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The XXVI Army Corps () was a
For
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 ...
army corps 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 ...
. It existed from 1939 to 1945. It was also known as Corps Wodrig () during the Invasion of Poland.
History
The XXVI Army Corps was formed under the name ''Führungsstab z. b. V.'' under the supervision of AOK 1 inKönigsberg
Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...
on 22 August 1939. Its initial commander was Albert Wodrig, earning it the nickname ''Korps Wodrig'' before the official designation as an army corps on 1 October. Wodrig remained in command until 1 October 1942.
During the Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
, Corps Wodrig oversaw the 1st and 12th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 1st Cavalry Brigade. Corps Wodrig was stationed in southern East Prussia
East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
as part of 3rd Army, commanded by Georg von Küchler. The 3rd Army was in turn under the supervision of Army Group North, commanded by Fedor von Bock. In the opening days of the invasion, Corps Wodrig struck straight south into the units of the Polish Modlin Army in the Mława area. The resulting Battle of Mława ended in German victory. Corps Wodrig advanced further towards Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, assisting the German pincer movement against the Polish capital.
On 1 October 1939, Corps Wodrig was officially redesignated ''XXVI. Armeekorps'', formally upgrading it from a ''z. b. V.'' special deployment staff to a full army corps in its own right. In December 1939, XXVI Army Corps was attached to the 6th Army and redeployed to the Lower Rhine area.
In early 1940, the army corps was reshuffled and moved through several armies in quick succession, including the 4th Army, 18th Army and 2nd Army. Under 18th Army, XXVI Army Corps participated on the northern flank of the German invasion force during the Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. The corps fought in the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and in Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
. Its initial makeup on 10 May 1940 were the 207th, 254th and 256th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 4th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment. After a brief stay in the Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
area after the German victory over France, the corps was transferred back to its home region, East Prussia. There, its subordinate units remained consistent from 21 July 1940 to 12 March 1941 and were made up by the 161st, 217th and 291st Infantry Divisions.
For Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
, XXVI Army Corps operated under Army Group North and supervised the 61st, 217th and 291st Infantry Divisions. It advanced through the Baltic region into the Leningrad
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
area. In the German advance towards the city of Leningrad, which was subsequently unsuccessfully besieged until the year 1944, the XXVI Corps advanced on the far left front of the army group, crossing the Luga river from Narva around 24 August 1941 and advancing along the shoreline of the Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...
, where it eventually stood opposite the Soviet 8th Army, which had been trapped in the Oranienbaum Bridgehead by the advance of German XXXVIII Corps to Petergof
Petergof (), known as Petrodvorets () from 1944 to 1997, is a administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg, municipal town in Petrodvortsovy District of the federal cities of Russia, federal city of Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, located ...
and Uritsk.
The XXVI Corps remained in the vicinity of Leningrad throughout the entire duration of the Siege of Leningrad, which was broken by the Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
on 27 January 1944. Corps commanders switched frequently after Albert Wodrig left his post on 1 October 1942; subsequent corps commanders included Ernst von Leyser, Gustav Fehn, Ernst von Leyser, Carl Hilpert, Martin Grase, Anton Grasser, Gerhard Matzky, Kurt Chill
Kurt Chill (1 May 1895 – 5 July 1976), born in Toruń, was a Nazi German general in the German army during World War II who commanded the LV Army Corps (Wehrmacht), LV Army Corps.
Between July and August 1943, the XXVI Army Corps was the defending unit of the primary urban target of the Soviet Mga offensive. Ultimately, the Soviet attack was repelled.
On 3 March 1944, the XXVI Army Corps joined the newly formed Armeeabteilung Narwa, the army-level promotion of the former LIV Army Corps that was designed to defend the Narva region.
On 15 July 1944, XXVI Army Corps joined the 3rd Panzer Army, making it part of Army Group Centre at the time of Operation Bagration, the Soviet offensive that started on 23 June 1944 and that brought about the total collapse of Army Group Centre. The XXVI Army Corps was pushed back by the Red Army along with the rest of the German armed forces. At the time of German surrender on 8 May 1945, the remnants of XXVI Army Corps which had been fighting in the corps' home in East Prussia were no longer able to mount an organized resistance against the Red Army.
Organizational chart
Commanders
* General der Artillerie Albert Wodrig (22 August 1939 - 1 October 1942) * General der Infanterie Ernst von Leyser (1 October 1942 - 1 July 1943) * General der Panzertruppen Gustav Fehn (1 July - 19 August 1943) * General der Infanterie Ernst von Leyser (19 August - 31 October 1943) * General der Infanterie Carl Hilpert (31 October 1943 - 1 January 1944) * General der Infanterie Martin Grase (1 January - 15 February 1944) * General der Infanterie Anton Grasser (15 February - 11 May 1944) * General der Artillerie Wilhelm Berlin (11 May - 15 June 1944) * General der Infanterie Anton Grasser (15 June - 6 July 1944) * General der Infanterie Gerhard Matzky (6 July 1944 - May 1945)References