XXXXVIII Panzer Corps (also: XXXXVIII Army Corp or XXXXVIII. Armeekorps), was a

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 ...

-level formation of the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

which saw extensive action on both the

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

and Western Fronts during World War II.

History

The corps was originally formed on 15 December 1940 in Germany. At the dawn of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

, on 22 June 1941, it was redesignated as the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps. The Corps was attached to Field Marshal Ewald von Kleist's

Panzer Group 1 The 1st Panzer Army (german: 1. Panzerarmee) was a German tank army that was a large armoured formation of the Wehrmacht during World War II. When originally formed on 1 March 1940, the predecessor of the 1st Panzer Army was named Panzer Group ...

, a part of

Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...

. The corps took part in the Battle of Brody early in the campaign, and later saw action at

Berdichev Berdychiv ( uk, Берди́чів, ; pl, Berdyczów; yi, באַרדיטשעװ, Barditshev; russian: Берди́чев, Berdichev) is a historic city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center ...

and

Kirovograd Kirovograd (russian: Кировогра́д) or Kirovohrad ( uk, Кіровогра́д) may refer to: *Kropyvnytskyi, a city in Ukraine formerly named Kirovohrad **Kirovohrad Oblast, of which Kropyvnytskyi is the administrative center *Ganja, Azerb ...

. As did all German Corps on the Eastern Front, the XXXXVIII Corps implemented the criminal

Commissar Order The Commissar Order (german: Kommissarbefehl) was an order issued by the German High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, OKW) on 6 June 1941 before Operation Barbarossa. Its official name was Guidelines for the Treatment of Political Commissars ...

. From late 1941 to May 1942, the corps took part in defensive operations in the

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

area. Thereafter the corps joined the Fall Blau offensive towards Stalingrad under Army Group B. During the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...

the 29th Motorized Infantry Division (transferred to the IV Army Corps), the

14th Panzer Division The 14th Panzer Division (german: 14. Panzer-Division) was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II. It was created in 1940 by the conversion of the 4th Infantry Division. The division took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia ...

and the

24th Panzer Division The 24th Panzer Division was formed in late 1941 from the 1st Cavalry Division based at Königsberg. The division fought on the Eastern Front from June 1942 to January 1943, when it was destroyed in the battle of Stalingrad. Reformed, it once ...

(both transferred to the LI Army Corps) was trapped inside the Stalingrad pocket. The remaining major units,

22nd Panzer Division The 22nd Panzer Division was a German Panzer Division in World War II. It was formed September 1941 in France. It was transferred to the southern sector of the Eastern Front in March 1942. The 22nd was the last Panzer Division to be issued with ...

and 1st Armoured Division (Romania), were almost completely destroyed during

Operation Uranus Operation Uranus (russian: Опера́ция «Ура́н», Operatsiya "Uran") was the codename of the Soviet Red Army's 19–23 November 1942 strategic operation on the Eastern Front of World War II which led to the encirclement of Axis ...

. However, it was quickly reformed and used by Field Marshal

Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Field Marshal of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and ...

Operation Winter Storm Operation Winter Storm (german: Unternehmen Wintergewitter), a German offensive in December 1942 during World War II, involved the German 4th Panzer Army failing to break the Soviet encirclement of the German 6th Army during the Battle of Sta ...

efforts to relieve General

Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle ended ...

' trapped Sixth Army still in Stalingrad. In February 1943, the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps took part in the battles around

Kharkov Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

, and in June it was committed to the southern flank of the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...

as part of Hoth's

Fourth Panzer Army The 4th Panzer Army (german: 4. Panzerarmee) (operating as Panzer Group 4 (german: 4. Panzergruppe) from its formation on 15 February 1941 to 1 January 1942, when it was redesignated as a full army) was a German panzer formation during World War ...

. After the failure of

Operation Citadel Operation Citadel (german: Unternehmen Zitadelle) was a German offensive operation in July 1943 against Soviet forces in the Kursk salient, proposed by Generalfeldmarschall Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein during the Second World War on ...

, the corps took part in the retreat from Ukraine. By February 1945, the corps found itself in

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

, and it ended the war defending the

Elbe River The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

, where it surrendered in May 1945.

Commanders

* ''General der Panzertruppe''

Werner Kempf Werner Kempf (9 March 1886 – 6 January 1964) was a general in the German Army rising to corps-level command during World War II. Kempf is best known for commanding the Army Detachment Kempf during the Battle of Kursk. Career Kempf joined the ...

(22 June 1941 – 19 Feb 1942) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Rudolf Veiel Rudolf Veiel (10 December 1883 – 19 March 1956) was a German general (General der Panzertruppe) during World War II. Career Veiel joined the army 1904, and was commissioned as an officer in 1905, serving in the Württemberg cavalry during ...

(19 Feb 1942 – 1 Nov 1942) * ''Generalleutnant''

Ferdinand Heim Ferdinand Heim (27 February 1895 – 14 November 1977) was a World War II German general. War service Heim served during World War I and the post-war German army. He reached the rank of Oberst in August 1939, just before the start of the Second ...

(1 Nov 1942 – 19 Nov 1942) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Hans Cramer Hans Cramer (13 July 1896 – 28 October 1968) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Career Cramer enlisted in the Prussian Army on 10 August 1914 and served in World War I; he was retained in the Reichsheer. In September 1 ...

(19 Nov 1942 – 25 Nov 1942) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Heinrich Eberbach Heinrich Eberbach (24 November 1895 – 13 July 1992) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 5th Panzer Army during the Allied invasion of Normandy. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves o ...

(26 Nov 1942 – 30 Nov 1942) * ''General der Panzertruppe'' Otto von Knobelsdorff (30 Nov 1942 – 6 May 1943) * ''General der Infanterie''

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 ...

(6 May 1943 – 30 Aug 1943) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Otto von Knobelsdorff Otto von Knobelsdorff (31 March 1886 – 21 October 1966) was a German general during World War II who led the 19th Panzer Division and then held a series of higher commands. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Le ...

(30 Aug 1943 – 30 Sep 1943) * ''General der Infanterie''

(30 Sep 1943 – 21 Oct 1943) * ''General der Panzertruppe'' Heinrich Eberbach (22 Oct 1943 – 14 Nov 1943) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Hermann Balck Georg Otto Hermann Balck (7 December 1893 – 29 November 1982) was a highly decorated officer of the German Army who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of General der Panzertruppe. Early career Balck was born in ...

(15 Nov 1943 – 4 Aug 1944) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Walther Nehring Walther Nehring (15 August 1892 – 20 April 1983) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the Afrika Korps. Early life Nehring was born on 15 August 1892 in Stretzin, West Prussia. Nehring was the descendant of a ...

(4 Aug 1944 – 19 Aug 1944) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Fritz-Hubert Gräser __NOTOC__ Fritz-Hubert Gräser (3 January 1888 – 4 November 1960) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Awards * Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class ...

(19 Aug 1944 – 20 Sep 1944) * ''General der Panzertruppe''

Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim __NOTOC__ Maximilian von Edelsheim (6 July 1897 – 26 April 1994) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He negotiated the ...

(20 Sep 1944 – 31 Mar 1945) * ''Generalleutnant''

Wolf Hagemann __NOTOC__ Wolf Hagemann (20 July 1898 – 12 September 1983) 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. War crimes On 2 September 1944 the 541th division ...

(31 Mar 1945 – 8 May 1945)

General Staff Officers

*Oberstleutnant

Friedrich von Mellenthin Friedrich von Mellenthin (30 August 1904 – 28 June 1997) was a German general during World War II. A participant in most of the major campaigns of the war, he became known afterwards for his memoirs '' Panzer Battles'', first published in ...

, Chief of General Staff (Jan 1943 to Aug 1944) *Major Eitel-Friedrich Binder, Operations Officer(1a) (Feb 1943 to Aug 1943)

Subordinate units

XXXXVIII Motorized Corps * As of June 1941 (

) **

11th Panzer Division The 11th Panzer Division ( en, 11th Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II, established in 1940. The division saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during the Second World War. The 11th Panzer Div ...

16th Panzer Division The 16th Panzer Division (german: 16. Panzer-Division) was a formation of the German Army in World War II. It was formed in November 1940 from the 16th Infantry Division. It took part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in ...

** 16th Infantry Division (mot.) ** 612th Artillery Command ** 619th Artillery Command ** Corps staff and support units XXXXVIII Panzer Corps * As of August 1942 (''

Fall Blau Case Blue (German: ''Fall Blau'') was the German Armed Forces' plan for the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and 24 November 1942, during World War II. The objective was to capture the oil fields of the Cauc ...

'') **

29th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) The 29th Infantry Division was a unit of the German army created in the fall of 1936. It was based on the old Reichswehr 15th Infantry Regiment and drew its initial recruits from Thuringia. It was upgraded to 29th Motorized Infantry Division in ...

**108th Artillery Command ** Corps staff and support units XXXXVIII Panzer Corps * As of November 1942 **

** 1st Armoured Division (Romania) XXXXVIII Panzer Corps * As of December 1942 (reformed after loss in the

) **

** 336th Infantry Division ** Staff of the 384th Infantry Division, with "Alarm" troops **

7th Luftwaffe Field Division 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

** 108th Artillery Command ** Corps staff and support units * As of July 1943 (

) ** 3rd Panzer Division **

Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland The Panzergrenadier Division "Greater Germanic Reich, Großdeutschland", also commonly referred to simply as Großdeutschland or Großdeutschland Division, was an elite combat unit of the German Army (1935–1945), German Army (''Heer'') that fou ...

** 167th Infantry Division ** 132nd Artillery Command ** 144th Artillery Command ** Corps staff and support units * As of December 1943 ** 1st SS Panzer Division ''LSSAH'' ** Battle group of the 2nd SS Panzer Division ''Das Reich'' ** 1st Panzer Division **

8th Panzer Division The 8th Panzer Division was a formation of the ''Wehrmacht'' ''Heer''. The division was formed by reorganising the 3rd Light Division in October 1939. It was transferred to the west and fought in the Battle of France, in May 1940, and the Germ ...

** 19th Panzer Division ** 108th Artillery Command ** Corps staff and support units

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * ''Guides to German Records Microfilmed'', Vol. 61, Alexandria/Va. Washington 1958 {{Subject bar , portal1=Military of Germany , portal2=World War II P048 Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945