The LXXXV Army Corps () 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 formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
of the German
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The corps existed between 1944 and 1945 and had been preceded by a formation known as Group Knieß (), with its command designated General Command Knieß () between 1943 and 1944.
History
Group Knieß, also known as General Command Knieß, was formed in October 1943 in southern France.
The formations was named after its initial commander,
Baptist Knieß.
Under the supervision of the
19th Army, Group Knieß remained on defensive duty in France until the
Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
on 6 June 1944.
On 10 July 1944, Corps Kniess was upgraded to become the LXXXV Army Corps. The LXXXV Army Corps remained under the supervision of the 19th Army until December 1944, when the corps was transferred to the
7th Army in the
Ardennes
The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France.
Geological ...
. After a stay in the Saar Palatinate region between February and March 1945 under the
1st Army First Army may refer to:
China
* New 1st Army, Republic of China
* First Field Army, a Chinese Communist Party unit in the Chinese Civil War
* 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China
Germany
* 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Army
...
, the LXXXV was transferred back to the 7th Army in
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
and
Thuringia
Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area.
Er ...
in April.
At the end of the war, the LXXXV Army Corps was commanded by
Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Smilo Walther Hinko Oskar Constantin Wilhelm Freiherr von Lüttwitz (23 December 1895 – 19 May 1975) was a German general during World War II and son of Walther von Lüttwitz. After World War II he joined the Bundeswehr in 1957 and served as th ...
, who had held that post since 26 March 1945.
Structure
Noteworthy individuals
*
Baptist Knieß, corps commander of Corps Knieß and the LXXXV Army Corps (October 1943 – 10 July 1944, 10 July 1944 – 15 November 1944, 16 December 1944 – 26 March 1945).
*
Friedrich-August Schack, corps commander of the LXXXV Army Corps (15 November 1944 – 16 December 1944).
*
Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz
Smilo Walther Hinko Oskar Constantin Wilhelm Freiherr von Lüttwitz (23 December 1895 – 19 May 1975) was a German general during World War II and son of Walther von Lüttwitz. After World War II he joined the Bundeswehr in 1957 and served as th ...
, corps commander of the LXXXV Army Corps (26 March 1945 – 8 May 1945).
Notes
References
{{German Army Corps of the Wehrmacht
Corps of Germany in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1943
Military units and formations established in 1944
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945