The German 9th Army was a field army of the German Wehrmacht that was active from 15 May 1940 to 1 May 1945 during World War II. The army was activated with Johannes Blaskowitz in command, and it served as a strategic reserve along the Siegfried Line during the Battle of France. In 1941, the army was heavily strengthened and assigned to Army Group Center during Operation Barbarossa, and it was on the northern flank of the German forces as they drove on Moscow. Many of the army's units were transferred to other depleted armies after the defeat at Moscow, and it would go on to fight at the Battle of Kursk before engaging in a fighting withdrawal to avoid encirclement during Operation Kutuzov. In 1944, the army received reinforcements and defended Bobruisk during Operation Bagration. In the Bobruisk Offensive, the army suffered nearly 80,000 casualties, including 65,000 prisoners; 40% of the army was destroyed in the summer of 1944. The army was then rebuilt by German units redeployed from Italy and took part in the defense of Warsaw during the autumn and winter of 1944. In early 1945, the army was tasked with defending the Seelow Heights, the last defensible region before Berlin. The army had just 100,000 men and 800 tanks, with Theodor Busse commanding them. The army held the line for 3 days before falling back towards Berlin, and it was encircled in a pocket in the Spree forest to the west of Frankfurt an der Oder. Busse attempted a breakout west to join up with the German 12th Army, but the army was destroyed at the Battle of Halbe. Some remnants crossed the Elbe at Tangermuende and surrendered to the US Army.