The CI Army Corps (german: CI. Armeekorps), alternatively also referred to as Roman 101st Corps (german: röm. 101. Armeekorps, label=, link=no),The word Roman (German: ''römisch'') here indicates Roman numerals (i.e. the spelling of the number 101 as ''CI''), and is not related to the city of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Because of the (to the average soldier) confusing nature of Roman numerals, the name of the army corps was often mistakenly read as ''C eins''' ('C one') rather than 101. It became a practice to avoid the Roman numeral and to instead write ''röm sch 101'', 'Roman 101'. 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 unit of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

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 previou ...

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. It existed only for a few months during the year 1945.

History

The CI Army Corps was formed in early February 1945 in Wehrkreis III (

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

) as ''Korpsstab Berlin''. On 9 February 1945, it was redesignated ''Generalkommando CI. Armeekorps'', the highest numbered German army corps formed during the war. It was deployed in the

Oder The Oder ( , ; Czech language, Czech, Lower Sorbian language, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder ri ...

- Küstrin area as a subordinate of the 9th Army (

Busse Busse is a surname. People with this surname include: *Andreas Busse (born 1959), East German (now German) former middle-distance runner * Carl Busse (architect) (1834-1896), German architect and master builder * Carl Hermann Busse (1872–1918), G ...

), which was in turn under the command of

Army Group Vistula Army Group Vistula () was an Army Group of the ''Wehrmacht'', formed on 24 January 1945. It lasted for 105 days, having been put together from elements of Army Group A (shattered in the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive), Army Group Centre (similarl ...

(

Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

). It was one of the last newly formed army corps of the Wehrmacht, along with XXXII Army Corps. All new corps that followed after it were mobilizations, not completely new creations. Wilhelm Berlin, who the initial organization ''Korpsstab Berlin'' was named after, was the initial commander of CI Army Corps. At the end of the war, the corps would be commanded by Friedrich Sixt. The literature conflicts on when command was passed from one to the other.MacLean puts the transfer of command from Berlin to Sixt on 18 April 1945. '' ee MacLean 2014 p. 121' Zaloga lists Sixt as the corps commander on the German order of battle on 12 April 1945. '' ee Zaloga 2016, p. 24' Zaloga also names him as the corps commander in an image caption of a photograph dated 3 March 1945. '' ee Zaloga 2016, p. 14' However, at least that last date seems to be definitely incorrect, as Sixt received the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

on 11 March 1945 while still the commander of the

5th Jäger Division Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

. '' ee Fellgiebel 2000, p. 82' The discrepancy is further complicated by the possibility that Zaloga gave the wrong date for the printed photograph, as the visit that the photograph depicts might also have happened on 22 March 1945. '' ee Mcateer 2009, p. 378' All in all, it must be noted that Zaloga 2016 is the only source that conflicts with the others. The units under its initial command, listed in the documents of its superior unit, the 9th Army, were Division z. b. V. 606 (also known as 606th Infantry Division), 303rd "Döberitz" Infantry Division and 309th "(Groß-)Berlin" Infantry Division, making it an army corps of nominally three divisions. This first listing is dated 19 February 1945, and does not change on 1 March 1945. However, on 12 April 1945, within a month to surrender, the division ''303 "Döberitz"'' was transferred to

XI SS Panzer Corps The XI SS Corps (German: ''XI. SS-Armeekorps'' later ''XI. SS-Panzerkorps'') was a Waffen-SS corps created on July 24, 1944 in southern Poland on the basis of the remains of the headquarters of the defeated V Army Corps and employed on the Easte ...

( Kleinheisterkamp), whereas the CI Army Corps was strengthened with the

, which meant that the CI Army Corps at the time of surrender on 8 May 1945 consisted of the 5th Jäger Division, 309th Infantry Division and 606th Infantry Division. On 22 March 1945, the units of the CI Army Corps were visited personally by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

in one of Hitler's last public appearances and his very last visit to frontline troops before his suicide on 30 April 1945. The visit came about partially because of the desire of

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to ...

for a "photo opportunity" involving the dictator and German soldiers. Hitler, visibly weakened, rushed through the visit and hurriedly left the frontline with his staff car.Zaloga puts the date of Hitler's last visit to CI Army Corps on 3 March 1945 instead. '' ee Zaloga 2016, p. 14' By 12 April, Busse's 9th Army consisted of CI Army Corps, as well as

LVI Panzer Corps LVI Panzer Corps was a panzer corps in the German Army during World War II. This corps was activated in February 1941 as the LVI Army Corps (mot.), for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which commenced on 22 June 1941. Erich von Manste ...

( Weidling), XI SS Panzer Corps (Kleinheisterkamp) and V SS Mountain Corps (

Friedrich Jeckeln Friedrich Jeckeln (2 February 1895 – 3 February 1946) was a German SS commander during the Nazi era. He served as a Higher SS and Police Leader in the occupied Soviet Union during World War II. Jeckeln was the commander of one of the largest ...

). By now, Himmler had been replaced as commander of Army Group Vistula by Gotthard Heinrici. During the Battle of Seelow heights (16 April – 19 April 1945), the CI Army Corps defended the northern sector of the 9th Army. It was under attack by the Red Army's 47th Army ( Perkhorovich) and

3rd Shock Army The 3rd Shock Army (russian: Третья ударная армия) was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The "Shock" armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces ...

( Kuznetsov), whereas the XI SS Panzer Corps to the CI Army Corps's right was attacked by the Soviet

8th Guards Army The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army (abbreviated 8th CAA) is an army of the Russian Ground Forces, headquartered in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, within Russia′s Southern Military District, that was reinstated in 2017 as a succes ...

(

Chuikov Chuikov or Chuykov (russian: Чуйков) is a Russian masculine surname, its feminine counterpart is Chuikova or Chuykova. It may refer to *Evgeniy Chuikov Evgeniy Vasilievich Chuikov ( Russian language: Евгений Васильевич Чуй ...

). On the right flank of CI Army Corps, the 309th and 606th Infantry Divisions had to give way to the thrusting forces of 47th Army and the 3rd Shock Army. In the last days of the war, CI Army Corps fought alongside the III SS Panzer Corps under 21st Army ( von Tippelskirch), which was formed on 27 April 1945 in a desperate attempt to win the

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula– ...

Noteworthy individuals

Wilhelm Berlin __NOTOC__ Wilhelm Berlin (28 April 1889 – 15 September 1987) 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 ...

, first corps commander at 27 February 1945. End of tenure unclear. * Friedrich Sixt, second and final corps commander. Beginning of tenure unclear.

Notes

References

{{German Army Corps of the Wehrmacht Corps of Germany in World War II Military units and formations established in 1945 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945