The LXXX 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 ...
.
Operational history
The LXXX Army Corps was created on 27 May 1942 in the
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...
sector in the west of
occupied France
The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...
. Its staff was formed from the ''
Höheres Kommando z. b. V. XXXI'' and the corps was initially subordinate to the
1st Army under
Army Group D
Army Group D () was a German Army Group which saw action during World War II.
Army Group D was formed on 26 October 1940 in France, its initial cadre coming from the disbanded Army Group C.
On 15 April 1941, the status of Army Group D was upgr ...
.
The initial commander of the corps was
Curt Gallenkamp, who had already led the ''Höheres Kommando'' since 1940.
Initially, the corps consisted of four infantry divisions (
15th,
327th,
708th,
715th) and the
7th Panzer Division.
From its headquarters in Poitiers, the LXXX Army Corps defended a coastal sector of the
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...
around
La Rochelle
La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...
. For example, the LXXX Army Corps commanded the
158th Infantry Division at
Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte (; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Funtenaes'' or ''Fintenè'') is a Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France ...
and the 708th Infantry Division at
Royan
Royan (; in the Saintongeais dialect; ) is a commune and town in the south-west of France, in the Departments of France, department of Charente-Maritime in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Capital of the Côte de Beauté, Royan is one of the mai ...
on 24 April 1943.
The corps 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 ...
of 6 June 1944. When the Allied forces invaded France, the LXXX Army Corps consisted of the 158th and 708th Infantry Divisions.
The headquarters of the two divisions were, just like on 24 April 1943, still at Fontenay-le-Comte and Royan, respectively.
Gallenkamp was relieved of command on 7 August 1944.
Franz Beyer assumed command of the corps on 10 August 1944.
By 15 September 1944, the German forces in the west had been pushed back all the way to Germany. The LXXX Army Corps took a position north of the
Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...
river, flanked by the
I SS Panzer Corps
The I SS Panzer Corps () was a German armoured corps of the ''Waffen-SS''. It saw action on both the Western Front (World War II), Western and Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Fronts during World War II.
Formation and training
The Corps was ...
to the north and the
LXXXII Army Corps to the south. This remained largely unchanged until mid December, as the Allied forces did not make significant progress 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 ...
region between September and December 1944. The LXXX Army Corps was transferred from the 1st Army, under which it had served since its inception in May 1942, to the
7th Army in October 1944.
Starting on 16 December 1944, the German
Ardennes Offensive
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 ...
began just north of the positions of the LXXX Army Corps. While the I SS Panzer Corps,
LXXXV Army Corps,
XLVII Panzer Corps
XLVII Panzer Corps (also: 47th Panzer Corps or XXXXVII. ''Panzerkorps'' or XXXXVII Panzer Corps) was a panzer corps of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army in World War II that was formerly designated as XLVII Corps. Various formations of the ...
,
LXVI Army Corps and
LVIII Panzer Corps all made significant territorial gains during the Battle of the Bulge, the LXXX Army Corps did not greatly shift its position, merely advancing from the
Sauer
The Sauer ( German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is .
Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
to the
Alzette
The Alzette (; ; ) is a river with a length of in France and Luxembourg. It is a right tributary of the Sauer (a tributary to the Moselle), and ultimately to the Rhine.
It rises in Thil near the town Villerupt in the Meurthe-et-Moselle '' ...
. It stood opposite to the
XII U.S. Corps. Most of the German gains further northwest were undone by the Allied counterattack by 17 January 1945, and the situation in the sector of the LXXX Army Corps had been largely unchanged.
In April 1945, as the German armed forces were disintegrating, the LXXX Army Corps was transferred a final time and became part of the
19th Army.
Organizational structure
Noteworthy individuals
*
Curt Gallenkamp, corps commander of LXXX Army Corps (27 March 1942 – 7 August 1944).
*
Franz Beyer, corps commander of LXXX Army Corps (10 August 1944 – 8 May 1945).
References
{{German Army Corps of the Wehrmacht
Corps of Germany in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1942
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945