6th Army (Wehrmacht)
| German 6th Army Armee-Oberkommando 6 |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 10 October 1939 – 3 February 1943 5 March 1943 – 6 May 1945 |
| Country |
 Germany
|
| Branch | Heer |
| Type | Field army |
| Size | 285,000 246,000 (18 December 1942) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Walther von Reichenau Friedrich Paulus |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 |
| Identification symbol |
Army insignia |
The 6th Army was a field army unit of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The 6th Army is still widely remembered for its destruction by the Red Army at the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942/43. It is also infamous for the war crimes (such as the massacre of more than 30,000 Jews at Babi Yar) it committed under the command of Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau during Operation Barbarossa in 1941.
Originally numbered as the 10th Army, this Army formed on 10 October 1939 with General Walther von Reichenau in command. Its primary mission was to guard the western defenses of Germany against British and French attacks during the Polish campaign. During the invasion of the Low Countries the 6th Army saw active service linking up with paratroopers and destroying fortifications at Eben Emael, Liège, and Namur during the Battle of Belgium. The 6th Army was then involved in the breakthrough of the Paris defences on 12 June 1940, before acting as a northern flank for German forces along the Normandy coast during the closing stages of the Battle of France.
The 6th Army took part in Operation Barbarossa as the spearhead of Army Group South. Reichenau died in an aircraft accident while being transported to a hospital after a heart attack in January 1942. He was succeeded by his former chief of staff, General Friedrich Paulus. Paulus led the 6th Army to a major victory at the Second Battle of Kharkov during the spring of 1942.
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Wikipedia