The 14. Armee was formed on 1 August 1939 from Heeresgruppenkommando 5 and took part in the invasion of Poland.
It was redesignated 12. Armee on 13 October 1939.

The 14. Armee was reformed on 18 November 1943 in Italy. It fought there for the rest of the war and surrendered on 2 May 1945.

Known war crimes

During the invasion of Poland Major Karl-Erich Schmidt-Richberg, Ic, reported on the actions of the Einsatzgruppen active in the area controlled by the 14. Armee and wrote in part:

Instead of fighting at the front, young [SS] men were demonstrating their courage against defenseless civilians. (1)

Generaloberst Wilhelm List wrote on 18 September:

There have been reports in the last few days about the lack of discipline, attacks, and summary measures instituted against the civilian population […] arbitrary shootings carried out without the judgement of a formal court-martial, the mistreatment of unarmed persons, rapes, [and] the razing of synagogues […] demonstrate a recognizable slacking in the bearing and discipline of the troops. (2)

Commanders

Generaloberst Wilhelm List (26 Aug 1939 - 13 Oct 1939)
Generaloberst Eberhard von Mackensen (18 Nov 1943 - 2 June 1944)
General der Panzertruppe Joachim Lemelsen (2 June 1944 - 15 Oct 1944)
General der Panzertruppe Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin (15 Oct 1944 - 24 Oct 1944)
General der Artillerie Heinz Ziegler (24 Oct 1944 - 22 Nov 1944)
General der Panzertruppe Traugott Herr (24 Nov 1944 - 16 Dec 1944)
General der Infanterie Kurt von Tippelskirch (16 Dec 1944 - 17 Feb 1945)
General der Panzertruppe Joachim Lemelsen (17 Feb 1945 - 2 May 1945)

Chiefs of Staff

Generalmajor Eberhard von Mackensen (Aug 1939 - 13 Oct 1939)
Generalmajor Wolf Rüdiger Hauser (20 Nov 1943 - 5 Feb 1945)
Oberst Henning Runkel (5 Feb 1945 - 2 May 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberst Otto Wöhler (Aug 1939 - 13 Oct 1939)
Oberstleutnant Gernot Nagel (18 Nov 1943 - June 1944)
Oberstleutnant Julius Boehncke (June 1944)
Oberstleutnant Gernot Nagel (15 June 1944 - 1 Jan 1945)
Major Hasso Zingler (1 Jan 1945 - 25 Jan 1945)
Oberstleutnant Gernot Nagel (25 Jan 1945 - 3 Apr 1945)
Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Schuster (3 Apr 1945 - 2 May 1945)

Area of operations

Poland (Sep 1939 - Oct 1939)
Italy (Nov 1943 - May 1945)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the German Cross in Silver (3)
- Schoder, Götz, 28.03.1945, Oberst, Armee-Nachrichtenführer AOK 14
- Volk, Paul, 20.04.1945, Hauptmann d.R. z.V., Bv.T.O. AOK 14
- Will, Dr. Erwin, 24.11.1944, Generalarzt, Armeearzt AOK 14
Holders of the Knight's Cross (1)
- List, Wilhelm 30.09.1939 Generaloberst OB 14. Armee

Holders of high awards (Armee-Truppen)

Holders of the German Cross in Silver (2)
- Böttger, Lothar, 26.04.1945, Oberstleutnant d.R., Kdr.d.Armee-Nachsch.Tr. 583
- Horster, Prof. Dr. Hermann, 05.04.1945, Oberfeldarzt, Armee-San.Abt. 520 / AOK 14

Order of battle (20 Nov 1943)

At the disposal of the 14. Armee
- 188. Reserve-Gebirgs-Division (forming)
- I. SS-Panzerkorps (forming)
LXXXVII. Armeekorps
- 356. Infanterie-Division
- 334. Infanterie-Division
LI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 371. Infanterie-Division
II. SS-Panzerkorps
- 71. Infanterie-Division
- Reichsgrenadier-Division Hoch- und Deutschmeister
- 162. (Turk.) Infanterie-Division
Korps Witthöft
- 90. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
- 362. Infanterie-Division (forming)

Order of battle (14 Dec 1943)

At the disposal of the 14. Armee
- 278. Infanterie-Division (forming)
- 188. Reserve-Gebirgs-Division (forming)
- 16. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Reichsführer-SS” (forming)
- LI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
LXXXVII. Armeekorps
- 356. Infanterie-Division
- 334. Infanterie-Division
II. SS-Panzerkorps
- 71. Infanterie-Division
- 162. (Turk.) Infanterie-Division
- Polizei-Regiment (mot) 14
Korps Witthöft
- 362. Infanterie-Division (forming)

Order of battle (14 Apr 1944)

At the disposal of the 14. Armee
- 29. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
I. Fallschirm-Korps
- 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division
- 65. Infanterie-Division
- 3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
LXXVI. Panzerkorps
- 362. Infanterie-Division
- 715. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (15 June 1944)

At the disposal of the 14. Armee
- 65. Infanterie-Division
- 92. Infanterie-Division
- 362. Infanterie-Division (in transit)
XIV. Panzerkorps
- 162. (Turk.) Infanterie-Division
- 90. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
- 29. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
- 20. Luftwaffen-Sturm-Division
I. Fallschirm-Korps
- 3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division (remnants)
- 26. Panzer-Division
- 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division
- 356. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (15 Aug 1944)

At the disposal of the 14. Armee
- 362. Infanterie-Division
- 90. Panzer-Grenadier-Division (part)
LXXV. Armeekorps
- Festung-Brigade 135
- 20. Luftwaffen-Sturm-Division + 16. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Reichsführer-SS” (most)
- 16. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Reichsführer-SS” (part)
XIV. Panzerkorps
- 65. Infanterie-Division
- 26. Panzer-Division
- 3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
I. Fallschirm-Korps
- 29. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
- 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division
- 356. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (16 Sep 1944)

XIV. Panzerkorps
- 16. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Reichsführer-SS”
- 42. Jäger-Division
- 65. Infanterie-Division
I. Fallschirm-Korps
- 362. Infanterie-Division
- 334. Infanterie-Division
- 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division

Order of battle (26 Nov 1944)

See Armee Ligurien

Order of battle (31 Dec 1944)

See Armee Ligurien

Order of battle (1 Mar 1945)

At the disposal of the 14. Armee
- 114. Jäger-Division (in transit)
LI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 148. Infanterie-Division
- 232. Infanterie-Division
XIV. Panzerkorps
- 94. Infanterie-Division
- 8. Gebirgs-Division
- 65. Infanterie-Division
- 305. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (12 Apr 1945)

LI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 148. Infanterie-Division
- 1a Divisione Bersaglieri “Italia”
- 232. Infanterie-Division
- 114. Jäger-Division
- 334. Infanterie-Division
XIV. Panzerkorps
- 94. Infanterie-Division
- 8. Gebirgs-Division
- 65. Infanterie-Division

Notable members

Rudolf-Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff (Active in the resistance against Hitler and also the one who in 1943 discovered the mass graves from the Soviet massacre of Polish officers in the Katyn forest)

Footnotes

1. "Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity" by Alexander B. Rossino, page 99-100.
2. "Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity" by Alexander B. Rossino, page 175.

Sources used

Research by Shawn Bohannon
Alexander B. Rossino - Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -