Military unit
The 9th Army (German: 9. Armee / Armeeoberkommando 9 / A.O.K. 9) was an army level command of the German Army in World War I. It was formed in September 1914 in Breslau to command troops on the southern sector of the Eastern Front. The army was dissolved on 30 July 1916, but reformed in Transylvania on 6 September 1916 for the Romanian Campaign. It was transferred to the Western Front on 19 June 1918 where it was finally dissolved on 18 September 1918.[1]
History
First formation
The 9th Army Headquarters was established in Breslau on 19 September 1914 and commanded units drawn from the 8th Army, the Western Front and other units in Upper Silesia.[2] It was originally placed on the southern sector of the Eastern Front on the left flank of the 1st Austro-Hungarian Army.
Second formation
9th Army was reformed for the Romanian Campaign in September 1916. Along with the 1st Austro-Hungarian Army (1st A-H Army) it formed the Siebenburg Sector and had the following units:[5]
Romanian invasion of Austria-Hungary, August 1916
Central Powers counterattack, September–October 1916
Operations in Romania, November 1916 to January 1917
Commanders
The original 9th Army had the following commanders until it was dissolved 30 July 1916:[7]
A "new" 9th Army was formed in Transylvania for the Romanian Campaign on 6 September 1916. It was dissolved on the Western Front on 18 September 1918.[9]
Glossary
- Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.[11]
- Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
- Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.
See also
References
- ^ Cron 2002, pp. 80–81
- ^ Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 188
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 52 Formed on mobilisation with 8th Army but detached in Upper Silesia. On 4 September 1914 came under the command of 1st Austro-Hungarian Army. Joined 9th Army on 24 September 1914.
- ^ Cron 2002, pp. 101–102 Formed as a temporary division on 5 September 1914. Redesignated 18th Landwehr Division in December 1915.
- ^ Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 194
- ^ Despite its name, this was a division-sized formation.
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 396
- ^ Supreme Commander East (German: 'Oberbefehlshaber Ost')
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 396
- ^ The Prussian Machine Archived 4 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 5 February 2012 Below was nominally in command, but contracted pneumonia so von Eben remained in provisional command
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 84
Bibliography
- Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
- Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
