The
VI Corps was an infantry
corpsA corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
in the German Army. It fought in several notable actions during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The corps was originally formed around the 6th Division of the
ReichswehrThe Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
in October 1934 in
MünsterMünster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
.
1940
Organisation (June 1940):
15thThe German 15th Infantry Division was formed on 1 October 1934 in Würzburg under the cover name Artillerieführer V. With the announcement of German rearmament the division was renamed on 15 October 1935. Mobilzied on 25 August 1939 the division took part in the Invasion of Poland 1939 and the...
and
205thThe 205th Infantry Division was a German division during the Second World War.Initially formed as the 14th Militia Division , the division was mobilized a few days before the invasion of Poland in 1939, and remained on garrison duty in Germany throughout that campaign...
Infantry Divisions
Under the command of
Otto-Wilhelm FörsterOtto-Wilhelm Förster was a highly decorated General der Pioniere in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
, the Corps took part in the Nazi
Invasion of FranceIn the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, when it was part of the Twelfth Army of
Army Group AArmy Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.-Western Front, 1940:During the German invasion of the Low Countries and France Army Group A was under the command of General Gerd von Rundstedt, and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes...
. For the remainder of the year it was stationed on the coast as part of the occupation forces.
1941, 1942
Organisation (January 1942): 6th,
26thThe 26th Infantry Division was a pre-Second World war German Infantry Division of the 1st mobilisation wave . It was mobilised for World War II on September 26, 1939, disbanded September 10, 1944 near Radom, reformed as the 26th Volksgrenadier Division The 26th Infantry Division (26....
, 110th, 161st and
256thThe 256. Infanterie-Division was a German Infantry division in World War II. They formed on August 1939 as part of the 4. Welle . The division was destroyed at Vitebsk in June 1944...
Infantry Divisions; 1st Panzer Division; heavy artillery,
NebelwerferThe Nebelwerfer was a World War II German series of weapons originally designed to deliver chemical weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called Chemical Troops ...
, anti-tank and pioneer detachments
In
Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the VI Corps became part of
Army Group CentreArmy Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
, to which it remained attached until the very final period of the war. As part of the Ninth Army, it took part in the costly series of battles in the
Rzhev salientRzhev Battles is a general term for a series of World War II offensives launched during January 8, 1942—March 31, 1943 by the Soviet Red Army in the general directions of Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma against a German salient in the vicinity of Moscow, known as the "Rzhev meat grinder" for...
throughout 1942.
War crimes
During the fighting in the Rzhev salient, the civilian population of the area suffered greatly from starvation, partly due to the requisition of stocks by the
Wehrmacht, and disease. Many civilians were also deported as forced labour; between May and July 1942 alone VI Corps itself deported over 4,000 civilians in this manner.
The town of Rzhev lost 93% of its population in just thirteen months.
1943
Organisation (November 1943):
14thThe 14th Infantry Division was a German military unit which fought during World War II.-History and Organisation:...
, 206th, 246th, and 256th Infantry Divisions; part of 211th Division;
VitebskVitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
garrison; anti-tank detachments
In 1943 the VI Corps, along with the remainder of Army Group Centre, was pushed back from the Rzhev salient. In the winter of 1943-44, now assigned to Third Panzer Army, it took part in the defensive battles around
VitebskVitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
.
1944
Organisation (June 1944): 14th,
95thThe 95th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 19 September 1939 in Wildflecken and Hammelburg.-Commanding officers:...
,
197thThe 197th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 1 December 1939.-197...
, 256th and
299thThe German 299th Infantry Division was a World War II infantry formation, which fought in France and the Russian Front until February 1945.The 299th Infantry Division was formed in March and April 1940 from men from Hesse and Thuringia. The 299th Infantry Division first saw action in the 1940...
Infantry Divisions;
SturmgeschutzSturmgeschütz is a German word for "assault gun", usually abbreviated StuG. The vehicle was a leading weapon of the Sturmartillerie, a branch of the German artillery tasked with close fire support of infantry in infantry, panzer, and panzergrenadier units...
Brigade 281
On 22 June 1944, after a period of little activity along the front of Army Group Centre, the VI Corps was involved in the defence against the major Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration. Despite being one of the strongest corps in its Army Group, with four infantry divisions and the
14th Infantry DivisionThe 14th Infantry Division was a German military unit which fought during World War II.-History and Organisation:...
in reserve, it was overwhelmed by the attack of the
5th GuardsThe 5th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought in many critical actions during World War II under the command of General Aleksei Semenovich Zhadov....
and
39thThe 39th Army was a Field Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army formed on 15 November 1941 in the Arkhangelsk Military District, in accordance with a directive issued by the Stavka on 2 November 1941...
Armies, and largely destroyed in the lines around Bogushevsk by 25 June. The few elements that retreated to the Berezina River were mostly trapped and annihilated in the subsequent encirclement east of
Minsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, while the corps commander, General
Georg PfeifferDr. Georg Pfeiffer was a highly decorated General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the VI. Armeekorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
, was killed on 28 June. The commanders of the 256th and 197th Divisions, Wustenhagen and Hahne, were also killed, while Michaelis of the 95th Division was captured. Most of their 40-50,000 troops met a similar fate.
In mid-July the scratch formation
Sperrgruppe WeidlingHelmuth Otto Ludwig Weidling was an officer in the German Army before and during World War II...
, which included remnants of some of the original units of VI Corps, was renamed as VI Corps. The Corps took part in the improvised defence against the Russian strategic operations for the remainder of the summer.
1945
Organisation (March 1945): 131st and 61st Infantry Divisions (at
KampfgruppeIn military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
strength); 10th
RadfahrjägerBicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on battlefields using bicycles. The term dates from the late 19th century, when the "safety bicycle" became popular in Europe, the United States and Australia. Historically, bicycles lessened the need for horses, fuel and vehicle maintenance...
Brigade; 18th Panzergrenadier Division
The rebuilt VI Corps was allocated to Fourth Army where it faced the
East Prussian OffensiveThe East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May...
from January 1945. It was encircled in the
Heiligenbeil pocketThe Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron was the site of a major encirclement battle on the Eastern Front during the closing weeks of World War II, in which the Wehrmacht's 4th Army was almost entirely destroyed during the Soviet Braunsberg Offensive Operation...
on the
BalticThe Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast, and destroyed there in March.
Commanders
General der Artillerie
Günther von KlugeGünther Adolf Ferdinand “Hans” von Kluge was a German military leader. He was born in Posen into a Prussian military family. Kluge rose to the rank of Field Marshal in the Wehrmacht. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
1 April 1935 - 24 November 1938
General der Pioniere
Otto-Wilhelm FörsterOtto-Wilhelm Förster was a highly decorated General der Pioniere in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
24 November 1938 - 31 December 1941
General der Infanterie
Bruno BielerBruno Bieler was a German general who commanded the LII Corps during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
1 January 1942 - 31 October 1942
General der Infanterie
Hans JordanHans Jordan was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
1 November 1942 - 20 Mai 1944
General der Infanterie
Georg PfeifferDr. Georg Pfeiffer was a highly decorated General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the VI. Armeekorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
20 Mai 1944 - 28 June 1944
General der Artillerie
Helmuth WeidlingHelmuth Otto Ludwig Weidling was an officer in the German Army before and during World War II...
28 June 1944 - 11 August 1944
General der Infanterie
Horst GroßmannHorst Großmann was a German general who commanded the 6. Infanterie Division during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield...
11 August 1944 - January 1945
Generalleutnant
Ralph Graf von OriolaRalph Georg Edgar Joachim Eddo Graf von Oriola was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XIII. Armeekorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme...
January 1945 - January 1945
General der Infanterie Horst Großmann January 1945 - 8 May 1945