18th Army (German Empire)

The 18th Army (German: 18. Armee / Armeeoberkommando 18 / A.O.K. 18) was an army level command of the German Army in World War I. It was formed against France on 27 December 1917 from the former Heeresgruppe Woyrsch command. It served exclusively on the Western Front and was dissolved on 2 January 1919.^[1]

18. Armee 18th Army
Flag of the Staff of an Armee Oberkommando (1871–1918)
Active	22 December 1917 – 2 January 1919
Country	German Empire
Type	Army
Engagements	World War I Spring Offensive Operation Michael
Insignia
Abbreviation	A.O.K. 18

History

18th Army was one of three armies (along with 17th Army and 19th Army) formed in late 1917 / early 1918 with forces withdrawn from the Eastern Front. They were in place to take part in Ludendorff's German spring offensive. The Germans had realised that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the overwhelming human and matériel resources of the United States could be deployed. They also had the temporary advantage in numbers afforded by nearly 50 divisions freed by the Russian withdrawal from the war (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk).

At the end of the war it was serving as part of Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz.^[2]

Order of Battle, 30 October 1918

By the end of the war, the 18th Army was organised as:

Organization of 18th Army on 30 October 1918[3]
Army	Corps	Division
18th Army	I Bavarian Corps	19th Reserve Division
		29th Division
		15th Reserve Division
		200th Division
		204th Division
		34th Division
	XXVI Reserve Corps	75th Reserve Division
		9th Division
		18th Division
		6th Bavarian Division
	XVIII Reserve Corps	231st Division
		238th Division
		81st Reserve Division
		2nd Division
		1st Reserve Division
		two thirds of 82nd Reserve Division
		5th Reserve Division
	XIV Corps	232nd Division
		237th Division
		11th Division
		221st Division
		105th Division
		87th Division

Commanders

18th Army was commanded throughout its existence by General der Infanterie Oskar von Hutier (previously commander of 8th Army).^[4]

Glossary

• Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.^[5]
• Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
• Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.

See also

• Germany portal

• 18th Army (Wehrmacht) for the equivalent formation in World War II
• German Army order of battle, Western Front (1918)

References

1. Cron 2002, p. 82
2. Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 187
3. Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 187
4. Cron 2002, p. 398
5. Cron 2002, p. 84

Bibliography

• Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.
• Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.