German 10th Army

The German 10th Army (10. Armee) was one of the several armies fielded by the Wehrmacht during World War II. It was created in early August 1939, a few weeks before the greatest armed struggle broke out. It was put under the command of Walter von Reichenau. For the German Invasion of Poland (Fall Weiss), on September 1, 1939, the 10th Army, along with the 8th Army, was part of Army Group South, which was led by Gerd von Rundstedt.

For the Polish Campaign in 1939, the German 10th Army was composed of five corps and one reserve group; the IV, XI, XIV, XV, and XVI Corps, plus the Reserves. Each one of these army corps consisted of two divisions, one infantry and one mechanized division, while the Reserves included one Light Division and a reconnaissance regiment. Therefore, it was made up of 11 divisions. Each one of them had an artillery and a reconnaissance regiment. Before the invasion, it was originally deployed in southern Silesia. From this point, they poured into Polish territory eastwards, for about 150 km, then they swung north, towards Warsaw. After Fall Weiss, this large military unit would be deactivated.

Two days before the Allied invasion of Sicily was successfully concluded, on August 15, 1943, Adolf Hitler and the German High Command reactivated the 10th Army, which was put under the command of General Heinrich von Vietinghoff. The reason was that the Germans had immediately foreseen the Allies next move, which was the Allied invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno and Calabria. Upon reactivation, it became part of the German Army Group C, under General Albert Kesselring. To fight the Allied forces in Italy, the new German 10th Army was much stronger, as it consisted of the XIV Panzerkorps, which included the 1st Fallschirmjäger (airborne) Division, and the LXXVI Panzerkorps. In October 1944, after the fall of Rome in the hands of the Allies, Heinrich von Vietinghoff would be replaced by Joachim Lemelsen.

Below, The 10th Army's insignia