This article details the order of battle of German military units during the invasion of Poland in 1939.
The German army's forces for the invasion of Poland (codename Fall Weiss, English - "Case White") were divided into Army Group North (consisting of the German 3rd and 4th armies) and Army Group South (consisting of the German 8th, 10th, and 14th armies, and the Slovak Army Group Bernolak).
Army Group C was on the western border of Germany defending against a potential French attack. This order of battle is for 04:47 on September 1, after which things started to get shuffled.
Oberkommando des Heeres
Oberkommando des Heeres was the High Command of the Heer. It controlled everything related to the Heer: Personnel, Training, Recruitment, Armaments, Transportation, Supplies, Medical Services, etc. An ongoing problem was that each service branch was its own "kingdom" resulting in massive inefficiency.
Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres Generaloberst Walter von Brauchitsch
Chef des Generalstab des Heeres General der Artillerie Franz Halder
Chief of the General Staff of the Army was the head of all of the departments of the Heer except for the armaments section and the replacement army.
Chef der Heeresrüstung und Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres General der Artillerie Friedrich "Fritz" Fromm
Chief of Armaments and Commander of the Replacement Army controlled all army procurement and production, and all of the troops within Germany who were replacements for front line units.
Heeresgruppe Nord
Generaloberst Fedor von Bock
Heeresgruppe Nord's initial objectives were to capture the "Polish corridor" (4. Armee) and drive southwards towards Warsaw from East Prussia (3. Armee)
Army Group Reserve Troops
Directly subordinated to Heeresgruppe Nord
10. Panzer-Division (Generalleutnant Ferdinand Schaal)
Panzer-Regiment 8
Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 86, II./
Artillerie-Regiment (mot.) 29
I./ Aufklärungs-Regiment 8
73. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Dr.phil.h.c. Friedrich von Rabenau)
Infanterie-Regiment 170, 186, 213
Artillerie-Regiment 173
206. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Hugo Höfl)
Infanterie-Regiment 301, 312, 413
Artillerie-Regiment 206
208. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Moritz Andreas)
Infanterie-Regiment 309, 337, 338
Artillerie-Regiment 208
3. Armee
3. Armee was based in East Prussia
General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler
3. Armee Reserves
217. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Richard Baltzer)
Infanterie-Regiment 311, 346, 389
Artillerie-Regiment 217
1. Kavallerie-Division (Oberst Kurt Feldt)
Reiter-Regiment 1, 2
Radfahr-Abteilung 1
reitende Artillerie-Abteilung 1
I. Armeekorps
Generalleutnant Walter Petzel m.F.b.
11. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Max Bock)
Heeresgruppe Süd's initial objective was to drive from Silesia towards Warsaw (by 8. Armee and 10. Armee), and to destroy the Polish forces around Kraków (by 14. Armee)
Army Group Reserve Troops
Directly subordinated to Heeresgruppe Süd
56. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Karl Kriebel)
Infanterie-Regiment 92, 171, 234
Artillerie-Regiment 156
57. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Oskar Blümm)
Infanterie-Regiment 179, 199, 217
Artillerie-Regiment 157
252. Infanterie-Division (Char. Generallutnant z.V. Diether von Boehm-Bezing)
Infanterie-Regiment 452, 461, 472
Artillerie-Regiment 252
257. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Max von Viebahn)
Infanterie-Regiment 457, 466, 477
Artillerie-Regiment 257
258. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Walter Wollmann)
Infanterie-Regiment 458, 478, 479
Artillerie-Regiment 258
VII. Armeekorps (General der Infanterie Eugen Ritter von Schobert)
27. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Friedrich Bergmann)
Infanterie-Regiment 40, 63, 91
Artillerie-Regiment 27
68. Infanterie-Division (Oberst Georg Braun m.F.b.)
Infanterie-Regiment 169, 188, 196
Artillerie-Regiment 168
XXII. Armeekorps (General der Kavallerie z.V. Ewald von Kleist)
62nd Infantry Division (General Walter Keiner)
Infanterie-Regiment 164, 183, 190
213th Infantry Division (General Rene de l'Homme de Courbiere)
Infanterie-Regiment 318, 354, 406
221st Infantry Division (General Johann Pflugbeil)
44. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Albrecht Schubert)
Infanterie-Regiment 131, 132, 134
Artillerie-Regiment 96
45. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Friedrich Materna)
Infanterie-Regiment 130, 133, 135
Artillerie-Regiment 98
XVIII. Armeekorps
General der Infanterie Eugen Beyer
2. Panzer-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel)
2. Panzer-Brigade (Panzer-Regiment 3, 4)
2. Schützen-Brigade (Schützen-Regiment 2)
Artillerie-Regiment 74 (mot.)
4. leichte Division (Generalmajor Dr.iur. Alfred Ritter von Hubicki)
Panzer-Abteilung 33
Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 10, 11
Artillerie-Regiment 102 (mot.)
3. Gebirgs-Division (Generalmajor Eduard Dietl)
Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 138, 139
Gebirgs-Artillery-Regiment 112
Slovak Army Bernolak
Polní armáda "Bernolák" (Field Army Bernolak)
Generál 1. třídy Ferdinand Čatloš
1. Divise "Jánošík" (Generál 2. třídy Antonin Pulanich)
Pěší pluk 1, 4, 6
Dělostřelecký pluk 1.
2. Divise "Škultéty" (Podplukovník Ján Imro, (09.05.1939 Generál 2. třídy Alexandr Čunderlik))
Pěší pluk 3
Dělostřelecký pluk 2
3. Divise "Rázus" (Plukovník Augustín Malár)
Pěší pluk 2, 21
Dělostřelecký pluk 3, 4
Pěší pluk 5
Undergoing Organization and Training
Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland (Oberstleutnant Hunold von Stockhausen).
Heeresgruppe C
Char. Generaloberst z.V. Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
Heeresgruppe C's only duty was to protect the western border of Germany from any French attacks until stronger units could be sent back from the east. It was accomplished by deception. The units were generally under strength, most of the infantry unit were missing their heavy weapons platoons, and some entire battalions. There was almost no mobility, except for horses and bicycles. Some of the units were headquarters only to give the impression of a larger presence.
Army Group Reserve Troops
Directly subordinated to Heeresgruppe C
76. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Maximilian de Angelis)
German High Command Reserve
251. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Hans Kratzert)
253. Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant z.V. Friedrich "Fritz" Kühne)
254. Infanterie-Division (Char. Generalleutnant z.V. Friedrich "Fritz" Koch)
255. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Wilhelm Wetzel)
256. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Josef Folttmann)
260. Infanterie-Division (Char. Generalleutnant z.V. Hans Schmidt)
262. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Edgar Theisen)
263. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Franz Karl)
267. Infanterie-Division (Char. General der Panzertruppe z.V. Ernst Feßmann)
268. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Erich Straube)
269. Infanterie-Division (Generalmajor Ernst Eberhard Hell)
5. Armee
5. Armee was based along the Luxembourg and Belgium border
General der Infanterie z.V. Curt Liebmann
16. Luftlande-Infanterie-Regiment of the 22. Infanterie-Division
Kriegsmarine
On August 30 the Polish Navy, realizing what was about to happen, sent three destroyers (Błyskawica, Grom, and Burza) to the UK. The group was spotted the 30th in the southern Baltic Sea by U 31 and again, in the Skagerrak, by U 19 on 31 August. Since the war had not started they were unmolested. With the destroyers gone some of the ships deployed to the Baltic were recalled and some sent to the North Sea. The fleet was in the process of shifting its deployment when the war broke out. Later, the submarines Orzeł and Wilk also made it to the UK, while the Sęp, Ryś and Żbik, sought internment in Sweden.
Kriegsmarine - Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine Generaladmiral Erich Raeder
Chef des Stabes der Seekriegsleitung (Skl) - Konteradmiral Otto Schniewind
Chef der Flotte / Flottenchef - Admiral Hermann Boehm
Befehlshaber der Panzerschiffe - Vizeadmiral Wilhelm Marschall
Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfte - Vizeadmiral Hermann Densch
Führer der Torpedoboote - Konteradmiral Günter Lütjens
Führer der Unterseeboote - Kapitän zur See Karl Dönitz
Führer der Unterseeboote West - Kapitän zur See Karl Dönitz
Führer der Unterseeboote Ost - Fregattenkapitän Oskar Schomburg
Under Direct Control of Seekriegsleitung (Skl)
Admiral Graf Spee (Panzerschiff) - Kapitän zur See Hans Langsdorff: en route to South Atlantic
Deutschland {Panzerschiff} - Kapitän zur See Paul Wenneker: North Atlantic
Altmark (Troßschiff) - Kapitänleutnant der Reserve Heinrich Dau: operating with ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE
Westerwald {Troßschiff} - Korvettenkapitän R. Peter Grau: operating with DEUTSCHLAND
U 27 - Kapitänleutnant Johannes Franz: North Atlantic
U 28 - Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke: North Atlantic
U 29 - Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart: North Atlantic
U 30 - Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Juluis Lemp: North Atlantic
U 33 - Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky: North Atlantic
U 34 - Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollman: North Atlantic
U 37 - Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schuch: North Atlantic
U 38 - Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe: North Atlantic
U 39 - Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Glattes: North Atlantic
U 40 - Kapitänleutnant Werner von Schmidt: North Atlantic
U 41 - Kapitänleutnant Gustav-Adolf Mugler: North Atlantic
U 45 - Kapitänleutnant Alexander Gelhaar: North Atlantic
U 46 - Kapitänleutnant Herbert Sohler: North Atlantic
U 47 - Korvettenkapitän Gunther Prien: North Atlantic
U 48 - Kapitänleutnant Herbert Schultze: North Atlantic
U 52 - Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Barten: North Atlantic
Marinegruppenkommando West
Oberbefehlshaber Marinegruppenkommando West - Admiral Alfred Saalwächter
Kommandierender Admiral der Marinestation der Nordsee - Admiral Rolf Carls
Führer der Unterseeboote West - Kapitän zur See Karl Dönitz
At sea (North Sea)
Nürnberg (light cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Otto Klüber (Flag Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfte - Vizeadmiral Hermann Densch)
Köln (light cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Theodor Burchardi
Königsberg (light cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Kurt Caesar Hoffmann
Leipzig (light cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Heinz Nordmann
U 9 - Kapitänleutnant Ludwig Mathes
U 12 - Kapitänleutnant Dietrich von der Ropp
U 15 - Kapitänleutnant Heinz Buchholz
U 17 - Kapitänleutnant Heinz von Reiche
U 19 - Kapitänleutnant Hans Meckel
U 21 - Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim
U 23 - Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer
U 26 - Korvettenkapitän Klaus Ewerth
U 36 - Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Fröhlich
U 56 - Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Zahn
U 58 - Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch
U 59 - Kapitänleutnant Harald Jurst
At Wilhelmshaven
Scharnhorst {Schlachtschiff} - Kapitän zur See Otto Ciliax: Kriegsmarinewerft for modifications
Admiral Scheer {Panzerschiff} - Kapitän zur See Hans-Heinrich Wurmbach
Emden (light cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Werner Lange
Karlsruhe (light cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Friedrirch Rieve: refitting
2. Zerstörerflottille - Kapitän zur See Friedrich Bonte:
Paul Jakobi (Z 5) - Korvettenkapitän Hans G. Zimmer: refitting (Flag 2. Zerstörerflottille)
Theodor Riedel (Z 6) - Korvettenkapitän Gerhardt Bohmig
Hermann Schoemann (Z 7) - Korvettenkapitän Theodor Detmers
Karl Galster(Z 20) - Korvettenkapitän Theodor Bechtolsheim
4. Zerstörerflottille - Fregattenkapitän Erich Bey:
Hans Lody (Z 10) - Korvettenkapitän Hubert Freiherr von Wagenheim (Flag 4. Zerstörerflottille)
5. Zerstörerdivision - Korvettenkapitän Herbert Friedrichs:
Dieter von Roeder (Z 17) - Korvettenkapitän Erich Holtorf
Hans Lüdemann (Z 18) - Korvettenkapitän Herbert Friedrichs (Flag 5. Zerstörerdivision)
6.Torpedobootsflottille - Korvettenkapitän Georg Waue:
Iltis - Kapitänleutnant Heinz Schuur
Jaguar - Kapitänleutnant Franz Kolhauf
Leopard - Kapitänleutnant Karl Kassbaum (Flag 6. Torpedobootsflottille)
Luchs - Kapitänleutnant Eckart Prolss
Seeadler - Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartenstein
Wolf - Kapitänleutnant Lutz Gerstung
U 25 - Oberleutnant zur See Georg Heinz Michel: refitting
At Brunsbüttel
Gneisenau (battleship) - Kapitän zur See Erich Förste: Flottenflaggschiff
At Kiel
Schlesien {Linienschiff} - Kapitän zur See Kurt Utke
Admiral Hipper (heavy cruiser) - Kapitän zur See Hellmuth Heye: refitting
Blücher (heavy cruiser) - {Kapitän zur See Heinrich Woldag}: finishing at Deutsche Werke, commissioned September 20
Erich Koellner (Z 13) - Fregattenkapitän Alfred Schulze-Hinrichs: outfitting
Hermann Künne (Z 19) - Fregattenkapitän Friedrich Kothe
Wilhelm Heidkamp (Z 21) - Korvettenkapitän Hans Erdmenger: outfitting
5. Torpedobootsflottille - Fregattenkapitän Rudolf Heyke:
Albatros - Kapitänleutnant Herbert Max Schultze
Falke - Kapitänleutnant Günter Hessler
Greif - Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Verlohr
Kondor - Kapitänleutnant Hans Wilcke
Möwe - Kapitänleutnant Konrad Edler von Rennenkampf
U 2 - Kapitänleutnant Helmut Rosenbaum: refitting
U 8 - Kapitänleutnant Georg Peters: refitting
U 10 - Kapitänleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Schulz: refitting
U 13 - Kapitänleutnant Karl Daublebsky von Eichhain: rearming / departs September 2 (Nordsee)
U 16 - Kapitänleutnant Hannes Weingaertner: rearming / departs September 2 (Nordsee)
U 20 - Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Moehle: rearming / departs September 1 (Nordsee)
U 24 - Kapitänleutnant Udo Behrens: rearming / departs September 2 (Nordsee)
U 49 - Kapitänleutnant Curt von Gossler: training
U 51 - Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Knorr: training
U 53 - Kapitänleutnant Ernst-Gunther Heinicke: training
U 60 - Kapitänleutnant Georg Schewe: training
U 61 - Kapitänleutnant Jurgen Oesten: training
At Hamburg
Erich Giese (Z 12) - Korvettenkapitän Karl Smidt
At Bremen
Anton Schmitt (Z 22) - {Korvettenkapitän Friedrich Böhme}: finishing at DeSchiMAG, commissioned September 24
U 42 - Kapitänleutnant Rolf Dau: training
U 43 - Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Ambrosius: training