumn and winter of 1944.
. Three of the 9th Army's formations were tasked with defending the Seelow Heights
, which was the last defensible region before Berlin. To the north was the CI Army Corps, in the centre General Helmuth Weidling's
LVI Panzer Corps
, and to south the of the Heights was the XI SS Panzer Corps. In addition south of Frankfurt
(which was defended by the Frankfurt Garrison) was the V SS Mountain Corps
. In total the 9th Army was reduced to 100,000 men and 800 tanks and assault guns against which the Soviets had over 1,000,000 men and 10,000 tanks and assault guns.
The Battle of the Seelow Heights
started on 16 April 1945 when Marshal Georgy Zhukov's
1st Belorussian Front
attacked across the Oder. The 9th Army was able to hold the line for about 3 days. After very heavy fighting Weidling's LVI Panzer Corps was driven back towards Berlin. Most of the CI Army Corps divisions, now north of the salient created by the 1st Belorussian Front were reassigned to along with LVI Panzer Corps to Army Detachment Steiner
which was tasked with counter-attacking and pinching off the salient – a fantasy created in Hitler's mind which was never possible. In the end Weidling's corps was driven back into Berlin and he was promoted to commander of the Berlin Defensive Area, reporting directly to Hitler. Theodor Busse
and the rest of the 9th Army were driven into a pocket in the Spree
Forest
south of the Seelow Heights and west of Frankfurt
.
From inside the pocket east of Frankfurt Busse organised a breakout to the west to join up with the 12th Army. The breakout, known as the Battle of Halbe
proved to be a very costly resulting in the destruction of the Ninth Army as a coherent force. The survivors of the 9th Army that were not killed, and did not surrender to the Soviets during the breakout, crossed the Elbe and surrendered to the US Army.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
field army.
The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz
Johannes Blaskowitz
Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
in command.
1940
The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried LineSiegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
when it was involved in the invasion of France. It was kept as a strategic reserve
Military reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
and saw little fighting.
1941
By 1941, the Army was heavily strengthened and was deployed with Army Group Center for the invasion of the Soviet Union. In the initial phase of Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
the 9th Army formed the southern pincer of a massive encirclement of Soviet troops deployed at Białystok with the German 4th Army forming the northern pincer. It continued its advance where it launched another pincer movement of Soviet troops at Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. Even though successful in encircling Soviet troops, due to the large distances it had to cover, many Soviet troops escaped the pockets. Hitler changed strategies and send the Panzer forces from Army Group Center to the northern and southern fronts to inflict severe economic damage to the Soviet Union. The 9th Army remained static from late July 1941 until October 1941 when Hitler finally decided to launch his long awaited attack on Moscow.
In front of Moscow were two elaborate defensive lines, the first was 250 km long in front of Vyazma
Vyazma
Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow...
and the second on Mozhaysk
Mozhaysk
Mozhaysk is a town and the administrative center of Mozhaysky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to the west from the Russian capital, on the historic road leading to Smolensk and then to Poland. Population:...
. The 9th Army struck from the north out flanking the Vyazma defensive line and along with the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies, and encircling Soviet forces at Vyazma. This would prove to be the last major encirclement operation launched by the 9th Army.
The 9th Army was placed on the northern flank as the German 2nd, 3rd and 4th Panzer and 4th Army would spearhead the offensive on Moscow. However the attack failed due to the cold weather, deteriorating supply situation and stubborn Soviet resistance. The Germans suffered severe losses in men and large parts of the 9th Army's troops were reallocated to the other depleted German Armies.
1942
The 9th Army remained in defensive positions in 1942, dug in 200 miles outside of Moscow as the Germans concentrated their offensive in Southern Russia. As the tide of the battle turned in Southern Russia, the Soviets launched Operation MarsOperation Mars
Operation Mars was the codename for the Rzhev offensive operation part of the Rzhev-Vyazma strategic offensive operation launched by Soviet forces against German forces during World War II. It took place between 25 November and 20 December 1942 in a salient in the vicinity of Moscow...
, a major offensive against Army Group Center. The well dug in positions of Army Group Center defeated the Soviet offensive with heavy casualties.
1943
The Germans tried again 1943 to regain the momentum in the Eastern Front by launching a massive pincer movement at the Kursk salientBattle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
where 1/6th of all Soviet forces were deployed. The spearheads would be the German 9th Army and the 2nd Panzer Army from the north and the 4th Panzer Army along with Army Detachment Kempf from the south. The Soviets believed the heaviest blow would come from the north and massively reinforced the sector directly opposite 9th Army. By July 1943, the 9th Army had become the largest army ever fielded by the Germans even surpassing the much vaunted 6th Army with 335,000 men along with 600 tanks.
Leading the advance from the north, the 9th Army ran into powerful Soviet defenses, and it gained no more than 10 km on the first day. Walter Model
Walter Model
Otto Moritz Walter Model was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. He is noted for his defensive battles in the latter half of the war, mostly on the Eastern Front but also in the west, and for his close association with Adolf Hitler and Nazism...
ordered the capture of the key and heavily fortified Ponyri railway station, which was needed to continue the advance towards Kursk. However, the Soviets had massively reinforced the town's defenses, which meant the attackers took very heavy losses. After a week of ferocious fighting, the 9th Army had gained just 20 km. After being unable to breach the enemy lines, the army was then forced to deal with the Soviet offensive
Operation Kutuzov
Operation Kutuzov was a military operation by the Red Army in its fight against the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was named after Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, the Tsarist General credited with saving Russia from defeat during the invasion by Napoleon in 1812.The Operation began on 12...
which if not checked could have encircled the entire 9th Army. It fought a fighting withdrawal westwards throughout the remainder of 1943.
1944
By 1944, the 9th Army was exhausted, but it had received some badly needed reinforcements and was defending the area of Bobruisk in the first half of that year. On 22 June, the third anniversary of Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the Soviets began their colossal Operation Bagration whose overall objective was the destruction of Army Group Center. The 9th Army suffered nearly 80,000 casualties during Bagration of which 65,000 were taken prisoner. Nearly 40% of the 9th Army was destroyed in the summer of 1944. The army was then rebuilt by German units redeployed from Italy and was involved in the defence of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in autumn and winter of 1944.
1945
The Soviets began their invasion of Germany on January 12, 1945 and forced the 9th Army to retreat all along the front until it was deployed westward to the river OderOder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
. Three of the 9th Army's formations were tasked with defending the Seelow Heights
Seelow Heights
The Seelow Heights are situated around the town Seelow, about 90 kilometres east of Berlin and overlook the Oderbruch, the western flood plain of the River Oder which is a further 20 km to the east....
, which was the last defensible region before Berlin. To the north was the CI Army Corps, in the centre General Helmuth Weidling's
Helmuth Weidling
Helmuth Otto Ludwig Weidling was an officer in the German Army before and during World War II...
LVI Panzer Corps
LVI Panzer Corps
LVI Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.This corps was activated in February 1941 for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which commenced on June 22, 1941...
, and to south the of the Heights was the XI SS Panzer Corps. In addition south of Frankfurt
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
(which was defended by the Frankfurt Garrison) was the V SS Mountain Corps
V SS Mountain Corps
V SS Mountain Corps was a Waffen SS, formation at the end of World War II.The Corps fought on the Oder line as part of the 9th Army, in the Frankfurt am Oder area and in the Battle of Berlin that followed...
. In total the 9th Army was reduced to 100,000 men and 800 tanks and assault guns against which the Soviets had over 1,000,000 men and 10,000 tanks and assault guns.
The Battle of the Seelow Heights
Battle of the Seelow Heights
The Battle of the Seelow Heights , was a part of the Seelow-Berlin Offensive Operation ; one of the last assaults on large entrenched defensive positions of World War II. It was fought over three days, from 16–19 April 1945...
started on 16 April 1945 when Marshal Georgy Zhukov's
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
1st Belorussian Front
1st Belorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
attacked across the Oder. The 9th Army was able to hold the line for about 3 days. After very heavy fighting Weidling's LVI Panzer Corps was driven back towards Berlin. Most of the CI Army Corps divisions, now north of the salient created by the 1st Belorussian Front were reassigned to along with LVI Panzer Corps to Army Detachment Steiner
Army Detachment Steiner
Army Detachment Steiner , was a temporary military unit, something more than a corps but less than an army, created on paper by German dictator Adolf Hitler on 21 April 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, and placed under the command of SS Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner...
which was tasked with counter-attacking and pinching off the salient – a fantasy created in Hitler's mind which was never possible. In the end Weidling's corps was driven back into Berlin and he was promoted to commander of the Berlin Defensive Area, reporting directly to Hitler. Theodor Busse
Theodor Busse
Ernst Hermann August Theodor Busse was a German officer during World War I and World War II.- Career :...
and the rest of the 9th Army were driven into a pocket in the Spree
Spree
The Spree is a river that flows through the Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin states of Germany, and in the Ústí nad Labem region of the Czech Republic...
Forest
Spreewald
The Spreewald is situated about 100 km south-east of Berlin. It was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991. It is known for its traditional irrigation system which consists of more than 200 small channels within the area. The landscape was shaped during the ice-age...
south of the Seelow Heights and west of Frankfurt
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
.
From inside the pocket east of Frankfurt Busse organised a breakout to the west to join up with the 12th Army. The breakout, known as the Battle of Halbe
Battle of Halbe
The Battle of Halbe lasted from April 24 - May 1, 1945 was a battle in which the German Ninth Army, under the command of Colonel General Theodor Busse was destroyed as a fighting force by the Red Army during the Battle for Berlin....
proved to be a very costly resulting in the destruction of the Ninth Army as a coherent force. The survivors of the 9th Army that were not killed, and did not surrender to the Soviets during the breakout, crossed the Elbe and surrendered to the US Army.
Commanders
- General Johannes BlaskowitzJohannes BlaskowitzJohannes Albrecht Blaskowitz was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(May 15, 1940 - May 29, 1940) - General Adolf StraußAdolf StraußAdolf Strauß was a German Generaloberst . He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(May 30, 1940 - January 14, 1942) - General Walter ModelWalter ModelOtto Moritz Walter Model was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. He is noted for his defensive battles in the latter half of the war, mostly on the Eastern Front but also in the west, and for his close association with Adolf Hitler and Nazism...
(January 15, 1942 - November 3, 1943) - General Josef HarpeJosef HarpeJosef Harpe was a German Generaloberst who served during World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(November 4, 1943 - May 19, 1944) - General Hans JordanHans JordanHans Jordan was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(May 20, 1944 - June 26, 1944) - General Nikolaus von VormannNikolaus von VormannNikolaus von Vormann was a highly decorated General der Panzertruppe in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 9th Army. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
(June 27, 1944 - August 31, 1944) - General Smilo Freiherr von LüttwitzSmilo Freiherr von LüttwitzSmilo Walther Hinko Oskar Constantin Wilhelm Freiherr von Lüttwitz was a German general of the Panzer troops, serving during World War II and son of Walther von Lüttwitz...
(September 1, 1944 - January 19, 1945) - General Theodor BusseTheodor BusseErnst Hermann August Theodor Busse was a German officer during World War I and World War II.- Career :...
(January 20, 1945 - May 2, 1945)
See also
- Army Group CentreArmy Group CentreArmy Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
- Order of battle of the German Ninth Army, October 1941Order of battle of the German Ninth Army, October 1941Order of battle of the German Ninth Army, October 1941 represents the order of battle for the German Ninth Army during Operation Typhoon as part of the German Army Group Center as it attempted to capture Moscow during World War II.-Ninth Army:...
- German Panzer Division Kurmark