German XXXVI Corps
Encyclopedia
The XXXVI Corps was a German
military formation in World War II
.
It was formed in October 1939 and took part in the invasion of France
. In August 1940 the corps was moved to southern Norway and from there to northern Finland
.
It took part in Operation Barbarossa
in mid-1941. It was part of the German AOK Norwegen (Army Norway) and was moved to northern Finland during June 1941. The XXXVI Corps took part in Operation Polarfuchs aiming to advance through Salla
to Kandalaksha
, and from there to Murmansk
.
In November 1941 the corps was renamed the XXXVI Gebirgskorps (Mountain corps).
In late 1944 the corps had to fight its former allies during their withdrawal from Finland
. The corps was forced to retreat from Finland back to Norway. The corps stayed the rest of the war in Norway and surrendered there in May 1945.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military formation in 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...
.
It was formed in October 1939 and took part in the 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 August 1940 the corps was moved to southern Norway and from there to northern Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
It took part in 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...
in mid-1941. It was part of the German AOK Norwegen (Army Norway) and was moved to northern Finland during June 1941. The XXXVI Corps took part in Operation Polarfuchs aiming to advance through Salla
Salla
Salla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
to Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha is a town in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the head of Kandalaksha Gulf on the White Sea, beyond the Arctic Circle. Population: 40,564 ; -History:The settlement has existed since the 11th century...
, and from there to Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
.
In November 1941 the corps was renamed the XXXVI Gebirgskorps (Mountain corps).
In late 1944 the corps had to fight its former allies during their withdrawal from Finland
Lapland War
The Lapland War were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province. While the Finns saw this as a separate conflict much like the Continuation War, German forces considered their actions to be part of the...
. The corps was forced to retreat from Finland back to Norway. The corps stayed the rest of the war in Norway and surrendered there in May 1945.
Commanders
- General of the CavalryGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Hans Feige (? - 30 November 1941) - General of the Infantry Karl WeisenbergerKarl WeisenbergerKarl Weisenberger 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...
(1 December 1941 - 10 August 1944) - General of Mountain troops Emil VogelEmil VogelEmil Wilhelm Vogel was a highly decorated General der Gebirgstruppe in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XXXVI. Gebirgskorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(10 August 1944 - 8 May 1945)
Area of operations
| Date | Area | Subordinate to | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 5, 1939 | 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... |
OB Ost | Fall Weiss |
| June 5–30, 1940 | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
AOK 16 | Fall Gelb |
| July 3 - October 4, 1940 | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
AOK 1 | |
| October 30 - December 19, 1940 | Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
Gruppe XXI | Operation Weserübung Operation Weserübung Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign... |
| December 19, 1940 - June 22, 1942 | Finland | AOK Norwegen | Operation Polarfuchs |
| June 22, 1942 - April 24, 1945 | Finland, Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
GebAOK 20 | Operation Birke Operation Birke Operation Birke refers to German operation late in the World War II in Finnish Lapland.-Background:Finnish attempts to find and acceptable exit from the war in spring 1944 alarmed Germans who had sizable stores in Northern Finland... |
Formations
- German 71st Infantry DivisionGerman 71st Infantry DivisionThe German 71st Infantry Division Kleeblatt was raised in August 1939. It served garrison duty on the West Wall until May 1940, and then joined in the invasion of France. Thereafter it served in the occupations of France and Luxembourg until September. From October 1940 through January 1941 the...
(to August 1940) - German 212th Infantry DivisionGerman 212th Infantry Division212th Infantry Division212th Volksgrenadier Division578th Volksgrenadier DivisionThe German 212th Infantry Division was raised in August 1939 and remainded on garrison duty in Germany until March 1941, when it spent three months as a coastal defense unit along the English Channel...
(to August 1940) - SS Division Nord (from June 1941 to July 1941, transferred to Finnish III CorpsFinnish III Corps (Continuation War)The III Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.The III Corps was responsible for the area stretching from the German XXXVI Corps in Lapland to the 14th Division near Rukajärvi....
) - German 169th Infantry DivisionGerman 169th Infantry DivisionThe German 169th Infantry Division was a German military unit during World War II.The division was formed in 1939. It took part in Operation Fall Gelb and stayed in France until being transferred to Finnish Lapland in 1941. The division was part of the German XXXVI Corps which also included SS...
- German 163rd Infantry DivisionGerman 163rd Infantry DivisionThe German 163rd Infantry Division was raised in November 1939. In April 1940 it was employed in the invasion of Norway, landing at Oslo, Kristiansand, Arendal, and Stavanger. Thereafter it remained on occupation duty in Norway until June 1941, when it was subordinated to the Finnish army to...
(from 1942) - Finnish 6th DivisionFinnish 6th Division (Continuation War)The 6th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.-History:The 6th Division was attached to the German XXXVI Corps in Northern Finland in 1941. As part of Operation Arctic Fox the division attacked with the SS Division Nord and German 169th Infantry Division against Salla...
(from June 1941 to 1942)
Units
- Panzer-Abteilung 211
- Panzer-Abteilung 40
- 16. RajaJK (Finnish Border guard company)
- 26. RajaJK (Finnish Border guard company)
- 46. RajaJK (Finnish Border guard company)