Army Group North Army Group North ( ) was a German strategic echelon formation , commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II . The army group was subordinated to the " Oberkommando des Heeres " ( OKH ) , the German army high command , and coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps , reserve formations , rear services and logistics . Formation . The Army Group North was created on the 2 September 1939 by reorganization of the 2nd Army Headquarters . Commander in Chief 27 August 1939 : GFM Fedor von Bock Campaign and operation history . Invasion of Poland . The first employment of Army Group North was in the Invasion of Poland of 1939 , where in September it controlled : The Army Group was commanded by Fedor von Bock for the operation . After completion of the Poland Campaign it was transferred to the Western Theatre and on the 10 October 1939 was renamed as the Army Group B , and consisted of : Operation Barbarossa . In preparation for Operation Barbarossa , Army Group North was reformed from Army Group C on 22 June 1941 . Army Group North was commanded by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb and staged in East Prussia . Its strategic goal was Leningrad , with operational objectives being the territories of the Baltic republics and securing the northern flank of Army Group Centre in Northern Russia between Western Dvina River and Daugavpils - Kholm Army Group boundary . On commencement of the " Wehrmacht ' s " ( the German armed forces ) Baltic offensive operation the Army Group deployed into Lithuania and northern Belorussia . It served mainly in Baltic territories and north Russia until 1944 . Commander in Chief 22 June 1941 : GFM Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Its subordinate Armies were deployed with the following immediate objectives : The Baltic offensive operation . All operational objectives such as Tallinn were achieved despite stubborn Red Army resistance and several unsuccessful counter - offensive s such as the Battle of Raseiniai , and the Army Group approached Leningrad , commencing the Siege of Leningrad . However , while the Baltic states were overrun , the Siege of Leningrad continued until 1944 , when it was lifted as a result of the Red Army Leningrad - Novgorod strategic offensive operation . In September 1941 , the Spanish Blue Division was assigned to Army Group North . Northern Russia offensive operation . Composition : October 1941 Nevsky Pyatachok Operation Nordlicht Northern Russia defensive campaign . Commander in Chief 17 January 1942 : GFM Georg von Küchler Composition : September 1942 December 1942 Demyansk Pocket Kholm Pocket Soviet Toropets - Kholm Operation Battle of Velikiye Luki Battle of Krasny Bor Baltic defensive campaign . Commander in Chief 9 January 1944 : GFM Walter Model Commander in Chief 31 March 1944 : Generaloberst Georg Lindemann Commander in Chief 4 July 1944 : Generaloberst Johannes Frießner Commander in Chief 23 July 1944 : GFM Ferdinand Schörner March 1944 Battle of Narva , consisting of : Combat in South Estonia , 1944 Soviet Baltic Offensive Battle of Porkuni Battle of Vilnius ( 1944 ) Battle of Memel After becoming trapped in the Courland Cauldron after 25 January 1945 , the Army Group was renamed Army Group Courland . On the same day , in East Prussia , a new Army Group North was created by renaming Army Group Center . On the 2 April 1945 , the army group was dissolved , and the staff formed the 12th Army headquarters . Campaign in East Prussia . Army Group North ( old Army Group Centre ) , was driven into an ever smaller pocket around Königsberg in East Prussia . On April 9 , 1945 Königsberg finally fell to the Red Army , although remnants of Army Group units continued to resist on the Heiligenbeil & Danzig beachheads until the end of the war in Europe . October 1944 November 1944 December 1944 Soviet East Prussian Offensive Battle of Königsberg Heiligenbeil pocket Campaign in West Prussia . Commander in Chief 27 January 1945 : Generaloberst Dr . Lothar Rendulic Commander in Chief 12 March 1945 : Walter Weiss Composition : February 1945 Soviet East Pomeranian Offensive Battle of Kolberg Courland Pocket On the 25 January 1945 Hitler renamed three army groups . Army Group North became Army Group Courland , more appropriate as it had been isolated from Army Group Centre and was trapped in Courland , Latvia ; Army Group Centre became Army Group North and Army Group A became Army Group Centre .