11th Army (Wehrmacht)
|
11. Armee 11th Army |
|
|---|---|
| Active | October 5, 1940 - November 21, 1942 November 26, 1944 - April 21, 1945 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Field Army |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Erich von Manstein |
The 11th Army (German: 11. Armee) was a World War II field army.
The 11th Army was activated in 1940 to prepare for the forthcoming German attack on the Soviet Union.
The 11th Army was part of Army Group South when it invaded the USSR during Operation Barbarossa. In September 1941, Erich von Manstein was appointed its commander. His predecessor, Colonel-General Eugen Ritter von Schobert, perished when his Fiesler Storch aircraft landed in a Soviet minefield.
At the start of Barbarossa, the 11th Army order of battle included:
The 11th Army was tasked with invading the Crimea and the pursuit of enemy forces on the flank of Army Group South during its advance into the Soviet Union.
The 11th Army order of battle included three Corps: XXX Corps, which was composed of the 22nd, 72nd and Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler divisions and the XI Corps, consisting of the 170th Infantry Division and the 1st and 4th Mountain Divisions; and LIVth Corps, consisting of the 46th, 73rd and 50th Infantry Divisions. The latter formation had been in charge of the advance into the Crimean peninsula earlier in September. The Romanian 3rd Army, three Mountain brigades and three cavalry brigades, were also under von Manstein's command.
Einsatzgruppe D was attached to the 11th Army.
The 11th Army fought in southern USSR from 1941 until mid-summer 1942 and laid siege to Sevastopol. It did not take part in Fall Blau when Army Group South attacked in Southern Russia towards the Caucasus and Stalingrad. The 11th Army cut the Soviets off from the sea at Sevastopol, thus sealing the fate of the remaining defenders. After a 248-day-long siege, an estimated 100,000 prisoners marched into captivity. For his achievements in this battle, Manstein was promoted to field marshal. A grateful Adolf Hitler also authorized the Crimean Shield to commemorate the efforts of the 11th Army. It was a costly victory, however: the 11th Army's casualties and materiel losses were so high it was no longer a viable fighting force in its own right. Manstein recommended that the 11th Army either cross the straits of Kerch and push into the Kuban area to aid in the capture of Rostov, or be placed into Army Group South reserve. Instead, part of the 11th Army, along with the heavy siege train, was transferred to Army Group North. Ordered to oversee Leningrad's reduction, Manstein transferred with them. The remainder of the 11th Army was parcelled out to Army Group Center and Army Group South.
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