Army Group Oberrhein (Germany)
The Commander Upper Rhine / Army Group Upper Rhine was a major unit of the Army of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. She was supreme command each changing armies as well as many special forces and was in this form of 2 December 1944 to 29 January 1945.
History
After the Allied landings in southern France ( Operation Dragoon ) in August 1944, the American-French 6th Army Group had the German Army Group G first pushed back to the Vosges. In November, the German 19th Army was circumvented by simultaneous attacks by the 1st French Army in the south and the U.S. 7th Army in the north and defended since the bridgehead Alsace, while the Allies had the upper Rhine reached at Mulhouse and Strasbourg. Hitler, who distrusted his generals, appointed on 2 December 1944 the Reichsführer- SS and commander of the Reserve Army Heinrich Himmler as commander in chief of the Upper Rhine and incorporated the 19th Army out of the chain of command of Commander in Chief West, to put them under Himmler. Himmler's task was to prevent any further loss of territory in the area, which he, as he had no experience in leading military units, but was overwhelmed.
An attempt to retake part of the December 31, started the company Nordwind Strasbourg struck in mid-January as well as the entire company will fail. Having had developed a life-threatening crisis during the Soviet Vistula-Oder operation on the Eastern Front, Himmler was commissioned by Hitler to the list of Army Group Vistula, Himmler's what previous bar was moved to Poland. Himmler took post on January 23, an SS Colonel squad leader Paul Hausser after the command post was renamed on 22 January, Army Group Upper Rhine. Already on January 25, Hausser was, however, appointed as the new commander of Army Group G and Army Group Upper Rhine resolved by January 29. The staff of OB Upper Rhine was used to relocate the 11th Army.
Supreme Commander
- December 2, 1944 Reichsführer- SS Heinrich Himmler
- January 23, 1945 SS - Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser
Outline of Army Group
Remained at the Federal Archives inadequately documented, are obtained only Appendices to War Diary of the chief quartermaster and some written orders of the Supreme Commander.