The 20. Gebirgs-Armee was formed 22 June 1942 by the redesignation of Armee Lappland.

The Armee Norwegen was dissolved on 18 December 1944; its component elements were absorbed by the 20. Gebirgs-Armee, which, having made a difficult withdrawal from Finland, assumed responsibility for garrisoning Norway. From 18 December 1944-8 May 1945, the commander of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee also served as the Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Norwegen.

The 20. Gebirgs-Armee surrendered to the British on 8 May 1945.

Commanders

Generaloberst Eduard Dietl (22 June 1942 - 23 June 1944) (1)
Generaloberst Dr. jur. Lothar Rendulic (25 June 1944 - 8 Jan 1945)
General der Gebirgstruppe Franz Böhme (8 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Chiefs of Staff

Generalleutnant Ferdinand Jodl (22 June 1942-1 Mar 1944)
Generalleutnant Hermann Hölter (1 Mar 1944-8 May 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberst Hugo Sittmann (22 June 1942-10 Apr 1943)
Oberst Hans Steets (10 Apr 1943-10 May 1944)
Oberst Friedrich Übelhack (10 May 1944-20 Dec 1944)
Oberst Raimund Hörst (20 Dec 1944-1 Feb 1945)
Oberst Friedrich Übelhack (1 Feb 1945-8 May 1945)

Area of operations

Finland (June 1942 - Dec 1944)
Norway (Dec 1944 - May 1945)

Holders of other notable badges & decorations

Holders of the Golden Party Badge (2)
- Generaloberst Eduard Dietl (30 Jan 1943)
- Generaloberst Dr. Lothar Rendulic (19 Sep 1944)

Order of battle (24 June 1942)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps (replacing Finnish III Corps on Kiestinki front)
Finnish III Corps
- Finnish 3rd Division
- SS-Division “Nord”
- Finnish Division J
- 1/3 163. Infanterie-Division
- verstärktes Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 139
- 7. Gebirgs-Division (part) (replacing temporary Finnish Division J which was soon suspended)
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 169. Infanterie-Division
- 2/3 163. Infanterie-Division
- Panzer-Abteilung 211
Gebirgskorps Norwegen
- 6. Gebirgs-Division + 1/3 214. Infanterie-Division
- 2. Gebirgs-Division
- 1/3 214. Infanterie-Division
- 69. Infanterie-Division (part)

Order of battle (22 Dec 1942)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- verstärktes Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 139
XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- SS-Gebirgs-Division “Nord”
- 7. Gebirgs-Division
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 169. Infanterie-Division
- 163. Infanterie-Division
- Panzer-Abteilung 211
XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 2. Gebirgs-Division + 2/3 214. Infanterie-Division
- 6. Gebirgs-Division
- Kommando 210. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (9 Apr 1943)

XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- SS-Gebirgs-Division “Nord”
- 7. Gebirgs-Division
- Polizei-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 18
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 169. Infanterie-Division
- 163. Infaterie-Division
- Panzer-Abteilung 211
XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 2. Gebirgs-Division + 2/3 214. Infanterie-Division
- Grenadier-Regiment 388
- verstärktes Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 139
- 6. Gebirgs-Division
- 210. Infanterie-Division
- Luftwaffen-Feld-Regiment 503
- Grenadier-Regiment 193

Order of battle (21 Aug 1943)

XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- SS-Gebirgs-Division “Nord”
- 7. Gebirgs-Division
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 169. Infanterie-Division
- 163. Infanterie-Division
- Panzer-Abteilung 211
XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 2. Gebirgs-Division + Grenadier-Regiment 388
- 6. Gebirgs-Division
- verstärktes Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 139
- 210. Infanterie-Division
- Luftwaffen-Feld-Regiment 503
- Grenadier-Regiment 193

Order of battle (15 June 1944)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- 2. Gebirgs-Division
- Kampfgruppe West (temporary rear area HQ for leading troops west from Lake Oulujärvi mainly on Oulu - Kemi - Tornio area, secured the flank of German troops in Finland)
XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 7. Gebirgs-Division (most)
- Divisionsgruppe Kräutler + 7. Gebirgs-Division (part)
- 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division “Nord”
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 169. Infanterie-Division
- 163. Infanterie-Division
- Panzer-Abteilung 211
XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- Kampfgruppe Ost (rear area HQ for securing Kolosjoki nickel ore mines)
- 6. Gebirgs-Division
- Divisionsgruppe Rossi
- 210. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (13 Oct 1944)

XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- Kampfgruppe West (rear area HQ)
- Divisionsgruppe K (Division z.b.V. 140)
- 7. Gebirgs-Division
- 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division “Nord”
- MG-Ski-Brigade “Finnland”
- Panzer-Abteilung 211 (- 1. Kompanie)
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 169. Infanterie-Division
- 163. Infanterie-Division
- 1./Panzer-Abteilung 211
XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- 6. Gebirgs-Division + Grenadier-Brigade 388
- 2. Gebirgs-Division
- 210. Infanterie-Division
- Divisionsgruppe van der Hoop (former Div.Gr. Rossi) (Grenadier-Brigade 193 + Grenadier-Brigade 503)
- Radfahr-Aufklärungs-Brigade "Norwegen"

Order of battle (31 Dec 1944)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- XVIII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
Armeeabteilung Narvik
XXXIII. Armeekorps
- 14. Feld-Division (L)
- 702. Infanterie-Division
- 295. Infanterie-Division
LXX. Armeekorps
- 280. Infanterie-Division
- 274. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (19 Feb 1945)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- Divisionsstab z.b.V. 613
- XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- MG-Ski-Brigade “Finnland”
- Panzer-Brigade “Norwegen”
Armeeabteilung Narvik
LXXI. Armeekorps
- 230. Infanterie-Division
- 210. Infanterie-Division + Festungs-Brigade Lofoten
- 199. Infanterie-Division + Grenadier-Brigade 503
- 7. Gebirgs-Division
XXXIII. Armeekorps
- 14. Feld-Division (L)
- 702. Infanterie-Division
- 295. Infanterie-Division
- 169. Infanterie-Division (in transit)
LXX. Armeekorps
- 280. Infanterie-Division
- 274. Infanterie-Division

Order of battle (1 Mar 1945)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- Divisionsstab z.b.V. 613
- XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- MG-Ski-Brigade “Finnland”
- Panzer-Brigade “Norwegen”
Armeeabteilung Narvik
XXXIII. Armeekorps
- 14. Feld-Division (L)
- 702. Infanterie-Division
- 295. Infanterie-Division
- 199. Infanterie-Division
LXX. Armeekorps
- 280. Infanterie-Division
- 274. Infanterie-Division
- 169. Infanterie-Division (in transit)

Order of battle (12 Apr 1945)

At the disposal of the 20. Gebirgs-Armee
- 7. Gebirgs-Division
Armeeabteilung Narvik
XXXIII. Armeekorps
- 14. Feld-Division (L)
- 702. Infanterie-Division
- 295. Infanterie-Division
LXX. Armeekorps
- 280. Infanterie-Division
- 274. Infanterie-Division
- Divisionsstab z.b.V. 613
XXXVI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps
- MG-Ski-Brigade “Finnland”
- Panzer-Brigade “Norwegen”

Other militaria

The Lapland Shield (Lapplandschild) was instituted to recognize the efforts of 20. Gebirgs-Armee, it was created in February 1945 and officially approved 1 May 1945.

Photo © Rusfront

Notable members

Franz Böhme (Generalmajor in the Austrian Bundesheer before the Anschluss)

Soldiers in the Rovaniemi area 1942

(Courtesy of Denis Barthel, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Soldiers in the Rovaniemi area 1942

(Courtesy of Denis Barthel, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Generaloberst Eduard Dietl and the Finnish General Oiva Willamo at Rovaniemi 29 September 1943

(Courtesy of SA-kuva)

Minister of Armaments and War Production and head of Organisation Todt Albert Speer visits Generaloberst Eduard Dietl in February 1944

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Generalleutnant Karl Weisenberg and General der Infanterie Dr. Lothar Rendulic in December 1944

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Footnotes

1. Eduard Dietl died 23 June 1944 in an aircraft crash.

Sources used

Research by Shawn Bohannon
Clyde R. Davis - The Wehrmacht and the Golden Party Badge (in Military Advisor, Vol 22, No 2)
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Gordon Williamson - German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939-45
Earl F. Ziemke - The German Northern Theater of Operations, 1940-1945

Reference material on this unit

Hermann Hölter - Armee in der Arktis: Die Operationen der 20. Gebirgsarmee nach der Kapitulation Finnlands im Herbst 1944