German XXXIV. Corps (XXXIV. Armeekorps) was a corps in the German Army 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 ...
, that was formed twice.
History
First formation : Höheres Kommando z.b.V. XXXIV (1939-1941)
The Corps was first known as Höheres Kommando z.b.V. XXXIV (H.Kdo.) and was established on 15 October 1939 in
Küstrin.
After 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 ...
, the H.Kdo was stationed there between December 1939 and June 1941.
After the start of
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 ...
(June 1941), the H.Kdo saw its first action at the beginning of July 1941 in the
Battle of Kiev (1941)
The First Battle of Kiev was the German name for the major battle that resulted in an encirclement of Red Army, Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II, the capital and most populous city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Re ...
.
As part of the
6th Army, the H.Kdo formed part of the southern flank along the
Dnieper River
The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...
. After successfully completing this battle, the H.Kdo advanced with the
2nd Panzer Army
The 2nd Panzer Army () was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941.
Organisation
Panzer Group Guderian () was formed on 5 June 1940 and named after its commander, general Heinz Gude ...
towards Moscow.
The H.Kdo. marched via
Livny
Livny (, ) is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia. As of 2018, it had a population of 47,221. :ru:Ливны#cite note-2018AA-3
History
The town is believed to have originated in 1586 as Ust-Livny, a wooden fort on the bank of the Livenka River, ...
towards
Yelets
Yelets or Elets () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Bystraya Sosna River, which is a tributary of the Don River, Russia, Don. Population:
History
Yelets is the oldest center of the ...
, where the advance was halted. The Soviets launched their
Yelets counter offensive on 6 December 1941. The XXXIV H.Kdo., composed of the
45th and
134th Infantry Divisions, was surrounded and partly destroyed. The survivors retreated towards
Oryol
Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...
and
Kursk
Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of
Kursk ...
. The front line stabilised on December 17, 1941, but had moved almost 100 km back to the west. The H.Kdo. had lost 12,000 men and was hardly a combat-ready unit any more.
On 31 January 1942, the H.Kdo. was disbanded and its survivors added to the newly formed
XXXV Army Corps.
Second formation : XXXIV Corps (1944-1945)
On 13 November 1944, the XXXIV Corps was recreated from ''Kommandanten Kreta'' a.k.a. ''Korps Müller'', which had retreated from Crete.
The Corps was stationed around
Vukovar
Vukovar (; sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, , ) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern Regions of Croatia, regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka (river), Vuka and the Danube. Vukova ...
and held the
Syrmian Front
The Syrmian Front () was an Axis powers, Axis line of defense during World War II. It was established as part of the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front in late October 1944 in Syrmia and east Slavonia, northwest of Belgrade.
After the ...
between Danube and Sava until mid-April 1945. On 12 April 1945, the
Yugoslav First Partisan Army, broke through the XXXIV Corps' defenses in Syrmia, and captured the cities of
Vukovar
Vukovar (; sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, , ) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern Regions of Croatia, regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka (river), Vuka and the Danube. Vukova ...
,
Vinkovci
Vinkovci () is a city in Slavonia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern Croatia. The city settlement's population was 28,111 in the 2021 census, while the total population was 30,842, making it the largest town of the county. It is a local tr ...
,
Županja
Županja (, , ) is a town in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located 254 km east of Zagreb. It is administratively part of the Vukovar-Syrmia County. It is inhabited by 12,090 people (2011).
Županja lies on the Sava river opposite Bosnia and He ...
, and finally
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
in the last month of the war.
The Corps retreated towards the west and surrendered to the British in May 1945.
Commanders
Höheres Kommando XXXIV
* General der Infanterie Hermann Metz (15 october 1939 - 1 september 1941)
* Generalleutnant Ferdinand Schaal (1 september 1941 - 13 september 1941)
* General der Infanterie Hermann Metz (13 september 1941 - 23 december 1941)
* General der Infanterie
Alfred Wäger
Alfred Wäger (17 August 1883 – 9 July 1956) was a General of the Infantry in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during the Second World War who commanded several units.
Early career
Alfred Wäger was born on August 17, 1883 as the son of wholesal ...
(23 december 1941 - 31 january 1942)
XXXIV Corps
* General der Infanterie
Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller
Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (29 August 1897 – 20 May 1947) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He led an infantry regiment in the early stages of the war and by 1943 was commander of the 22nd Air Landing Divisio ...
, (13 November 1944 – 8 December 1944)
* General der Flieger
Hellmuth Felmy, (8 December 1944 - 8 May 1945)
Area of operations
* Poland : December 1939 – June 1941
*
Eastern Front, central sector – July 1941 – January 1942
* Croatia : November 1944 - May 1945
See also
*
List of German corps in World War II
List of German corps in World War II
This is a list of German Army corps that existed during World War II.
Army (Heer)
Infantry corps
I–IX
* I Army Corps
* II Army Corps
* III Army Corps
* IV Army Corps
* V Army Corps
* VI Army Corps
* ...
Sources
* This is a translation of the article in the
Dutch Wikipedia
The Dutch Wikipedia () is the Dutch-language edition of the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. It was founded on 19 June 2001.
As of , the Dutch Wikipedia is the -largest Wikipedia edition, with articles. It was the fourth Wikipedia ed ...
,
Höheres Kommando z.b.V. XXXIV.
* This is a translation of the article in the
Dutch Wikipedia
The Dutch Wikipedia () is the Dutch-language edition of the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. It was founded on 19 June 2001.
As of , the Dutch Wikipedia is the -largest Wikipedia edition, with articles. It was the fourth Wikipedia ed ...
,
34e Legerkorps (Wehrmacht).
*
*
{{German Army Corps of the Wehrmacht
Army,34
Military units and formations established in 1939
Military units and formations established in 1944
1939 establishments in Germany
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
1942 disestablishments in the Soviet Union
Military units and formations disestablished in 1942