16th Army (Wehrmacht)

April 2014 16th Army de 16. Armee Insignia of the German 16. Armee (Wehrmacht).svg 150 22 October 1939 – 8 May 1945 Nazi Germany 16px German army (16px Wehrmacht) Field army World War II The 16th Army (de 16. Armee) was a World War II field army of the Wehrmacht. History thumb|NCOs of one of the army's penal units executing civilians, 1943 It took part in the Battle of France. It was then deployed with Army Group North during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It fought its way into northern Russia where in January 1942 part of it was encircled by the Soviets near Demyansk. Hitler forbade a withdrawal and the Army was re-supplied by air until a land corridor was opened in April 1942. It was subsequently involved in the Siege of Leningrad. The Soviets relieved Leningrad in January 1944. On February 19, 1944, the Soviet 2nd Baltic Front launched a fresh set of attacks against the German 16th Army around Kholm. The Soviet 22nd Army made good progress in the initial assault. These attacks greatly diminished the 16th Army. It, along with the 18th Army was cut off in the Courland Peninsula when the Soviets launched their summer and autumn offensives of 1944. It stayed trapped there in the Courland Pocket as part of Army Group Courland until the end of the war. In May 1945 the remnants of the army, now reduced to corps strength, capitulated to the Red Army and were marched into captivity. The survivors were eventually repatriated in 1955. Commanders y y Commander y n n 1 Ernst Bernhard Wilhelm Busch.jpg Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch Busch, Ernst 1885 1945 22 October 1939 11 October 1943 1939 10 22 1943 10 11 2 Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-035-88, Christian Hansen.jpg General der Artillerie Christian Hansen Hansen, Christian 1885 1972 11 October 1943 1 July 1944 1943 10 11 1944 07 01 3 General der Infanterie Paul Laux Laux, Paul 1887 1944 2 July 1944 30 August 1944 1944 07 02 1944 08 30 4 Generaloberst Carl Hilpert Hilpert, Carl 1888 1947 3 September 1944 10 March 1945 1944 09 03 1945 03 10 5 General der Infanterie Ernst-Anton von Krosigk Krosigk, Ernst 1898 1945 y 10 March 1945 16 March 1945 1945 03 10 1945 03 16 6 Porträt Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach.jpg General der Gebirgstruppen Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach Kirchensittenbach, Friedrich May 10th, 1945 (From the Soviet Information Bureau Our Victory) https://web.archive.org/web/20070530175957/http://eng.9may.ru/09.05.1945/eng_inform/m9004260 2007-05-30 part of the RIA Novosti 60 anniversary of surrender project https://web.archive.org/web/20070514183758/http://eng.9may.ru/eng_press/ May 14, 2007 1894 1989 17 March 1945 10 May 1945 1945 03 17 1945 05 10 References 16 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Category:Military units and formations established in 1939