XXXXI Panzer Corps (Germany)

XXXXI Panzer Corps (also written: XLI Panzer Corps) was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.

The corps was originally formed, as the XXXXI Corps, on 24 February 1940 in "Wehrkreis" VIII (Silesia). It was reorganised as the XXXXI Panzer Corps in 1942, becoming part of the Second Panzer Army of Army Group Centre.

The XXXXI Panzer Corps fought at Bely, in the anti-partisan operations at Nikitinka, Yartsevo, Vyazma, and Dukhovshchina. In March 1943, the corps fought at Smolensk, Kromy, and Bryansk. In April 1943, it fought in Sevsk, Trubchersk, and Ponyri. Later, the XXXXI Panzer Corps fought at the Battle of Kursk. During this period it transferred several times between the Ninth and Second Panzer Armies.

In June / July 1944 the corps was almost totally destroyed during the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration, and required complete rebuilding. As part of the reconstructed Fourth Army, it faced the East Prussian Offensive during January 1945. After a week of heavy fighting its divisions were trapped in the Heiligenbeil pocket on the Baltic coast, where they were eventually destroyed in March.

In common with several other of the "Wehrmacht" 'Panzer Corps', the XXXXI Panzer Corps only periodically had an actual panzer division in its establishment, and was generally composed of several standard infantry divisions along with artillery and support units.

Commanders

*10 July 1942 Colonel-General Josef Harpe
*15 October 1943 General of Artillery Helmuth Weidling
*19 June 1944 Lieutenant-General Edmund Hoffmeister
*1 July 1944 Helmuth Weidling (2nd time)
*10 April 1945 Lieutenant-General Wend von Wietersheim
*19 April 1945 Lieutenant-General Rudolf Holste

References

* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/KorpsPz/XXXXIPzKorps.htm] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved February 11, 2008.