XXXXIX Mountain Corps was a
mountain warfare
Mountain warfare or alpine warfare is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain, hazards, and factors of combat and movement through rough terrain, as well as the strategies ...
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 Army
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
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
XXXXIX Mountain Corps participated in the
invasion of Yugoslavia
The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a Nazi Germany, German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put fo ...
in April 1941. In June 1941, it participated in
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 ...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union, as part of
Army Group South
Army Group South () was the name of one of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland, Army Group South was led by Ge ...
.
The corps fought on the
Eastern Front for the remainder of World War II, seeing action in the Battles of
Uman
Uman (, , ) is a city in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the east of the historical region of Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River. Uman serves as the administrative c ...
,
the Sea of Azov, and
Rostov
Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...
, and in the
Kerch–Eltigen Operation
The Kerch–Eltigen operation was a World War II amphibious offensive made in November 1943 by the Red Army as a precursor to the Crimean offensive (8 April-12 May 1944), with the object of defeating and forcing the withdrawal of the German f ...
in 1943. During 1944 and 1945 it withdrew through Ukraine and Slovakia to the area around
Havlíčkův Brod
Havlíčkův Brod (, until 1945 Německý Brod; ) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban mon ...
in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
, where it surrendered to the Soviets in May 1945.
Commanders
Commanding generals
* ''
General der Gebirgstruppe
' (English: General of the Mountain Troops) was a category of German Army three-star, a new example of the traditional German '' 'General der'' rank introduced by the ''Wehrmacht'' in 1940, comparable to the NATO grade OF-8.
Rank and rank in ...
''
Ludwig Kübler
Ludwig Kübler (2 September 1889 – 18 August 1947) was a German '' General der Gebirgstruppe'' (Lieutenant General) who commanded the 1st Mountain Division, XXXXIX Mountain Corps, 4th Army and the Operational Zone of the Adriatic Li ...
(25 October 1940 – 19 December 1941)
* ''General der Gebirgstruppe''
Rudolf Konrad
__NOTOC__
Rudolf Konrad (7 March 1891 – 10 June 1964) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who served as a corps commander. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and, by the end of the war, held the ran ...
(19 December 1941 – 26 July 1943)
* ''
General der Infanterie General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to:
* General of the Infantry (Austria)
* General of the Infantry (Bulgaria)
* General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...
''
Helge Auleb
__NOTOC__
Helge Arthur Auleb (24 March 1887 – 14 March 1964) was a general in the ''Wehrmacht'' of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was born in Gehren.
Auleb commanded the 6th Infantry Division as part of VI Army Corps during Ope ...
(26 July – 15 August 1943)
* ''General der Gebirgstruppe'' Rudolf Konrad (15 August 1943 – 15 February 1944)
* ''General der Infanterie''
Friedrich Köchling
__NOTOC__
Friedrich Köchling (22 June 1893 – 6 June 1970) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who held commands at the division and corps levels. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron ...
(15 February – 15 March 1944)
* ''General der Gebirgstruppe'' Rudolf Konrad (15 March – 10 May 1944)
* ''
General der Artillerie
(English language, en: General of the artillery) may mean:
A rank of three-star rank, three-star General of the branch, general, comparable to modern armed forces OF-8 grade, in the Imperial German Army and its contingency armies of Prussian A ...
''
Walter Hartmann __NOTOC__
Walter Hartmann (23 July 1891 – 11 March 1977) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords of Nazi Germany.
During the evacuation of C ...
(10 May – 26 July 1944)
* ''General der Infanterie''
Franz Beyer (26 July – 4 August 1944)
* ''General der Artillerie'' Walter Hartmann (4 & 5 August 1944)
* ''General der Gebirgstruppe''
Karl von Le Suire __NOTOC__
Karl Hans Maximilian von Le Suire (8 November 1898 – 18 June 1954) was a German general during World War II who commanded the XXXXIX Mountain Corps. He was responsible for the Massacre of Kalavryta, in Greece.
Life and career
Karl v ...
(5 August 1944 – 8 May 1945)
Chiefs of Staff
* ''
Oberst
''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...
''
Ferdinand Jodl
Ferdinand Alfred Friedrich Jodl (28 November 1896 – 9 June 1956) was a German general during World War II who commanded the Mountain Corps Norway during the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive. He was the younger brother of Alfred Jodl, Chief of the O ...
(25 October 1940 – 6 January 1942)
* ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...
'' Josef Kübler (6 January 1942 – 19 January 1943)
* ''Oberst''
Wolf-Dietrich von Xylander (19 January – 1 June 1943)
* ''Oberst'' Ernst Michael (1 Juni – 5 August 1943)
* ''Oberst'' Wilhelm Haidlen (5 August 1943 – 30 May 1944)
* ''Oberst'' Kurt von Einem (30 May – 5 August 1944)
* ''Oberst'' Wilhelm Haidlen (5 August 1944 – 1 February 1945)
* ''
Oberstleutnant
() (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
'' Ludwig von Eimannsberger (1 February – 5 April 1945)
* ''Oberstleutnant'' Werner Vogl (5 April – May 1945)
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
M49
Military units and formations established in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
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