The LXXXIV Army Corps (german: LXXXIV. Armeekorps) was an
army corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
of the German
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1944.
The LXXXIV Army Corps is most notable as the formation that guarded the landing grounds of the Allied
Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
.
History
Before the Allied invasion
The LXXXIV Army Corps was formed on 15 May 1942 by renaming ''Höheres Kommando z. b. V. LX''. In turn, the Higher Command z. b. V. LX had been formed on 15 October 1940 in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. The initial commander of the LXXXIV was
Hans Behlendorff
Hans Behlendorff (13 August 1889 – 16 March 1961) was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Awards and decorations
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 Oc ...
Army Group D
Army Group D (''Heeresgruppe D'') was a German Army Group which saw action during World War II.
Army Group D was formed on 26 October 1940 in France, its initial cadre coming from the disbanded Army Group C.
On 15 April 1941, the status of Army ...
, and stationed in
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
. Behlendorff was succeeded as corps commander by
Gustav-Adolf von Zangen
__NOTOC__
Gustav Adolf Karl Friedrich Ernst von Zangen (7 November 1892 – 1 May 1964) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a commander of the 15th Army in the Netherlands in 1944 during World War II. He was a recipie ...
on 1 April 1943. Zangen was succeeded as corps commander by
Erich Marcks
Erich Marcks (6 June 1891 – 12 June 1944) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He authored the first draft of the operational plan, ''Operation Draft East'', for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, ad ...
on 1 August 1943.
With the Allied invasion imminent, LXXXIV Army Corps reported in late May 1944 that only half of the winter programme had been fulfilled and that many coastal batteries were still left to be installed. By March 1944, between 50 and 80% of the required fortifications in the area of the LXXXIV Army Corps had been operational.
Shortly after midnight on 6 June 1944, Allied airborne landings began at the
Orne river
The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre.
The ...
and on the
Cotentin peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
. The LXXXIV Army Corps was subsequently put to high alert to react to the ongoing Allied invasion.
After 6 June 1944
Because of its position within the German
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...
, the LXXXIV Army Corps was the first formation to respond to the
Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
Dietrich Kraiss __NOTOC__
Dietrich Kraiss (16 November 1889 – 6 August 1944) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.
Military career World War I
On 24 March 1909 Krai ...
), headquartered at
Le Molay-Littry
Le Molay-Littry () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
History
On 23 January 1969 Le Molay (the old INSEE code was 14434) merged with the old commune of Littry to form ''Le Molay-Littry'', wh ...
Wilhelm Richter
Friedrich-Wilhelm Richter (1892–1971) was a German soldier. He was a general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He is most notable for commanding the 716th Infantry Division during the D-Day Landings in June 1944.
Richter was a son of the ...
), headquartered at
Caen
Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,
The forces available to the corps on invasion day were the:
* 243rd Infantry Division
* 319th Infantry Division
* 352nd Infantry Division
* 709th Infantry Division
* 716th Infantry Division
Of these, the 243rd, 319th, 709th and 716th were ''bodenständig'' (static), i.e. insufficiently equipped with motorized vehicles and intended for non-mobile operations. Only the 352nd Division did not carry the designation ''bodenständig'', and was the only formidable fighting force under control of LXXXIV Army Corps. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the 319th Infantry Division was guarding the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
and would be unavailable for the fighting in Normandy. The
21st Panzer Division
The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941–1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps ...
, although not directly subordinate to the LXXXIV Army Corps, was stationed nearby at
Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives
Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives (, literally ''Saint-Pierre on Dives'') is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Saint-Pierre-en-Auge.
.
On 12 June, corps commander Erich Marcks was killed in action. He was succeeded by
Wilhelm Fahrmbacher
Wilhelm Fahrmbacher (19 September 1888 – 27 April 1970) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded several corps, including VII Corps, XXV Corps and LXXXIV Corps, fighting on both the Eastern Front and Wes ...
, who was on 15 June replaced in turn by
Dietrich von Choltitz
Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz (; 9 November 1894 – 5 November 1966) was a German general. Sometimes referred to as the Saviour of Paris, he served in the Wehrmacht (armed forces) of Nazi Germany during World War II, as well as serving in ...
.
By 24 July, the Allied landing ground had expanded to include Caen,
Balleroy
Balleroy () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Balleroy-sur-Drôme.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Biardais'' or ' ...
, Saint-Lô and
La Haye-du-Puits
La Haye-du-Puits () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Manche Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of La Haye, Ma ...
. The LXXXIV, now supported by and supervising the II Parachute Corps, stood as part of the 7th Army on the left German flank north of
Coutances
Coutances () is a Communes of France, commune in the Manche Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France.
History
Capital of the Unelli, a Gauls, Gaulish tribe, the town was given the n ...
Twelfth United States Army Group
The Twelfth United States Army Group was the largest and most powerful United States Army formation ever to take to the field, commanding four field armies at its peak in 1945: First United States Army, Third United States Army, Ninth United Stat ...
beginning 1 August, broke the positions of the LXXXIV Army Corps and penetrated the German left. The Allied troops reached Countaces by 28 July, Granville and
Avranches
Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''.
History
By the end of the Roman period, t ...
by 31 July and advanced over
Pontaubault
Pontaubault () is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.
History
Patton's VIII Corps crossed the Pontaubault bridge on 1 August 1944 into Brittany following the success of Operation Cobra
Traffic
From 29 July 1901 to ...
into
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
beginning on 1 August. The LXXXIV Army Corps was hindered in its operational capabilities by the Allied bombing campaign against the French railways. At the beginning of the Allied operation, less than two days of fuel were available for the forces of the corps.
On 28 July, the LXXXIV Army Corps was ordered by
Paul Hausser
Paul Hausser also known as Paul Falk after taking his maiden name post war (7 October 1880 – 21 December 1972) was a German general and then a high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS who played a key role in the post-war efforts by former mem ...
, now in command of the 7th Army, to retreat southeast to strengthen the German frontline. As a result, there were even fewer German forces on the southern flank to oppose the advancing American forces.
Choltitz was replaced as corps commander by
Otto Elfeldt
Otto Elfeldt (10 October 1895 – 23 October 1982) was a German general during World War II and a POW at Trent Park. He was also a recipient of the German Cross in Gold of Nazi Germany.
Career
He was commander of the 302nd Infantry Division i ...
on 30 July. Elfeldt later gave testimony about his time as commander of the LXXXIV Army Corps to British historian B. H. Liddell Hart.
Günther von Kluge
Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge (30 October 1882 – 19 August 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II who held commands on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He commanded the 4th Army of the Wehrmacht during the invasion o ...
, commander of
Army Group D
Army Group D (''Heeresgruppe D'') was a German Army Group which saw action during World War II.
Army Group D was formed on 26 October 1940 in France, its initial cadre coming from the disbanded Army Group C.
On 15 April 1941, the status of Army ...
, blamed Choltitz for the German defeat in Normandy and thus saw him removed in favor of Elfeldt.
By 5 August, the LXXXIV Army Corps had been forced back to
Barenton
Barenton () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
*Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine
Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel r ...
and
Le Teilleul
Le Teilleul () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, the former communes of Ferrières, Heussé, Husson and Sainte-Marie-du-Bois were merged into Le Teilleul.XLVII Panzer Corps
XLVII Panzer Corps (also: 47th Panzer Corps or XXXXVII. ''Panzerkorps'' or XXXXVII Panzer Corps) was a panzer corps of the German Army in World War II that was formerly designated as XLVII Corps. Various formations of the corps fought in the Fren ...
Javron-les-Chapelles
Javron-les-Chapelles () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Mayenne department
The following is a list of the 240 communes of the Mayenne department of France.
The communes cooperate in ...
and marched south of the 7th Army to capture
Beaumont-sur-Sarthe
Beaumont-sur-Sarthe (, literally ''Beaumont on Sarthe (river), Sarthe''; pre-French Revolution, revolutionary name: ''Beaumont-le-Vicomte'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Sarthe Departments of France, department and Pays de la Loire Regi ...
by 10 August while the VII U.S. Corps pinned down the Germans at Javron. Having captured Beaumont, the XV and XX U.S. Corps could advance effectively unhindered into the territory southeast of the German positions. The XV corps captured
Carrouges
Carrouges () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.
The inhabitants are known as ''Carrougiens'' and ''Carrougiennes''.Alençon
Alençon (, , ; nrf, Alençoun) is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon (with 52,000 people).
History
The name of Alençon is firs ...
and
Mortagne-au-Perche
Mortagne-au-Perche () is a commune in the Orne department in Normandy, north-western France.
Heraldry
Population
People
*Geoffrey II, Count of Perche and Mortagne, grandfather of Queen Margaret of L'Aigle.
* Marie of Armagnac, duchess of Al ...
and attacked
Argentan
Argentan () is a commune and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in northwestern France.
Argentan is located NE of Rennes, ENE of the Mont Saint-Michel, SE of Cherbourg, SSE of Caen, SW of Rouen and N ...
by 16 August, whereas the XX Corps, with the XII U.S. Corps on its right starting on 13 August, reached
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
by 16 August, the same day that the XII Corps further south took
Orléans
Orléans (;"Orleans" (US) and
By 16 August, the German forces were stuck in a small cauldron between
Falaise
Falaise may refer to:
Places
* Falaise, Ardennes, France
* Falaise, Calvados, France
** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War
* La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France
* The Falaise escarpment in Quebe ...
, Chambois and Argentan, with the LXXXIV Army Corps and its superior 7th Army stuck just east of Flers and
Condé-sur-Noireau
Condé-sur-Noireau () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Condé-en-Normandie. It is situated on the River. In the fifteenth cent ...
. A German relief thrust allowed parts of the 7th Army to escape on 20 August, after which the Germans took a new defensive line far to the northeast, from
Elbeuf
Elbeuf () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A light industrial town situated by the banks of the Seine some south of Rouen at the junction of the D7, D321 and the D313 roads.
The c ...
over
Les Andelys
Les Andelys (; Norman: ''Les Aundelys'') is a commune in the northern French department of Eure, in Normandy.
Geography
It lies on the Seine, about northeast of Évreux.
The commune is divided into two parts, Grand-Andely (located about from ...
to
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
by 25 August. The Allied
Liberation of Paris
The liberation of Paris (french: Libération de Paris) was a military battle that took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the German garrison surrendered the French capital on 25 August 1944. Paris had been occupied by Nazi Germ ...
was completed on that day.
The LXXXIV Army Corps did however not escape from the Falaise Pocket. Otto Elfeldt was taken prisoner on 29 August.
Starting in September 1944, the LXXXIV Army Corps was marked as ''status unknown'' (german: Verbleib unbekannt, link=no) in German documents. The corps was formally dissolved on 2 November 1944.
Structure
Noteworthy individuals
* General der Kavallerie
Rudolf Koch-Erpach
Rudolf Koch-Erpach (9 April 1886 – 28 November 1971) was a German general during World War II who commanded the LVI Panzer Corps and the 1st Army.
Biography
Koch-Erpach was born in Munich, and eventually rose to the rank of general. In 1 ...
,corps commander of LX Army Corps Z.b.H. (1. October 1940 - 1 March 1941)
* General der Infanterie Max von Viebahn, corps commander of LX Army Corps Z.b.H. (1 March - 1 December 1941)
* General der Artillerie
Hans Behlendorff
Hans Behlendorff (13 August 1889 – 16 March 1961) was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Awards and decorations
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 Oc ...
, corps commander of LX Army Corps Z.b.H. (1 December 1941 - 15 May 1942)
*
Hans Behlendorff
Hans Behlendorff (13 August 1889 – 16 March 1961) was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Awards and decorations
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 Oc ...
, corps commander of LXXXIV Army Corps (15 May 1942 – 1 April 1943).
*
Gustav-Adolf von Zangen
__NOTOC__
Gustav Adolf Karl Friedrich Ernst von Zangen (7 November 1892 – 1 May 1964) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a commander of the 15th Army in the Netherlands in 1944 during World War II. He was a recipie ...
, corps commander of LXXXIV Army Corps (1 April 1943 – 1 August 1943).
*
Erich Marcks
Erich Marcks (6 June 1891 – 12 June 1944) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He authored the first draft of the operational plan, ''Operation Draft East'', for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, ad ...
, corps commander of LXXXIV Army Corps (1 August 1943 – 12 June 1944). Killed in action on 12 June 1944.
*
Wilhelm Fahrmbacher
Wilhelm Fahrmbacher (19 September 1888 – 27 April 1970) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded several corps, including VII Corps, XXV Corps and LXXXIV Corps, fighting on both the Eastern Front and Wes ...
, corps commander of LXXXIV Army Corps (12 June 1944 – 15 June 1944).
*
Dietrich von Choltitz
Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz (; 9 November 1894 – 5 November 1966) was a German general. Sometimes referred to as the Saviour of Paris, he served in the Wehrmacht (armed forces) of Nazi Germany during World War II, as well as serving in ...
, corps commander of LXXXIV Army Corps (15 June 1944 – 30 July 1944).
*
Otto Elfeldt
Otto Elfeldt (10 October 1895 – 23 October 1982) was a German general during World War II and a POW at Trent Park. He was also a recipient of the German Cross in Gold of Nazi Germany.
Career
He was commander of the 302nd Infantry Division i ...
, corps commander of LXXXIV Army Corps (30 July 1944 – 20 August 1944).