18.Armee-Oberkommando

Unit Emblems

18.Armee-Oberkommando Emblem  

Campaigns

  • Westwall 1939
  • Western Campaign 1940
  • Eastern Front 1941-1945

History

The 18. Armee was established on 4 November 1939. It was assigned to the western frontier with the Netherlands. It then fought in the Campaign in the West from 10 May 1940 until 25 June 1940 fighting both in Holland and then France. It was then involved in the occupation of southern France from 26 June 1940 through 20 July 1940. From 21 July 1940 through 21 June 1941 it was serving in the east along the northern Germany-Russian Frontier. The 18. Armee was in existence 2,015 days of which 1,419 days were spent fighting on the Eastern Front in the northern area.

Organization

Koruck 583
Armee-Nachrichten-Regiment 520
Kdr der Armee-Nachschubtruppen 516
Höherer Arko 303

Commanders

Georg von Küchler 11.4.1939
Georg Lindemann 1.16.1942
Herbert Loch 3.29.1944
Ehrenfried Boege 9.2.1944

Calendar of Battles and Engagements

Western Campaign Calendar of Battles and Engagements
1.Securityon the Western Border.11.4.19395.9.1940188
2.AirborneLanding and Fighting in the Fortress Holland.5.10.19405.17.19408
3.Fight forthe Ijssel and Grebbe Positions.5.10.19405.14.19405
4.Attacktoward Maas and Peel Positions and Breakthrough to the Coast.5.10.19405.14.19405
5.AttackToward the Southern Front of Fortress Holland.5.14.19405.15.19402
6.Conquestof Holland.5.10.19405.14.19405
7.Securityin Northern Holland.5.15.19405.30.194016
8.Conquestof Walcheren Island.5.16.19405.18.19403
9.AttackToward the Fortress Antwerpen and Across the Schelde.5.15.19405.20.19406
10.Fightingin East Flanders, Brealthrough Toward the Fortifications at Gent.5.19.19405.23.19405
11.AttackOver the Neuzen-Gent Canal and Over the Lys.5.21.19405.27.19407
12.Battlefor Dünkirchen.5.28.19406.4.19408
13.Fightingfor the Paris Fotified Positions.6.11.19406.13.19403
14.Crossoverthe Seine River. [not the 1.Kav.Div.]6.12.19406.13.19402
15.PursuitFighting to the Loire River.6.14.19406.18.19405
16.CrossingOver the Loire River.6.17.19406.20.19404
17.PursuitFighting south of the Loire River.6.20.19406.25.19406
18.Occupationof Southwest France.6.26.19407.20.194025
19.March tothe Germany-Russian Border and Security.7.21.19406.21.1941336
Eastern Campaign Calendar of Battles and Engagements
1.FrontierFighting in Lithuania.6.22.19416.29.19418
a]Breakthroughat the Frontier Positions.6.22.19416.25.19414
b]AdvanceAcross the Niemen River and Capture of Kovno.6.22.19416.26.19415
c]Conquestof Libau.6.24.19416.29.19416
2.AdvanceAcross the Duna River.6.27.19417.12.194116
a]Fightingin Eastern Lithuania and Latvia.6.27.19417.7.194111
b]Conquestof Riga and Fighting Between the Duna River and Velikiye Luki.6.29.19417.12.194114
3.Conquestof Estonia.7.4.19419.5.194164
a]AdvanceAcross Western Estonia.7.4.19417.13.194110
b]Advanceto and the Battle for Dorpat.7.11.19418.4.194125
c]Breakthroughfrom Wesenburg to Narva.8.5.19418.19.194115
d]Battlefor Reval.8.20.19418.28.19419
4.RaidAcross the Old Russian State Border.7.8.19417.8.19411
5.Operationsagainst Leningrad.7.12.19419.25.194176
a]DriveEast of Lake Peipus and the Narva.7.13.19417.18.19416
b]Breakthroughof the Luga River Positions.8.18.19418.28.194111
c]Advanceto the Neva River and to Lake Ladoga.8.25.19419.25.194132
d]Breakthroughinto the Fortifications of Leningrad.8.29.19419.25.194128
e]Drive toPeterhof.9.17.19419.25.19419
6.Conquestof the Baltic Islands.9.8.194110.15.194138
a]Seizureof Hobulaid, Worms and Kessu Islands.9.8.19419.10.19412
b]Seizureof Moon Island.9.11.19419.15.19415
c]Seizureof Usel Island.9.16.194110.5.194120
7.DefensiveFighting before Leningrad and Oranienbaum.9.26.19416.30.1942278
8.Fightingbetween Lake Illmen and Lake Ladoga.12.28.19416.27.1942181
a]DefenseAgainst the Russian Volkhov Offensive to Relieve Leningrad.1.13.19425.21.1942129
b]Destructionof the Enemy in the Volkhov Kessel.5.22.19426.27.194237
9.PositionFighting in the Zone of Heeresgruppe Nord.7.1.19421.13.1944562
a]FirstDefensive Battle South of Lake Ladoga.8.27.19429.3.19428
b]SecondDefensive Battle South of Lake Ladoga and the Pogoste Kessel and South ofKolpino.1.12.19433.31.194379
c]Defensivefighting around near Nowgorod.3.15.19433.26.194312
d]ThirdDefensive Battle South of Lake Ladoga.7.22.19439.24.194365
10.DefensiveFighting in Northern Russia and for the Baltic Islands.1.14.19444.23.1944101
a]DefensiveBattles for Novgorod and Leningrad and Retreat Fighting to Pleskau and Narva.1.14.19443.1.194448
b]DefensiveFighting on the Narva River.2.2.19444.23.194482
11.PositionFighting in the Zone of Heeresgruppe Nord.4.24.19447.13.194481
12.Defensiveand retreating battles during the Russian summer offensive in the BalticCountries thereby: Fighting west of Lake Peipus [Dorpat-Verro].7.14.194410.6.194485
13.DefensivePositioning on Southern Front in Courland.10.7.194410.19.194413
14.SixBattles for Courland.10.27.19443.30.1945155
15.PositionFighting in Courland.4.1.19455.10.194540

German Bibliography

  • Die deutschen Infanterie-Divisonen, Band 1-3, by Werner Haupt
  • Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945, Band 1-3, by Nobert Kannapin
  • Die Pflege der Tradition der alten Armee in Reichsheer und im der Wehrmacht, by Schirmer/Wiener
  • Die Truppenkennzeichen… der deutchen Wehrmacht u. Waffen-SS, Band 1-4, by Schmitz/Thies
  • Der Zweite Weltkrieg im Kartenbild, Band 1-3, by Klaus-Jurgen Thies
  • Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939, by George Tessin
  • Verbände und Truppen der deutchen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS…, Band 1-14, by Georg Tessin
  • Formationsgeschichte und Stellenbesetzung 1815-1939, Teil 1, der deutschen Heer, Band 1-3, by Günter Wegner
  • Die Deutsche Wehrmacht u. Waffen-SS, Ihre Kommando. u. Grossverbände… im Zweiten Weltkrieg, author unknown
  • Das Reichsheer und Seine Tradition, author unknown
  • Deutsche Rote Kreuz Suchdienst, Divisionsschicksale, author unknown