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Sixth United States Army Group

January 01, 1970

This article is about the United States Army Group. For the unrelated U.S. army, see Sixth United States Army.

The 6th United States Army Group was an Allied army group that fought in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Made up of field armies from both the United States Army and the French Army, it fought in France, Germany, Austria, and, briefly, Italy. Also referred to as the Southern Group of Armies, it was established in July 1944 and commanded throughout its duration by General Jacob L. Devers.

Sixth United States Army Group
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1944–45
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeArmy group
RoleArmy group headquarters
Sizec. 700,000 officers and men:[a] Seventh US and First French Armies
Part ofAllied Expeditionary Force
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Jacob L. Devers

In a lead role in Operation Undertone, its Seventh Army fought its way across the Rhine into Germany, captured Nuremberg and then Munich. Finally it crossed the Brenner Pass and made contact with the US Fifth Army at Vipiteno, Italy.[3]

History edit

The Sixth Army Group was originally created in Corsica, France (specifically activated on 29 July 1944[4]) as "Advanced Allied Force HQ", a special headquarters within AFHQ (the headquarters of Henry Maitland Wilson, the Supreme Commander Mediterranean Theatre) commanded by Lieutenant General Jacob L. Devers. Its initial role was to supervise the planning of the combined French and American forces which invaded southern France in Operation Dragoon and provide liaison between these forces and AFHQ.[5][6] Dragoon was the operational responsibility of the Seventh United States Army commanded by Lt. Gen. Alexander Patch.[5] Available to Patch were three corps (US VI Corps and French I and II Corps) and 24,000 Maquis of the Forces Francaises de l'Interieur.[6] The two French corps constituted French Army B commanded by Général Jean de Lattre de Tassigny[7] which was later renamed French First Army. Although Sixth Army Group Headquarters was officially activated on 1 August, it consisted of only the personnel of the Advanced Detachment AFHQ and, for reasons of security, retained the detachment title. The Advanced Detachment headquarters on Corsica had no command or operational duties and functioned primarily as a liaison and coordinating agency while preparing itself for the day it would become operational in France as Sixth Army Group headquarters.[4]

Devers' headquarters remained subordinate to AFHQ during the invasion and in the weeks immediately afterwards while operational control of the troops on the ground resided with Patch until his forces linked near Dijon, France, with Twelfth United States Army Group's Third Army advancing from the west after breaking out of the Normandy beachhead. At this time, on 15 September, Devers' headquarters was designated Sixth Army Group to take operational control of Seventh Army and French Army B and came under the overall command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander at SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces).[8]

In late 1944 and early 1945 the Sixth Army Group was involved in fierce fighting in the Alsace repelling the German advance during Operation Nordwind and subsequent pitched engagements closing off the Colmar Pocket. The 63rd Infantry Division was the first Seventh Army unit to cross the Siegfried Line, and the first to get an entire division through it. The 3rd Infantry Division suffered the highest casualty count of all US divisions, with over 27,000 casualties.

The Army Group later advanced through Bavaria, and eventually into western Austria in the waning days of the war. Elements of Sixth Army Group linked up south of the Brenner Pass on 4 May 1945 with troops of the Fifth United States Army of the Allied 15th Army Group advancing north from Italy.[3] Germany surrendered on 9 May 1945.

The Sixth Army Group effectively inactivated on 15 June 1945 when the US Seventh Army was selected, along with the Third Army, to form the occupation forces of Germany. It remained as an occupation and defensive force in southern Germany into the early 21st Century. It also occupied part of Austria until that country was released from occupation in the mid-1950s.

The French First Army reverted to the control of the provisional French government shortly after the surrender of Germany.

Devers relinquished command of the Sixth Army Group in late June 1945 when he was selected to take command of the Army Ground Forces in lieu of General Joseph Stilwell who was reassigned as commander of the Tenth United States Army following the death of General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.

The Sixth Army Group was officially inactivated on 20 July 1945.

Order of battle – 8 May 1945 edit

See also: Twelfth United States Army Group § Order of battle – 8 May 1945

Order of battle shifted frequently in the Sixth Army Group, but accelerated dramatically during its late-war push through southern Bavaria into the Austrian Alps to head off German establishment of a National Redoubt and close off passes to Nazi escape. Order of Battle on 8 May represents a significantly different disposition in some instances than in the weeks and even days leading up to it.

See also edit

Citations and notes edit

  1. ^ Zaloga, "Downfall 1945: the Fall of Hitler's Third Reich" p. 28
  2. ^ Cirillo p. 53, Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b Fifth Army History • Race to the Alps, Chapter VI : Conclusion [1] "On 3 May the 85th and 88th [Infantry] Divisions sent task forces north over ice and snow 3 feet deep to seal the Austrian frontier and to gain contact with the American Seventh Army, driving southward from Germany. The 339th Infantry [85th Division] reached Austrian soil east of Dobbiaco at 0415, 4 May; the Reconnaissance Troop, 349th Infantry [88th Division], met troops from [103rd Infantry Division] VI Corps of Seventh Army at 1051 at Vipiteno, 9 miles south of Brenner."
  4. ^ a b Clarke & Smith 1993, p. 30.
  5. ^ a b Clarke & Smith 1993, p. 28.
  6. ^ a b Jackson, pp. 176 to 178
  7. ^ Jackson, p. 176 (footnote)
  8. ^ Clarke & Smith 1993, p. 224.
  1. ^ At the end of the war, French forces in NW Europe amounted to around 450,000 men[1] while the Seventh Army had 230,000 during the Alsatian Campaign.[2]

References edit

  • Clarke, Jeffrey J.; Smith, Robert Ross (1993). Riviera to the Rhine. United States Army in World War II: European Theater of Operations. Washington DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.
  • Jackson, General Sir William & Gleave, Group Captain T.P. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO:1987]. Butler, Sir James (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume VI: Victory in the Mediterranean, Part 2 - June to October 1944. History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Uckfield, UK: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-071-8.
  • Toomey, Denis W. (2005). "Montelimar: Slaughterhouse on the Rhone". dogfacesoldier.org website. Tansi Publishing. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)

Further reading edit

External links edit

  • Narrative History of the 6th Army Group, SHAEF, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

January 01, 1970
sixth, united, states, army, group, this, article, about, united, states, army, group, unrelated, army, sixth, united, states, army, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, s. This article is about the United States Army Group For the unrelated U S army see Sixth United States Army This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Sixth United States Army Group news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2007 Learn how and when to remove this message The 6th United States Army Group was an Allied army group that fought in the European Theater of Operations during World War II Made up of field armies from both the United States Army and the French Army it fought in France Germany Austria and briefly Italy Also referred to as the Southern Group of Armies it was established in July 1944 and commanded throughout its duration by General Jacob L Devers Sixth United States Army GroupShoulder sleeve insigniaActive1944 45CountryUnited StatesBranch United States ArmyTypeArmy groupRoleArmy group headquartersSizec 700 000 officers and men a Seventh US and First French ArmiesPart ofAllied Expeditionary ForceEngagementsWorld War IICommandersNotablecommandersJacob L Devers In a lead role in Operation Undertone its Seventh Army fought its way across the Rhine into Germany captured Nuremberg and then Munich Finally it crossed the Brenner Pass and made contact with the US Fifth Army at Vipiteno Italy 3 Contents 1 History 2 Order of battle 8 May 1945 3 See also 4 Citations and notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory editThe Sixth Army Group was originally created in Corsica France specifically activated on 29 July 1944 4 as Advanced Allied Force HQ a special headquarters within AFHQ the headquarters of Henry Maitland Wilson the Supreme Commander Mediterranean Theatre commanded by Lieutenant General Jacob L Devers Its initial role was to supervise the planning of the combined French and American forces which invaded southern France in Operation Dragoon and provide liaison between these forces and AFHQ 5 6 Dragoon was the operational responsibility of the Seventh United States Army commanded by Lt Gen Alexander Patch 5 Available to Patch were three corps US VI Corps and French I and II Corps and 24 000 Maquis of the Forces Francaises de l Interieur 6 The two French corps constituted French Army B commanded by General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny 7 which was later renamed French First Army Although Sixth Army Group Headquarters was officially activated on 1 August it consisted of only the personnel of the Advanced Detachment AFHQ and for reasons of security retained the detachment title The Advanced Detachment headquarters on Corsica had no command or operational duties and functioned primarily as a liaison and coordinating agency while preparing itself for the day it would become operational in France as Sixth Army Group headquarters 4 Devers headquarters remained subordinate to AFHQ during the invasion and in the weeks immediately afterwards while operational control of the troops on the ground resided with Patch until his forces linked near Dijon France with Twelfth United States Army Group s Third Army advancing from the west after breaking out of the Normandy beachhead At this time on 15 September Devers headquarters was designated Sixth Army Group to take operational control of Seventh Army and French Army B and came under the overall command of General Dwight D Eisenhower the Supreme Commander at SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces 8 In late 1944 and early 1945 the Sixth Army Group was involved in fierce fighting in the Alsace repelling the German advance during Operation Nordwind and subsequent pitched engagements closing off the Colmar Pocket The 63rd Infantry Division was the first Seventh Army unit to cross the Siegfried Line and the first to get an entire division through it The 3rd Infantry Division suffered the highest casualty count of all US divisions with over 27 000 casualties The Army Group later advanced through Bavaria and eventually into western Austria in the waning days of the war Elements of Sixth Army Group linked up south of the Brenner Pass on 4 May 1945 with troops of the Fifth United States Army of the Allied 15th Army Group advancing north from Italy 3 Germany surrendered on 9 May 1945 The Sixth Army Group effectively inactivated on 15 June 1945 when the US Seventh Army was selected along with the Third Army to form the occupation forces of Germany It remained as an occupation and defensive force in southern Germany into the early 21st Century It also occupied part of Austria until that country was released from occupation in the mid 1950s The French First Army reverted to the control of the provisional French government shortly after the surrender of Germany Devers relinquished command of the Sixth Army Group in late June 1945 when he was selected to take command of the Army Ground Forces in lieu of General Joseph Stilwell who was reassigned as commander of the Tenth United States Army following the death of General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr The Sixth Army Group was officially inactivated on 20 July 1945 Order of battle 8 May 1945 editSee also Twelfth United States Army Group Order of battle 8 May 1945 Order of battle shifted frequently in the Sixth Army Group but accelerated dramatically during its late war push through southern Bavaria into the Austrian Alps to head off German establishment of a National Redoubt and close off passes to Nazi escape Order of Battle on 8 May represents a significantly different disposition in some instances than in the weeks and even days leading up to it nbsp 6th Army Group General Jacob L Devers nbsp Seventh Army Lieutenant General Alexander M Patch nbsp 12th Armored Division Major General Roderick R Allen nbsp 45th Infantry Division Major General Robert T Frederick nbsp 63rd Infantry Division Major General Louis E Hibbs nbsp 100th Infantry Division Major General Withers A Burress nbsp VI Corps Major General Edward H Brooks nbsp 10th Armored Division Major General William H H Morris Jr nbsp 44th Infantry Division Major General William F Dean nbsp 103rd Infantry Division Major General Anthony C McAuliffe nbsp XV Corps Major General Wade H Haislip nbsp 3rd Infantry Division Major General John W O Daniel nbsp 20th Armored Division Major General Orlando Ward nbsp 42nd Infantry Division Major General Harry J Collins nbsp 86th Infantry Division Major General Harris M McLaskey nbsp XXI Corps Major General Frank W Milburn nbsp French 2nd Armored Division Major General Philippe Leclerc nbsp 36th Infantry Division Major General John E Dahlquist nbsp 101st Airborne Division Major General Maxwell D Taylor nbsp French First Army General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny French 1st Corps Lieutenant General Antoine Bethouart nbsp French 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division Brigadier General Francois de Linares nbsp French 4th Moroccan Mountain Division Major General Rene de Hasdin nbsp French 9th Colonial Infantry Division Brigadier General Jean Etienne Valluy nbsp French 10th Infantry Division Brigadier General Pierre Billotte nbsp French 1st Armored Division Brigadier General Aime Sudre French 2nd Corps Lieutenant General Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert nbsp French 1st Motorised Infantry Division Brigadier General Pierre Garbay nbsp French 1st Infantry Division Brigadier General Jean Callies nbsp French 3rd Algerian Infantry Division Major General Augustin Guillaume nbsp French 14th Infantry Division Brigadier General Raoul Salan nbsp French 5th Armored Division Brigadier General Guy Schlesser Detachment Army of the Alps Lieutenant General Paul Doyen nbsp French 27th Alpine Infantry Division Colonel Jean Vallette d OsiaSee also editColmar Pocket Operation Dragoon Western Allied invasion of GermanyCitations and notes edit Zaloga Downfall 1945 the Fall of Hitler s Third Reich p 28 Cirillo p 53 Retrieved 16 August 2018 a b Fifth Army History Race to the Alps Chapter VI Conclusion 1 On 3 May the 85th and 88th Infantry Divisions sent task forces north over ice and snow 3 feet deep to seal the Austrian frontier and to gain contact with the American Seventh Army driving southward from Germany The 339th Infantry 85th Division reached Austrian soil east of Dobbiaco at 0415 4 May the Reconnaissance Troop 349th Infantry 88th Division met troops from 103rd Infantry Division VI Corps of Seventh Army at 1051 at Vipiteno 9 miles south of Brenner a b Clarke amp Smith 1993 p 30 a b Clarke amp Smith 1993 p 28 a b Jackson pp 176 to 178 Jackson p 176 footnote Clarke amp Smith 1993 p 224 At the end of the war French forces in NW Europe amounted to around 450 000 men 1 while the Seventh Army had 230 000 during the Alsatian Campaign 2 References editClarke Jeffrey J Smith Robert Ross 1993 Riviera to the Rhine United States Army in World War II European Theater of Operations Washington DC Office of the Chief of Military History Department of the Army Jackson General Sir William amp Gleave Group Captain T P 2004 1st pub HMSO 1987 Butler Sir James ed The Mediterranean and Middle East Volume VI Victory in the Mediterranean Part 2 June to October 1944 History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series Uckfield UK Naval amp Military Press ISBN 1 84574 071 8 Toomey Denis W 2005 Montelimar Slaughterhouse on the Rhone dogfacesoldier org website Tansi Publishing a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a External link in code class cs1 code work code help Further reading editHarry Yeide Mark Stout First to the Rhine The 6th Army Group in World War II Zenith Press 2007 ISBN 0 7603 3146 4 Decision at Strasbourg by David Colley In November 1944 the 6th Army Group reached the Rhine river at Strasbourg France Lt General Jacob Devers wanted to cross the Rhine into Germany but the plan was vetoed by General Eisenhower http www armchairgeneral com decision at strasbourg book review htm How World War II Wasn t Won Op Ed NY Times David Colley https www nytimes com 2009 11 23 opinion 23colley htmlExternal links editNarrative History of the 6th Army Group SHAEF Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sixth United States Army Group amp oldid 1162117567, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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