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Kursietis, Andris J. The Wehrmacht at War, 1939-1945: The Units and Commanders of the German Ground Forces during World War II. Soesterberg, The Netherlands: Aspekt, 1999

ISBN 90-75323-38-7
397 pages

Introduction; Table of Ranks; Table of Abbreviations; photos

Appendices: Seniority list of Generals; List of Sources

   From The Netherlands comes this useful little English-language volume by Andris Kursietis, an author with several other WWII-related titles to his credit.
   In this volume the author provides almost 400 pages of tabular data organized according to branch (Heere, SS, and Luftwaffe ground troops) and within each branch by high command, theaters, army groups, armies, corps, military districts, and divisions. For each unit the line-by-line, date-by-date listings show date of formation, ranks and names of successive commanders, general area of operations, and ultimate fate.
   Here are a few examples (mostly shorter than the average):

Commander-in-Chief of the Army
1 Sep 1939 - 19 Dec 1941:Generalfeldmarschall Walter von BRAUCHITSCH
19 Dec 1941 - 30 Apr 1945:Adolf HITLER
30 Apr 1945 - 8 May 1945:Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand SCHORNER
 
Commander-in-Chief, Southwest
26 Jun 1943 - 9 Mar 1945:Generalfeldmarschall (LW) Albert KESSELRING
9 Mar 1945 - 8 May 1945:Generaloberst Heinrich von VIETINGHOFF-SCHEEL
 
Army Group H
(Formed in November 1944)
1 Nov 1944 - 28 Jan 1945:Generaloberst (LW) Kurt STUDENT
28 Jan 1945 - 21 Mar 1945:Generaloberst Johannes BLASKOWITZ
21 Mar 1945:REDESIGNATED HIGH COMMAND NORTHWEST
Area of Operations:
Nov 1944 - 1945:Holland
1945:Germany
 
Army of Lappland
(Formed in December 1941)
31 Dec 1941 - 1 Jan 1942:Generaloberst Nikolaus von FALKENHORST
1 Jan 1942:REDESIGNATED 20. MOUNTAIN ARMY
Area of Operations:
Dec 1941 - Jan 1942:Finland
 
LI Mountain Corps
(Formed in July 1943)
Jul 1943 - 7 Mar 1945:General der Gebirgstruppen Valentin FEUERSTEIN
7 Mar 1945 - 8 May 1945:General der Artillerie Friedrich-Wilhelm HAUCK
Area of Operations:
Jul 1943 - May 1945:Italy
 
15. Panzer Division
(Formed on 1 November 1940 from 33. Infantry Division)
1 Nov 1940 - 22 Mar 1941:General der Panzertruppen Friedrich KUHN
22 Mar 1941 - 10 Apr 1941:Generalleutnant Heinrich von PRITTWITZ und GRAFFON
10 Apr 1941 - 13 Apr 1941: 
13 Apr 1941 - 13 May 1941:General der Panzertruppen Hans-Karl Freiherr von ESEBECK
26 May 1941 - 6 Dec 1941:Generalleutnant Walter NEUMANN-SILKOW
6 Dec 1941 - 9 Dec 1941:Generalleutnant Erwin MENNY
9 Dec 1941 - 26 May 1942:General der Panzertruppen Gustav von VAERST
26 May 1942 - 15 Jul 1942:Generalleutnant Eduard CRASEMANN
15 Jul 1942 - 25 Aug 1942:Generalleutnant Heinz von RANDOW
25 Aug 1942 - 10 Nov 1942:General der Panzertruppen Gustav von VAERST
11 Nov 1942 - 13 May 1943:Generalleutnant Willibald BOROWIETZ
13 May 1943:SURRENDERED IN TUNISIA
Area of Operations:
Nov 1940 - Feb 1941:Germany
Feb 1941 - May 1943:North Africa

   Those with access to Tessin or Mueller-Hillebrand or Schmitz in particular (Deutschen Divisionen 1939-1945) and some command of German will find much of this data in those volumes. Likewise, Samuel Mitcham's OB book, Hitler's Legions, provides similar information in narrative format and there are also related publications in English from Nafziger, Niehorster, etc. The Kursietis compilation, however, is very compact, detailed, and handy. It also gives more complete information on commanding generals than found elsewhere in English.
   The information on generals, in fact, is the main focus of The Wehrmacht at War and not limited to the tables of unit data. The next section of the book is "Biographies of Army Generals" and, while this only covers senior generals (Generalfeldmarschall, Generaloberst, General der Infantrie, Artillerie, etc) and only the Heere (no Luftwaffe or SS officers), it provides very precise tabular listings of full name, highest rank reached, dates of birth and death, military awards received, and line-by-line, date-by-date command assignments and promotions.
   A more or less typical biographical table looks like this:

Erwin Rommel (15 Nov 1891 - 14 Oct 1944)
1 Sep 1939 - 5 Feb 1940:Commandant, Fuehrer Headquarters
5 Feb 1940 - 14 Feb 1941:C.O. 7. Panzer Division
(1 Jan 1941:Promoted to Generalleutnant)
14 Feb 1941 - 15 Aug 1941:G.O.C. Africa Corps
(1 Jul 1941:Promoted to General der Panzertruppen)
15 Aug 1941 - 1 Jan 1943:C-in-C, Panzer Army Africa
(30 Jan 1942:Promoted to Generaloberst)
(22 Jun 1942:Promoted to Generalfeldmarschall)
1 Jan 1943 - 9 Mar 1943:C-in-C, Army Group Africa
9 Mar 1943 - 10 Jul 1943:Sick leave
10 Jul 1943 - 17 Jul 1944:C-in-C, Army Group B
17 Jul 1944 - 14 Oct 1944:Sick leave
14 Oct 1944:Committed suicide
Awards: Knight's Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds (11 March 1943), Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords (20 January 1942), Knight's Cross with Oakleaves (20 March 1942), Knight's Cross (26 May 1940), 1939 Clasp to the 1914 Iron Cross (1st and 2nd Class), Tank Assault Badge, Africa Cuff Title, Pilot/Observer's Badge in Gold with Diamonds, Italian Colonial Order, Pour le Merite, 1914 Iron Cross (1st and 2nd Class), 1914 Wound Badge in Silver

   The book concludes with a nine-page "Wehrmacht Seniority List" of field marshals and generals.
   A nice effort. Mostly for those interested in unit commanders, but also worth looking into for those attracted to order of battle material.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Aspekt.
   Thanks to Aspekt for providing this review copy.

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Reviewed 15 April 1999
Copyright © 1999 by Bill Stone
May not be reproduced in any form without written permission of Stone & Stone
 

 

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