6th Panzer Army (Germany)

The 6th Panzer Army (6.Panzer-Armee) was a unit of Wehrmacht Heer, formed in the Autumn of 1944. The 6th Panzer Army is best noted for its leading role in the Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945). On 2 April 1945, it was transferred to the Waffen-SS. The 6th Panzer Army then became known as 6th SS Panzer Army (6.SS-Panzerarmee).

Although it didn't receive the SS designation until after the Battle of the Bulge, the SS designation came into general use in military history literature after the Second World War for the formation as assembled prior to that campaign.

After the Ardennes Offensive, the 6th SS Panzer Army was transferred to Hungary.

In March 1945, the 6th SS Panzer Army launched Operation Frühlingserwachen. This was the German offensive around Lake Balaton.

In April 1945, towards the end of the war, the 6th SS Panzer Army defended Vienna during the Soviets Vienna Offensive.

On 8 May 1945, the 6th SS Panzer Army was in Austria in the area between Vienna and Linz.

Commander

• SS-Oberstgruppenführer Josef Dietrich - 26 October 1944 to 8 May 1945 - Dietrich was captured by the Americans on 12 May 1945

Order of battle - Ardennes Offensive

Direct command of 6.SS Panzerarmee:

Skorzeny Brigade 150 - Kdr:SS-Ostubaf.Otto Skorzeny

Volks-Artillerie-Korps 388/402/405

Volks-Werfer-Brigade 4/9/17

2 Flak Division - Kdr:Oberst Fritz Laicher

246 Volks-Grenadier Division (reserve for Amree, 19.12.44) Kdr:Generalmajor Peter Korte

LXVII Armee Korps:

Kdr:General der Infanterie Otto Hitzfeld

272 Volks-Grenadier Division - Generalleutnant Eugen Konig

326 Volks-Grenadier Division - Kdr:Generalmajor Dr.Erwin Kaschner

2 Flak-sturm-Regiment

LXVI Armee Korps:

Kdr:General der Artillerie Walther Lucht

12 Volks-Grenadier Division - Kdr:Generalleutnant Gerhard Engel

62 Volks-Grenadier Division - Kdr:Generalmajor Fritz Warnecke

560 Volks-Grenadier Division - Kdr:Generalmajor Rudolf Bader

Korps Felber:

Kdr:General der Infanterie Hans Felber

18 Volks-Grenadier Division (1.1.45 attached) - Kdr:Generalmajor Gunther Hoffman-Schonborn

62 Volks-Grenadier Division (1.1.45 attached)- Kdr:Generalmajor Fritz Warnecke

Also included the I.SS Panzerkorps (SS-Gruf.Hermann Priess) and II.SS Panzerkorps (Kdr:SS-Ogruf.Wilhelm Bittrich)

References

• Trevor N. Dupuy, David L. Bongard, Richard C. Anderson Jr., Hitler's Last Gamble, The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945,1994, Harper Collins, pg 504. 1994. ISBN 0-06-016627-4.
• Axis History