11th SS Panzer Army


The 11th SS Panzer Army was little more than a paper army formed in February 1945 by Heinrich Himmler while he was commander of Army Group Vistula.
Military historian Antony Beevor writes that when the 11th SS Panzer Army was created the available units at best could constitute a corps, but 'panzer army', observed Hans-Georg Eismann, 'has a better ring to it'. It also allowed Himmler to promote SS officers to senior staff and field commands within the formation. Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner was named its commander.
File:Advance through Germany - 5-18 April 1945.jpg|thumb|left|Situation 18 April 1945. With the complete destruction of Army Group B in the Ruhr Pocket by that date, 11th Army in the Harz Mountains became the only large cohesive formation on the western front capable of offering significant resistance.
After taking part in Operation Solstice east of the Oder River in February 1945, the army was assigned to OB West and reorganized in March 1945. Many of the units formerly subordinated to the 11th SS Panzer Army were transferred to the 3rd Panzer Army and other units were assigned to the 11th Army for operations against the Western Allies.
In early April, the 11th Army was assigned to strike west from Kassel to break the ring encircling the Ruhr pocket. After launching a few small hopeless and unsuccessful attacks against the American 3rd Army, the 11th Army retreated to the Harz Mountains
After defending the Weser River and the Harz Mountains, the 11th surrendered to the Western Allies on 21 April.

Orders of battle

February 1945

By 5 February the 11th SS Panzer Army, subordinated to Army Group Vistula, had the following units assigned to it:
By 1 March the 11th SS Panzer Army, subordinated to Army Group Vistula, had no units assigned to it.

April 1945

By 12 April the 11th SS Panzer Army was directly subordinated to OB West and had the following units assigned to it.