XLVIII Panzer Corps (Germany)

The XLVIII Panzer Corps (German XLVIII. Panzerkorps alternatively XXXXVIII Panzer Corps), originally called the XLVIII Motorized Corps, was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw extensive action on both the eastern and western fronts during World War II.

History

The corps was originally formed on 15 December 1940 in Germany as the XLVIII Motorized Corps (XLVIII.Armeekorps (mot)). At the dawn of Operation Barbarossa, on 22 June 1941, it was officially redesignated as the XLVII Panzer Corps. However, the corps seems to have used both names until June–July 1942.

XLVIII Panzer Corps was attached to Field Marshal Ewald von Kleist's Panzer Group 1, a part of Army Group South. The corps was involved in the armored battles near Dubno early in the campaign, and later saw action at Berdichev and Kirovograd.

From late 1941 to May 1942, the corps took part in defensive operations in the Kursk area. Thereafter the corps joined the Fall Blau offensive towards Stalingrad under Army Group South. During the Battle of Stalingrad the corps was trapped and its major units, 22nd Panzer Division and 1st Armoured Division (Romania), were annhilated. However, it was quickly reformed and used by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's Operation Winter Storm efforts to relieve General Friedrich Paulus' trapped Sixth Army still in Stalingrad.

In February 1943, the XLVIII Panzer Corps took part in the battles around Kharkov, and in June it was committed to the southern flank of the Battle of Kursk as part of Hoth's Fourth Panzer Army.

After the failure of Operation Citadel the corps took part in the fighting withdrawal from the Ukraine. By February 1945, the corps found itself in Silesia, and it ended the war defending the Elbe River, where it finally surrendered in May 1945.

Commanders

• General der Panzertruppen Werner Kempf (22 June 1941 – 19 Feb 1942)

• General der Panzertruppen Rudolf Veiel (19 Feb 1942 – 1 Nov 1942)

• Generalleutnant Ferdinand Heim (1 Nov 1942 – 19 Nov 1942)

• General der Panzertruppen Hans Cramer (19 Nov 1942 – 25 Nov 1942)

• General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (26 Nov 1942 – 30 Nov 1942)

• General der Panzertruppen Otto von Knobelsdorff (30 Nov 1942 – 6 May 1943)

• General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz (6 May 1943 – 30 Aug 1943)

• General der Panzertruppen Otto von Knobelsdorff (30 Aug 1943 – 30 Sep 1943)

• General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz (30 Sep 1943 – 21 Oct 1943)

• General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (22 Oct 1943 – 14 Nov 1943)

• General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck (15 Nov 1943 – 4 Aug 1944)

• General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring (4 Aug 1944 – 19 Aug 1944)

• General der Panzertruppen Fritz-Hubert Gräser (19 Aug 1944 – 20 Sep 1944)

• General der Panzertruppen Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim (20 Sep 1944 – 31 Mar 1945)

• Generalleutnant Wolf Hagemann (31 Mar 1945 – 8 May 1945)

General Staff Officers

• Oberstleutnant Friedrich von Mellenthin, Chief of General Staff (Jan 1943 to Aug 1944)

• Major Eitel-Friedrich Binder, Ia-Operations (Feb 1943 to Aug 1943)

Assets

XLVIII Motorized Corps

• As of June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa)
  • 17th Panzer Division
  • 18th Panzer Division.
  • 25th Panzergrenadier Division
  • 108th Artillery Command
  • Corps staff and support units

XLVIII Panzer Corps

• As of August 1942 (Fall Blau)
  • 14th Panzer Division
  • 24th Panzer Division
  • 29th Motorized Infantry Division
  • 108th Artillery Command
  • Corps staff and support units

• As of December 1942 (reformed after loss in the Battle of Stalingrad)
  • 11th Panzer Division
  • 336th Infantry Division
  • Staff of the 384th Infantry Division, with "Alarm" troops
  • 7th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 108th Artillery Command
  • Corps staff and support units

• As of July 1943 (Operation Citadel)
  • 3rd Panzer Division
  • 11th Panzer Division
  • Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland
  • 176th 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
  • 19th Panzer Division
  • 108th Artillery Command
  • Corps staff and support units

References

• Guides to German Records Microfilmed, Vol. 61, Alexandria/Va. Washington 1958

See also

• Panzer, Panzergrenadier
• Corps, Military unit
• Heer, Wehrmacht, List of German corps in WWII