Army Group North (Russian Front)

In the Operation Barbarossa German invasion of what became the Russian Front, Army Group North was one of the three major strategic-operational forces. It went through several changes of command.

Initial composition

The invasion force consisted of 20 divisions plus supporting units, under the command of Wilhelm von Leeb.

Army

• Eighteenth German Army (Georg von Kuechler))
• IV Panzergruppe (Erich von Hoepner)
• Sixteenth German Army (Ernst Busch)

Air (Luftwaffe)

• Luftflotte I (Alfred Keller)

Schutzstaffel (SS)

• Einsatzgruppe A (Franz Walter Stahlecker)

Commanders

Von Leeb was replaced by von Kuechler, who, in turn, was relieved by Walter Model. The reliefs all came directly from Adolf Hitler.