Panzerkorps
Encyclopedia
A panzer corps was a military formation type in the German
Wehrmacht
during World War II
. The name was introduced in 1942, when the motorised corps (Armeekorps (mot) or AK(mot)) were renamed to panzer corps. Panzer corps were created throughout the war, and existed in all service arms of the Wehrmacht except the Navy
. Those renamed from ordinary motorised corps retained their numbering.
s. Later in the war it was possible to find panzer corps that consisted solely of infantry divisions.
During the initial period of the war the panzer corps predecessor, the motorised corps, were grouped into various panzer groups (Panzergruppen). Panzer groups were named (i.e. not designated with numbers) during the campaigns in Poland, France, and Greece, they were not used at all in Norway and Denmark in 1940, and numbered 1-4 during the first half year of the war against the Soviet Union
. In the last case, a panzer group normally consisted of two or three motorized corps. They were the operational movement element of Army Group North
, Army Group Centre
and Army Group South
. The motorized corps served as the tactical command element in the command structure, with the individual divisions serving as tactical combat elements.
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...
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during 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...
. The name was introduced in 1942, when the motorised corps (Armeekorps (mot) or AK(mot)) were renamed to panzer corps. Panzer corps were created throughout the war, and existed in all service arms of the Wehrmacht except the Navy
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
. Those renamed from ordinary motorised corps retained their numbering.
Purpose
Panzer corps underwent transformation as the war went on. Initially they were the main strike force of the Wehrmacht, and consisted of motorised infantry divisions (ID (mot)) and panzer divisionPanzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
s. Later in the war it was possible to find panzer corps that consisted solely of infantry divisions.
During the initial period of the war the panzer corps predecessor, the motorised corps, were grouped into various panzer groups (Panzergruppen). Panzer groups were named (i.e. not designated with numbers) during the campaigns in Poland, France, and Greece, they were not used at all in Norway and Denmark in 1940, and numbered 1-4 during the first half year of the war against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In the last case, a panzer group normally consisted of two or three motorized corps. They were the operational movement element of Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
, Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
and Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
. The motorized corps served as the tactical command element in the command structure, with the individual divisions serving as tactical combat elements.
List of panzer corps
The following corps were AK(mot) and later Panzerkorps or were set up as Panzerkorps. Wehrmacht formations were designated either with roman numerals or names:Army
- III Panzer Corps
- IV Panzer Corps
- VII Panzer Corps
- XIV Panzer Corps
- XIX Panzer Corps
- XXIV Panzer Corps
- XXXVIII Panzer Corps
- XXXIX Panzer Corps
- XL Panzer Corps
- XLI Panzer CorpsXXXXI Panzer Corps (Germany)XXXXI Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.-Formation and actions:...
- XLVI Panzer Corps
- XLVII Panzer CorpsXLVII Panzer Corps (Germany)The XLVII Panzer Corps was a Panzer Corps formed by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge during the Battle for Normandy, and for Operation Lüttich...
- XLVIII Panzer Corps
- LVI Panzer CorpsLVI Panzer CorpsLVI Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.This corps was activated in February 1941 for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which commenced on June 22, 1941...
- LVII Panzer Corps
- LVIII Panzer Corps (Germany)
- LXXVI Panzer CorpsLXXVI Panzer Corps (Germany)The LXXVI Panzer Corps was a panzer corps of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Corps was commanded by General Traugott Herr during the Italian Campaign.-Order of battle:In 1943 the corps included:...
- Panzer Corps FeldherrnhallePanzer Corps FeldherrnhalleThe Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle was a German panzer corps formed in October 1944 from the remaining troops of the IV. Armeekorps, the Storm Division Rhodos and Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade 17 formed mostly of SA recruits....
- Grossdeutschland Division
Waffen-SS
- I SS Panzer CorpsI SS Panzer CorpsThe I SS Panzer Corps Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or I SS Panzer Corps was a German Waffen-SS panzer corps which saw action on both the Western and Eastern Fronts during World War II.-Formation and training:...
- II SS Panzer CorpsII SS Panzer CorpsThe II SS Panzer Corps was a Nazi German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II.- Formation - Kharkov :...
- III (Germanic) SS Panzer CorpsIII (Germanic) SS Panzer CorpsThe III SS Panzer Corps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The The III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps (III. (germanische) SS-Panzerkorps) was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The...
- IV SS Panzer CorpsIV SS Panzer CorpsThe IV.SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans during World War II.The Panzerkorps was formed in August, 1943 in Poitiers, France...
- VII SS Panzer Corps