German order of battle for the invasion of Poland


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 were divided into Army Group North and Army Group South.
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 BrauchitschChef des Generalstab des Heeres General der Artillerie Franz HalderChef der Heeresrüstung und Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres General der Artillerie Friedrich "Fritz" Fromm

Heeresgruppe Nord

Generaloberst Fedor von Bock
Heeresgruppe Nord's initial objectives were to capture the "Polish corridor" and drive southwards towards Warsaw from East Prussia

Army Group Reserve Troops

Directly subordinated to ''Heeresgruppe Nord''

3. Armee

3. Armee was based in East Prussia
General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler

4. Armee

4. Armee was based in Western Pomerania
General der Artillerie Günther von Kluge

Heeresgruppe Süd

Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt
''Heeresgruppe Süd's initial objective was to drive from Silesia towards Warsaw, and to destroy the Polish forces around Kraków ''

Army Group Reserve Troops

''Directly subordinated to Heeresgruppe Süd''

8. Armee

8. Armee was based in northern Silesia
General der Infanterie Johannes Blaskowitz

10. Armee

10. Armee was based in southern Silesia
General der Artillerie Walter von Reichenau

14. Armee

14. Armee was based in Moravia and Slovakia
Generaloberst Wilhelm List

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
German High Command Reserve

5. Armee

5. Armee was based along the Luxembourg and Belgium border
General der Infanterie z.V. Curt Liebmann

1. Armee

1. Armee was based along the French border
General der Infanterie Erwin von Witzleben

7. Armee

7. Armee was based along the French border
General der Artillerie Friedrich Dollmann

Supporting forces

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe - Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring

Kriegsmarine

On August 30 the Polish Navy, realizing what was about to happen, sent three destroyers 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 RaederChef des Stabes der Seekriegsleitung - Konteradmiral Otto Schniewind
Under Direct Control of Seekriegsleitung Admiral Graf Spee - Kapitän zur See Hans Langsdorff: en route to South AtlanticDeutschland - Kapitän zur See Paul Wenneker: North AtlanticAltmark - Kapitänleutnant der Reserve Heinrich Dau: operating with ADMIRAL GRAF SPEEWesterwald - Korvettenkapitän R. Peter Grau: operating with DEUTSCHLANDU 27 - Kapitänleutnant Johannes Franz: North AtlanticU 28 - Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke: North AtlanticU 29 - Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart: North AtlanticU 30 - Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Juluis Lemp: North AtlanticU 33 - Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky: North AtlanticU 34 - Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollman: North AtlanticU 37 - Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schuch: North AtlanticU 38 - Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe: North AtlanticU 39 - Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Glattes: North AtlanticU 40 - Kapitänleutnant Werner von Schmidt: North AtlanticU 41 - Kapitänleutnant Gustav-Adolf Mugler: North AtlanticU 45 - Kapitänleutnant Alexander Gelhaar: North AtlanticU 46 - Kapitänleutnant Herbert Sohler: North AtlanticU 47 - Korvettenkapitän Gunther Prien: North AtlanticU 48 - Kapitänleutnant Herbert Schultze: North AtlanticU 52 - Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Barten: North Atlantic

Marinegruppenkommando West

Oberbefehlshaber Marinegruppenkommando West - Admiral Alfred Saalwächter

Marinegruppenkommando Ost

Oberbefehlshaber Marinegruppenkommando Ost - Generaladmiral Conrad Albrecht