Organization
By June 1938, the OKW comprised four departments:
- Wehrmacht-Führungsamt (WFA) - operational orders.
- Abteilung Landesverteidigungsführungsamt (WFA/L) a subdepartment through which all details of operational planning were worked out, and from which all operational orders were communicated to the OKW.
- Amt Ausland/Abwehr - foreign intelligence
- Chief of Staff
- Zentralabteilung - central department
- Abteilung Ausland - foreign
- Gruppe I: Außen- und Wehrpolitik - foreign and defence policy
- Gruppe II: Beziehung zu fremden Wehrmächten - relations with foreign militaries
- Gruppe III: Fremde Wehrmachten, Meldesammelstelle des OKW - foreign militaries
- Gruppe IV: Etappenorganisation der Kriegsmarine
- Gruppe V: Auslandspresse - foreign media
- Gruppe VI: Militärische Untersuchungsstelle für Kriegsvölkerrecht - research service for international laws of war
- Gruppe VII: Kolonialfragen - colonial matters
- Gruppe VIII: Wehrauswertung - defence analysis
- Abteilung Nachrichtenbeschaffung - intelligence
- Gruppe H: Geheimer Meldedienst Heer - army intelligence service
- Gruppe M: Geheimer Meldedienst Marine - naval intelligence service
- Gruppe L: Geheimer Meldedienst Luftwaffe - air intelligence service
- Gruppe G: Technische Arbeitsmittel - technical equipment
- Gruppe wi: Geheimer Meldedienst Wirtschaft - economic intelligence service
- Gruppe P: Presseauswertung - media analysis
- Gruppe i: Funknetz Abwehr Funkstelle - radio communications
- Abteilung Sonderdienst - special service
- Gruppe I: Minderheiten - minorities
- Gruppe II: Sondermaßnahmen - special measures
- Abteilung Abwehr - counter-intelligence
- Führungsgruppe W: Abwehr in der Wehrmacht - counter-intelligence in the military
- Gruppe Wi: Abwehr Wirtschaft - economic counter-intelligence
- Gruppe C: Abwehr Inland - inland counter-intelligence
- Gruppe F: Abwehr Ausland - foreign counter-intelligence
- Gruppe D: Sonderdienst - special service
- Gruppe S: Sabotageabwehr - counter-sabotage
- Gruppe G: Gutachten - evaluation
- Gruppe Z: Zentralarchiv - central archives
- Auslands(telegramm)prüfstelle - foreign communications
- Gruppe I: Sortierung - sorting
- Gruppe II: Chemische Untersuchung - chemical testing
- Gruppe III: Privatbriefe - private mail
- Gruppe IV: Handelsbriefe - commercial mail
- Gruppe V: Feldpostbriefe - military mail
- Gruppe VI: Kriegsgefangenenbriefe - POWs' mail
- Gruppe VII: Zentralkartei - central register
- Gruppe VIII: Auswertung - analysis
- Gruppe IX: Kriegsgefangenen-Brief-Auswertung - analysis of POWs' mail
- Wirtschafts und Rüstungsamt - supply matters
- Amtsgruppe Allgemeine Wehrmachtsangelegenheiten - miscellaneous matters.
- Abteilung Inland - inland
- Allgemeine Abteilung - general
- Wehrmachtsfürsorge- und versorgungsabteilung - supplies
- Wehrmachtsfachschulunterricht - education
- Wissenschaft - science
- Wehrmachtsverwaltungsabteilung - administration
- General zu besonderen Verfügung für Kriegsgefangenenwesen - prisoners of war
- Abteilung Wehrmachtverlustwesen (WVW) - casualties
- Wehrmachtauskunftstelle für Kriegerverluste und Kriegsgefangene (WaSt) - information centre for war casualties and prisoners of war
The WFA replaced the Wehrmachtsamt (Armed Forces Office) which existed between 1935 and 1938. During this time Wilhelm Keitel had headed the ministry and Hitler promoted Keitel to head OKW under the title Chef des OKW, or Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. As head of the WFA, Keitel appointed Max von Viebahn although after two months he was removed from command, and this post was not refilled until the promotion of Alfred Jodl. To replace Jodl at Abteilung Landesverteidigungsführungsamt (WFA/L), Walther Warlimont was appointed.
The WFA was renamed as the Wehrmachtführungsstab (Wfst) in August 1940. In December 1941 further changes took place with Abteilung Landesverteidigungsführungsamt (WFA/L) being merged into the Wehrmacht-Führungsamt and losing its role as a subordinate organization. These changes were largely cosmetic however as key staff remained in post and continued to fulfill the same duties.
The OKW directed the operations of the German Armed Forces during World War II. The OKW was almost always represented at daily situation conferences (Lagevorträge) by Jodl, Keitel, and the officer serving as Hitler's adjutant. During these conferences situation reports prepared by the head of WFA/L would be delivered to Hitler and then discussed. Following these discussions, Hitler would issue further operational orders. These orders were then relayed back to WFA/L by Jodl along with the minutes of the meeting. These would then be converted into orders for issuance to the appropriate commanders.
Read more about this topic: Oberkommando Der Wehrmacht
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