| Army Group Don | |
|---|---|
| German: Heeresgruppe Don | |
| Active | 21 Nov 1942 — 12 Feb 1943 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Heer (  Wehrmacht) |
| Type | Army group |
| Size | 3–5 armies |
| Engagements | Battle of Stalingrad |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Erich von Manstein |
Army Group Don (German : Heeresgruppe Don) was a short-lived army group of the German Army during World War II. It existed between November 1942 and February 1943 and was primarily concerned with the Battle of Stalingrad, which was concurrently fought.
After a large-scale Soviet counterattack, "Operation Uranus", had resulted in the encirclement of the German 6th Army, Adolf Hitler named Erich von Manstein as commander of a newly-formed "Army Group Don" on 20 November 1942. The new formation was to consist of 6th Army, 4th Panzer Army and the remnants of the Romanian 3rd and 4th Armies. [1] : 1031
Army Group Don was created from the headquarters of the Eleventh Army in the southern sector of the Eastern Front on 22 November 1942. Army Group Don only lasted until February 1943 when it was combined with Army Group B and was made into the new Army Group South. [2]
The only commander of Army Group Don during its short history was Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall ) Erich von Manstein. It consisted of the Sixth Army in the Stalingrad pocket, which included the encircled elements of the 4th Panzer Army, together with the Romanian Third Army. [3]
Zhukov stated, "We now know that Manstein's plan to rescue the encircled forces at Stalingrad was to organize two shock forces - at Kotelnikovo and Tormosin." The attempt "was a total failure." [4]
| No. | Portrait | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (1887–1973) | 21 November 1942 | 12 February 1943 | 83 days |
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by Army Group South of Nazi Germany against the Soviet Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Known to the German side as the Donets Campaign, and in the Soviet Union as the Donbas and Kharkov operations, the German counterstrike led to the recapture of the cities of Kharkov and Belgorod.
Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon was a German Generalfeldmarschall in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II.
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Operation Little Saturn was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942.
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The 8th Panzer Division was a formation of the WehrmachtHeer. The division was formed by reorganising the 3rd Light Division in October 1939. It was transferred to the west and fought in the Battle of France, in May 1940, and the German invasion of the Balkans in April 1941. Soon after the division advanced towards Leningrad under Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa, and would remain on the eastern front for the remainder of the war. Staying on defensive fronts, it saw action in the relief of Kholm in 1942, Orel and the withdrawals of Army Group Centre in 1943, until transferred to Army group South. The division then fought in a series of retrograde movements, back through Ukraine, into Hungary and finally into Silesia and surrender in May 1945.
The 12th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, established in 1940.
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The 88th Infantry Division was a major fighting formation of the German Army (Wehrmacht). It was created in December 1939, and first saw combat in the Battle of France, and was then posted to security duties. From December 1941, the division was shifted to the southern sector of the Eastern Front, where it fought until February 1944 when it was encircled near Cherkassy and virtually destroyed.
The 9th Flak Division was a Flak division of the German Luftwaffe in World War II which saw action on the Eastern Front. It is most notable for its role in the Battle of Stalingrad. Another formation with the same name was deployed to the Eastern Front and saw combat in the Kuban bridgehead.
The LIX Army Corps, initially known as the Higher Command for Special Deployment LIX was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The formation was active between 1940 and 1945.
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