Under the German military system the basic principle is unity of command at all levels. Thus the Army, Navy, and Air Force are considered branches of a single service, the Armed Forces (Wehrmacht). This joint High Command is responsible for the whole preparation of defense in time of peace and for the general conduct of war; it appoints commands for the joint task forces in the field and sees to it that the efforts of the three branches of the armed forces are thoroughly coordinated.
In time of war the Armed Forces High Command, as well as the High Command of each of the three branches establishes a field headquarters away from Berlin for the conduct of operations. Its location at any given time depends on the theater to which the main attention is being directed. In the case of the Navy, it is usually at one of the naval bases while the headquarters of the Army, the Air Force and the Armed Forces have been in close proximity to each otherat various points since the spring of 1941. The Commander-in-Chief and the bulk of the General Staff of each High Command are stationed at field headquarters, while the non-operational branches back in the Zone of the Interior continue to handle all basic administrative matters, procurement, mobilization, training and replacement of personnel, and equipment.
Hitler is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht). His Deputy as such is General Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel, Chief of the Armed Forces High Command (Chef des Oberkommando der Wehrmacht).
Under the Armed Forces High Command the functions of the joint general staff are performed by what is known as the Armed Forces Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstaf-W.F.St).
The field headquarters of the Armed Forces High Command which includes the principal sections of the Armed Forces Operations Staff is known as the Führerhauptquartier. During the Polish campaign it was stationed between Berlin and the Polish Frontier, moving to the Rhineland for the Western campaign in 1940, back to the East in 1941, and again to the West in 1944. Hitler's headquarters (Führerhauptquartier) is believed to have moved recently to southern Germany where it is probably located in the vicinity of Berchtesgaden.
The personnel of the Armed Forces High Command is drawn from all three branches, but the Army naturally has the largest representation.
The name of a command, organization, or unit deriving from the Armed Forces High Command is often prefixed by Wehrmacht- or Führungs in order to distinguish it from a similar command, organization, or unit in one of the three branches.
Since December 1941, when von Brauchitsch was dismissed as Commander-in-Chief of the Army (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), and Hitler took direct control of the Army, the field headquarters of the Army High Command virtually has been merged with that of the Armed Forces High Command. The functions of the two, however, have remained distinct, and there has been no personal union except at the top. Keitel acts as Hitler's deputy in the latter's capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Army as well as in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Figure 1.—German designations of Stf Offs and Secs in the higher echelons.
Figure 2.—Overall field organization
1. The highest echelon of the High Command framework now consists of 12 army groups.2. Each army group has two to four armies. There are three types of armies: ordinary armies, Panzer armies and one parachute army.3. Each army has two to seven corps. There are six types of corps: Infantry; Mountain; Panzer; Parachute; Corps Commando and Reserve.4. Each corps has two to seven divisions.5. For the different type of divisions see charts, Section V.6. Organic army group troops are—besides the army group signal regiment—various staffs and units dealing with administrative and operational matters within its territory, including the rear area. Organic army troops are—besides the army signal regiment—carious police units, supply staffs, a field post office and a propaganda company. Organic corps troops are—besides the corps signal battalion—a police detachment, a supply staff, a bridge column, a map-printing unit, a medical company, a veterinary company, a field post office and various other services.7. Attached troops vary according to mission. (For the types of GHQ units see Sections VI and VII)
For the organization of the Armed Forces High Command see Figure 4, Chapter 1.
For the organization of the Army High Command see Figure 5, Chapter 1.
The Führerhauptquartier is frequently located in special trains. It is at all times well protected against air or land attacks by crack SS units. In addition to those the following two units of the elite army motorized division, the Grossdeutschland Panzer Grenadier Division, have been temporarily charged with that protection and were therefore awarded the honor of including "The Führer" in their unit designation. These units are:
The Führer Escort Brigade, which consists of three infantry battalions, one artillery battalion, one tank regiment (including one battalion of Pz. Kpfw. IV and one battalion of assault guns), and one engineer company;
The Führer Grenadier Brigade which consists of:
Two infantry battalions (one motorized and one armored); one battalion of self-propelled artillery; one assault gun company; one Panther tank battalion.