Abwicklungsstab
The OKH/Abwicklungsstab (Unit Inactivation Staff) was established after the loss of the 6th army at Stalingrad to determine the fate of the German Heer personnel, as replacement of the collapsed regular loss reporting system. The Abwicklungsstab communicated extensively with family members and military offices to establish the exact composition of destroyed units and whereabouts of their soldiers. Initially set up for the 6th army, its responsibilities were soon extended to deal with the losses of the A.Gr. Africa at Tunis, and later with those on the Eastern front in the summer of 1944. Since Nov. 1944, the Abwicklungsstab was responsible for all German casualties that could no longer be reported by military units themselves.
The Abwicklungsstab consisted of several working groups designated with the letters A to H:
Group A (Stalingrad 2.43)
Group B (Tunis 5.43)
Group C (A.Gr. Center 6/7.44)
Group D (Ob. West 7-
Group E (A.Gr. North-
Group F (A.Gr. South-
Group G (Befh. France/Belgium)
Group H (Balkans, in Feb. 1945 incl. in Group F)
©TF 2009-