The XIV SS Corps (German: ''Generalkommando XIV. SS-Armeekorps'') was a short-lived ''

Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...

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 ...

-level headquarters formed to participate in

Operation Northwind Operation Northwind () was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in the Battle of the Bulge, which by late December 1944 had decisively t ...

on the

Upper Rhine Upper Rhine ( ; ; kilometres 167 to 529 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between the Middle Bridge, Basel, Middle Bridge in Basel, Switzerland, and the Rhine knee in Bingen am Rhein, Bingen, Germany. It is surrounded by the Upper Rhine P ...

in the winter of 1944-1945 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 ...

History

After his appointment as commander-in-chief of Army Group Upper Rhine,

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

formed the headquarters of the XIV SS Army Corps in November 1944. Because there were not enough combat units available, the corps consisted of only one division, the

553rd Volksgrenadier Division The 553rd Volksgrenadier Division () was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during World War II that fought entirely on the Western Front. Sent to stop the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine in September 1944, it was nearly encirc ...

. The force acted as a reserve for the army group. The corps was given the task of attacking and pinning

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

units at

Gambsheim Gambsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France, in the historical region of Alsace. Geography Gambsheim lies adjacent to a river-crossing into Germany that is favoured by southbound traffic on th ...

at the start of

Operation Nordwind Operation Northwind () was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in the Battle of the Bulge, which by late December 1944 had decisively ...

, so that they could not be used as reinforcements against the main attack, which would be deployed more to the north. In the night of 4 to 5 January 1945, the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division crossed the Rhine near Gambsheim, where the Moder and Zorn rivers merge. Because most U.S. units of

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army dur ...

fought in the north and thanks to the help of the pro-German population, the Germans were able to quickly extend their bridgehead to Kilstett, Herrlisheim, and Offendorf. General

Alexander Patch Alexander McCarrell Patch (23 November 1889 – 21 November 1945) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in World war, both world wars, rising to rank of General (United States), general. During World War ...

, commander of the U.S. 7th Army, ordered the newly arrived 12th Armored Division to destroy the bridgehead on 8 January. This attack and a second attack on 13 January failed with heavy losses. On 14 January 1945, the XIV SS Army Corps received the 3rd SS Panzer Battalion of the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg", led by ''SS-

Brigadeführer ''Brigadeführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that was used between 1932 and 1945. It was mainly known for its use as an SS rank. As an SA rank, it was used after briefly being known as '' Untergruppenführer'' in ...

'' Heinz Harmel. The experienced Harmel ignored the orders of his corps commander and launched an attack on 16 January 1945. His heavy German tanks destroyed a U.S. tank battalion and overran the accompanying armoured infantry. Despite this victory, the German attack stalled. Canals and drainage canals cut through the landscape and many German tanks got stuck or had mechanical problems. On the southern edge, the 3rd French Infantry Division expelled the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division from Kilstett and by 21 January, the German offensive came to an end. In the East, the Soviet Vistula–Oder offensive had broken out and several German units were sent from the West to the endangered Eastern Front. The headquarters of the XIV SS Army Corps were dissolved and the staff formed the

X SS Corps The X SS Corps (German: ''Generalkommando X. SS-Armeekorps'' or ''Gruppe Krappe'') was a short-lived ''Waffen-SS'' corps-level headquarters employed on the Eastern Front in 1945 during World War II. History The X SS Corps headquarters was formed ...

that was sent to

Pommern Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian, Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodesh ...

Commanders

* ''SS-

Gruppenführer __NOTOC__ ''Gruppenführer'' (, ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Since then, the term ''Gruppenführer'' is also used for leaders of groups/teams of the police, fire d ...

Heinz Reinefarth Heinz Reinefarth (26 December 1903 – 7 May 1979) was a German SS commander during World War II and government official in West Germany after the war. During the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 his troops committed numerous atrocities. After ...

: November 1944 * ''SS-

Obergruppenführer (, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...

Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...

: December 1944 – January 1945

Sources

Lexikon-der-wehrmacht

Axis History

{{DEFAULTSORT:14 Waffen-SS corps Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 1944 establishments in Germany 1945 disestablishments in Germany