German XXXIX Panzer Corps
Encyclopedia
The XXXIX Panzer Corps ) was a German
panzer
corps
which saw action on the Western
and Eastern Fronts
during World War II
.
in Wehrkreis IX ) was formed (as the XXXIX. Armeekorps) in 1940 for the German invasion of France
, in which it was successively part of Gruppe Guderian
, the Second and First Armies.
, and 254th Infantry Divisions, 8th and 12th Panzer Divisions
In June 1941 the Corps was assigned to Army Group Centre
for Operation Barbarossa
, Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union
. It initially attacked towards Vilnius
and was then involved in the first Battle of Minsk. By August, it was assigned to Army Group North
for the attack on Leningrad.
Infantry Divisions; 1st Panzer Division, 5th Panzer Division
Late in the year the Corps was reorganised as the XXXIX. Panzerkorps. It was shifted to the Rzhev salient
, under the Ninth Army of Army Group Centre
, where it was involved in extremely heavy fighting.
.
, 110th and 337th
Infantry Divisions; Panzergrenadier Division Feldherrnhalle (reserve)
During June 1944 the XXXIX Panzer Corps took part in the defence against the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration; covering the strategically important highway through Mogilev, it was one of the strongest corps in the Army Group at the time, with four high-quality divisions. Soviet breakthroughs to the north and south saw the Corps threatened with encirclement within a matter of days, while the 12th Infantry Division was trapped in Mogilev and lost. The corps commander, General Robert Martinek
was killed on 28 June and his replacement Otto Schünemann
, was killed the following day. The Corps disintegrated at the Berezina crossings as its columns attempted to cross the river under heavy air attack; nearly all its units were destroyed by the 2nd Belorussian Front
in the subsequent encirclement east of Minsk
. The commanders of the 110th, 12th, 31st and Feldherrnhalle Divisions, von Kurowski, Bamler, Ochsner, and von Steinkeller, were all captured.
Remnants of the Corps were amalgamated with an ad-hoc battle group based on the 5th Panzer Division and commanded by Dietrich von Saucken
. Renamed XXXIX. Panzerkorps, it defended Minsk and then conducted a fighting withdrawal against subsequent stages of the Soviet strategic offensive through Belarus
, Poland
and Lithuania
, ending up in the Courland Pocket
. During this period, the rebuilt Corps was reinforced with the 4th and 12th Panzer Divisions as well as the Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland
, taking part in Operation Doppelkopf
.
Late in the year it was redeployed to East Prussia
before being reorganised and withdrawn for use in Operation Wacht am Rhein, the German offensive through the Ardennes
. It was assigned to Hasso von Manteuffel
's Fifth Panzer Army.
, the Corps was redeployed against the Soviet offensives in Pomerania
as part of the newly-organised Eleventh SS Panzer Army, Army Group Vistula
. It was employed in Operation Solstice
, the failed counter-offensive at Stargard
against the spearheads of the 1st Belorussian Front
.
On 27 March the Corps was thrown into a disastrous counter-attack to relieve the fortress of Küstrin
, and was almost entirely destroyed.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
which saw action on the Western
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
and Eastern Fronts
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1940
The Corps (whose home station was GothaGotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
in Wehrkreis IX ) was formed (as the XXXIX. Armeekorps) in 1940 for the German invasion of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, in which it was successively part of Gruppe Guderian
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
, the Second and First Armies.
1941
Organisation (June 1941): 20th, 96th96th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 96th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 25 September 1939 in Bergen near Celle.-Commanding officers:* General der Infanterie Erwin Vierow, 15 September 1939 – 5 August 1940...
, and 254th Infantry Divisions, 8th and 12th Panzer Divisions
In June 1941 the Corps was assigned to Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
for Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It initially attacked towards Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and was then involved in the first Battle of Minsk. By August, it was assigned to Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
for the attack on Leningrad.
1942
Organisation (October 1942): 78th and 102nd102nd Infantry Division (Germany)
-Organisation and history:The division was formed on 15 December 1940 in Wehrkreis II , in the 12th mobilisation wave, using elements of the 8th Infantry Division and the 28th Infantry Division....
Infantry Divisions; 1st Panzer Division, 5th Panzer Division
Late in the year the Corps was reorganised as the XXXIX. Panzerkorps. It was shifted to the Rzhev salient
Battles of Rzhev
Rzhev Battles is a general term for a series of World War II offensives launched during January 8, 1942—March 31, 1943 by the Soviet Red Army in the general directions of Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma against a German salient in the vicinity of Moscow, known as the "Rzhev meat grinder" for...
, under the Ninth Army of Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
, where it was involved in extremely heavy fighting.
1943
Army Group Centre evacuated the Rzhev salient early in 1943. During the autumn, the Corps took part in the defence against Operation Suvorov, withdrawing to positions east of MogilevMogilev
Mogilev is a city in eastern Belarus, about 76 km from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from the border with Russia's Bryansk Oblast. It has more than 367,788 inhabitants...
.
1944
Organisation (June 1944): 12th, 31st31st Infantry Division (Germany)
The German 31st Infantry Division, formed in October 1936, was made up of recruits from the Brunswick region of north-central Germany. The division’s emblem was a standing lion. The 31st Division saw combat in Poland in 1939, and then heavy fighting in Belgium and France in 1940...
, 110th and 337th
337th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 337th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 16 November 1940 in Kempten. The division was destroyed on the Eastern front in July 1944 and formed the stab of Divisionsgruppe 337 on 7 August 1944 which later was the basis of the 337...
Infantry Divisions; Panzergrenadier Division Feldherrnhalle (reserve)
During June 1944 the XXXIX Panzer Corps took part in the defence against the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration; covering the strategically important highway through Mogilev, it was one of the strongest corps in the Army Group at the time, with four high-quality divisions. Soviet breakthroughs to the north and south saw the Corps threatened with encirclement within a matter of days, while the 12th Infantry Division was trapped in Mogilev and lost. The corps commander, General Robert Martinek
Robert Martinek
Robert Martinek was an artillery officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, the Austrian Bundesheer and, during World War II, in the Wehrmacht Heer, who came to be regarded as one of the most skilled artillerymen of his generation.-Military service:Martinek was born on 2 February...
was killed on 28 June and his replacement Otto Schünemann
Otto Schünemann
Otto Schünemann was a Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
, was killed the following day. The Corps disintegrated at the Berezina crossings as its columns attempted to cross the river under heavy air attack; nearly all its units were destroyed by the 2nd Belorussian Front
2nd Belorussian Front
The 2nd Belorussian Front was a military formation of Army group size of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...
in the subsequent encirclement east of Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
. The commanders of the 110th, 12th, 31st and Feldherrnhalle Divisions, von Kurowski, Bamler, Ochsner, and von Steinkeller, were all captured.
Remnants of the Corps were amalgamated with an ad-hoc battle group based on the 5th Panzer Division and commanded by Dietrich von Saucken
Dietrich von Saucken
Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Kasimir Dietrich von Saucken was a general in the German army, the Wehrmacht Heer, during World War II...
. Renamed XXXIX. Panzerkorps, it defended Minsk and then conducted a fighting withdrawal against subsequent stages of the Soviet strategic offensive through Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, ending up in the Courland Pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
. During this period, the rebuilt Corps was reinforced with the 4th and 12th Panzer Divisions as well as the Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland
Großdeutschland Division
The Großdeutschland Division was an elite Heer combat unit of the Wehrmacht. The Großdeutschland was considered to be the premier unit of the German Army and as such it was one of best-equipped unit of the German Armed Forces, receiving equipment before all other units.- Early history -...
, taking part in Operation Doppelkopf
Operation Doppelkopf
Operation Doppelkopf and the following Operation Cäsar were German counter-offensives on the Eastern Front late in 1944 in the aftermath of the major Soviet advance in Operation Bagration....
.
Late in the year it was redeployed to East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
before being reorganised and withdrawn for use in Operation Wacht am Rhein, the German offensive through the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
. It was assigned to Hasso von Manteuffel
Hasso von Manteuffel
Hasso-Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel was a German soldier and liberal politician of the 20th century.He served in both world wars, and during World War II was a distinguished general...
's Fifth Panzer Army.
1945
After the defeat of the Ardennes offensive in the Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, the Corps was redeployed against the Soviet offensives in Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
as part of the newly-organised Eleventh SS Panzer Army, Army Group Vistula
Army Group Vistula
Army Group Vistula was an Army Group of the Wehrmacht, formed on January 24, 1945. It was put together from elements of Army Group A , Army Group Centre , and a variety of new or ad-hoc formations...
. It was employed in Operation Solstice
Operation Solstice
Operation Solstice , also known as Unternehmen Husarenritt or the "Stargard tank battle", was one of the last German armoured offensive operations on the Eastern Front in World War II....
, the failed counter-offensive at Stargard
Stargard Szczecinski
Stargard Szczeciński is a city in northwestern Poland, with a population of 71,017 . Situated on the Ina River it is the capital of Stargard County and since 1999 has been in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship; prior to that it was in the Szczecin Voivodeship...
against the spearheads of the 1st Belorussian Front
1st Belorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
.
On 27 March the Corps was thrown into a disastrous counter-attack to relieve the fortress of Küstrin
Küstrin
Before 1945 Küstrin was a town in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg in Germany, situated on both sides of the Oder river...
, and was almost entirely destroyed.
Commanders
- Generaloberst Rudolf SchmidtRudolf SchmidtRudolf Schmidt was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II who served as the Commander of the 2nd Panzer Army which was a huge armoured formation that operated on the Eastern Front. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(1 February 1940 – 10 November 1941) - Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von ArnimHans-Jürgen von ArnimHans-Jürgen Bernhard Theodor von Arnim was a German Generaloberst who served during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(11 November 1941 – 30 November 1942) - General der Artillerie Robert MartinekRobert MartinekRobert Martinek was an artillery officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, the Austrian Bundesheer and, during World War II, in the Wehrmacht Heer, who came to be regarded as one of the most skilled artillerymen of his generation.-Military service:Martinek was born on 2 February...
(1 December 1942 – 13 November 1943) - General der Infanterie Carl PüchlerCarl PüchlerCarl Püchler was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(13 November 1943 – 18 April 1944) - General der Artillerie Robert MartinekRobert MartinekRobert Martinek was an artillery officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, the Austrian Bundesheer and, during World War II, in the Wehrmacht Heer, who came to be regarded as one of the most skilled artillerymen of his generation.-Military service:Martinek was born on 2 February...
(18 April 1944 – 28 June 1944) - Generalleutnant Otto SchünemannOtto SchünemannOtto Schünemann was a Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
(28 June 1944 – 29 June 1944) - General der Panzertruppen Dietrich von SauckenDietrich von SauckenFriedrich Wilhelm Eduard Kasimir Dietrich von Saucken was a general in the German army, the Wehrmacht Heer, during World War II...
(29 June 1944 – 15 October 1944) - General der Panzertruppen Karl DeckerKarl DeckerKarl Gustav Adolf Decker was a German general in the infantry, serving during World War II. Trapped in the Ruhr Pocket, Decker committed suicide on 21 April 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(15 October 1944 – 21 April 1945) - Generalleutnant Karl ArndtKarl ArndtKarl Hermann Arndt was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(21 April 1945 – 8 May 1945)
27 March 1945 – Küstrin Counterattack
- Korps Stab
- Arko 140
- Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung 439
- Korps-Nachschub-Truppen 439
- Ost-Bataillon 439
- schwere-SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502
- Kampfgruppe 1001 NachtesGerman 1001 Nights KampfgruppeKampfgruppe 1001 Nights was a German Kampfgruppe formed on the Oder front during the final German offensive of the Second World War, taking part in the failed attack on Genschmar on 27 March 1945. During the attack, it was all but annihilated losing twenty-five of its forty-three panzerjägers and...
- Panzer-Division MünchebergGerman Panzer Division MünchebergPanzer-Division Müncheberg was a German panzer division which saw action on the Eastern Front around Berlin during World War II.- Formation :...
- 20.Panzergrenadier-Division
- 25.Panzergrenadier-Division
- Führer-Grenadier-Division
See also
- PanzerPanzerA Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
, Panzer DivisionPanzer DivisionA panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II.... - CorpsCorpsA corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
, Military unit - WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, List of German military units of World War II