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XV Mountain Corps
Active 12 August 1943 – May 1945
Country Flag of German Reich (1935–1945) Nazi Germany
Branch Flag of German Reich (1935–1945) Germany Army
Type Mountain
Size Corps
Engagements World War II

The XV Mountain Army Corps (XV. Gebirgs-Armeekorps) was a mountain warfare formation of the German Army, part of the Wehrmacht, which participated in the Second World War.

History[]

The XV Mountain Corps was formed from the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of German Troops in Croatia on 12 August 1943. The corps remained in Croatia for its entire service life, serving under the 2nd Panzer Army from August 1943 to December 1944, then joining Army Group E to early May 1945, and finally the 16th Army to the end of the war.[1][2][3][4]

From 9 September 1943, the corps took part in the disarmament of Italian units in Albania and Montenegro. The corps then fought in Croatia against the Yugoslav Partisans and Italian units. This included fighting in the cities of Split and Zara.

Composition[]

August 1943[]

The composition of the corps upon formation in August 1943 was as follows:[1][2][3][4]

  • Corps Headquarters
    • 415th Mountain Corps Signal Battalion
    • 415th Artillery Commander
    • 415th Field Post Office
    • 993rd Divisional Supply Leader
    • 415th Corps Support Battalion
    • Railway Security Sector D
    • Commander of the Brod Military Training Area
    • 9th Secret Field Police Group
    • 415th Field Gendarmerie Troop
  • 4. gorski zdrug 4th Croatian Jäger Brigade (Croatian Home Guard)
    • Brigade Headquarters, in Zagreb
    • Tank Platoon, in Daruvar
    • 4th Mountain Regiment, in Sisak and Pakrac
    • 8th Mountain Regiment, in Zagreb and Daruvar
    • I Artillery Battery, in Daruvar
    • XII Artillery Battery, in Pakrac
  • Kampfgruppe Heinz[lower-alpha 1][5]
    • 1st Battalion, 37th Panzergrenadier Regiment (Mechanised Infantry)
    • 2nd Battalion, 37th Panzergrenadier Regiment (Motorised Infantry)
    • 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment (Parachute Infantry: 3 x battalions)
    • 2 x Platoons, 3rd Company, 243rd Fusilier Battalion
    • 635th Eastern Battalion
  • 176th Bridging Column (Type T)
  • 2nd Bridging Column (Type B)
  • 636th Bridging Column (Type B)
  • 815th Bridging Column (Type B)
  • Armoured Train 3
  • Armoured Train 103
  • Armoured Train 106
  • Armoured Train "Bihać"
  • Armoured Train "Prijedor"

369th (Croatian) Infantry Division[]

  • Armband of Croatian Legion 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division: Lieutenant General Fritz Neidholdt
    • Division Headquarters, in Sarajevo
    • 369th Divisional Administrative Services
    • 369th (Croatian) Signal Battalion
    • 369th Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 369th (Croatian) Grenadier Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 370th (Croatian) Grenadier Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 369th Fusilier Battalion
    • 369th (Croatian) Artillery Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 369th (Croatian) Panzerjäger Battalion
    • 369th Engineer Battalion
    • 369th Field Post
    • 369th Supply Troops Commander
    • 369th Divisional Medical Services
    • 369th Field Gendarmerie Troop

373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division[]

  • Coat of arms of Croatia (white chequy) 373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division: Lieutenant General Eduard Aldrian
    • Division Headquarters, in Banja Luka
    • 373rd Divisional Administrative Services
    • 373rd (Croatian) Signal Battalion
    • 373rd Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 383rd (Croatian) Grenadier Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 384th (Croatian) Grenadier Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 373rd Fusilier Battalion
    • 373rd (Croatian) Artillery Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 373rd (Croatian) Panzerjäger Battalion
    • 373rd Engineer Battalion
    • 373rd Field Post
    • 373rd Supply Troops Commander
    • 373rd Divisional Medical Services
    • 373rd Field Gendarmerie Troop

114th Jäger Division[]

  • 114. Jaeger Div 114th Jäger Division: Lieutenant General Friedrich Stahl
    • Division Headquarters
    • 114th Divisional Administrative Services
    • 114th Signal Battalion
    • 114th Bicycle Battalion
    • 721st Jäger Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 741st Jäger Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 661st Artillery Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 114th Panzerjäger Battalion
    • 114th Engineer Battalion
    • 114th Field Post
    • 114th Jäger Supply Troops Commander
    • 114th Jäger Divisional Medical Services
    • 114th Field Gendarmerie Troop

7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division "Prince Eugene"[]

  • 7th SS Division Logo 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division "Prince Eugene": SS Brigadeführer Reichsritter Karl von Oberkamp
    • Division Headquarters, in Split
    • 7th SS Divisional Administrative Services
    • 7th SS Mountain Signal Battalion
    • 7th SS Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion (Motorised)
    • 7th SS Motorcycle Battalion
    • 7th SS Cavalry Battalion
    • 13th SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiment "Artur Phleps" (3 x battalions)
    • 14th SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiment "Skanderbeg" (3 x battalions)
    • 7th SS Field Replacement Battalion
    • 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Artillery Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 7th SS Panzerjäger Battalion
    • 7th SS Anti-Aircraft Battalion
    • 7th SS Mountain Engineer Battalion
    • 7th SS Field Post
    • 7th SS Supply Troops Commander
    • 7th SS Divisional Medical Services
    • 7th SS Field Gendarmerie Troop

II Croatian Corps Area[]

Domobranstvo zborna područja

The three corps area of the Croatian Army in 1943, the I Corps is in the north-west in apricot red, the II Corps in the south-west in peach, and the III Corps in the north-east in strawberry pink.

The II Croatian Corps Area oversaw most of south-western Croatia, including the following districts: Usora-Soli, Posavje, Sana and Luka, Livac and Zapolje, Baranja, and Vuka. The corps' area of responsibility roughly corresponds to today's Slavonia and northern Bosnia.[6][7]

  • II Croatian Corps Area[6][7]
    • Area Headquarters, in Slavonski Brod
    • 1st Rifle Brigade, in Doboj
      • 4th Rifle Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 5th Artillery Battalion
      • 16th Artillery Battalion
    • 3rd Rifle Brigade, in Vinkovci
      • 5th Rifle Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 8th Rifle Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 7th Artillery Battalion
      • 18th Artillery Battalion
    • 4th Rifle Brigade, in Bosanki Novi
      • 7th Rifle Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 13th Rifle Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 11th Artillery Battalion
      • 22nd Artillery Battalion
    • 5th Garrison Brigade, in Nova Gradiška
      • 1st Garrison Battalion
      • 2nd Garrison Battalion
      • 3rd Garrison Battalion
      • 4th Garrison Battalion
    • 6th Garrison Brigade, in Doboj
      • 1st Garrison Battalion
      • 2nd Garrison Battalion
      • 3rd Garrison Battalion
      • 4th Garrison Battalion
      • 5th Garrison Battalion
    • 7th Garrison Brigade, in Mitrovica
      • 1st Garrison Battalion
      • 2nd Garrison Battalion
      • 3rd Garrison Battalion
      • 4th Garrison Battalion
    • 10th Garrison Brigade, in Tuzla
      • 1st Garrison Battalion
      • 2nd Garrison Battalion
      • 3rd Garrison Battalion
      • 4th Garrison Battalion
      • 5th Garrison Battalion
      • 6th Garrison Battalion
      • 7th Garrison Battalion
      • 8th Garrison Battalion
      • 9th Garrison Battalion
      • 10th Garrison Battalion
    • 2nd Replacement Brigade, in Vinkovci
      • 2nd Armoured Car Battalion
      • Srijem Replacement Battalion
      • Tuzla Replacement Battalion

III Croatian Corps Area[]

Domobranstvo zborna područja

The three corps area of the Croatian Army in 1943, the I Corps is in the north-west in apricot red, the II Corps in the south-west in peach, and the III Corps in the north-east in strawberry pink.

The III Croatian Corps Area oversaw most of south-eastern Croatia, including the following districts: Dubrava, Hum, Cetina, Vrhbosna, Pliva and Rama, and Lika-Gacka. The corps' area of responsibility roughly corresponds to modern day southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.[6][7]

  • III Croatian Corps Area[6][7]
    • Area Headquarters, in Sarajevo
    • Mobile Brigade
      • Zagreb Cavalry Regiment
      • I Bicycle Battalion
      • II Bicycle Battalion
    • 2nd Mountain Brigade
      • 2nd Mountain Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 6th Mountain Regiment (3 x battalions)
      • 9th Mountain Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 8th Garrison Brigade
      • 1st Garrison Battalion
      • 2nd Garrison Battalion
      • 3rd Garrison Battalion
      • 4th Garrison Battalion
      • 5th Garrison Battalion
    • 9th Garrison Brigade
      • 1st Garrison Battalion
      • 2nd Garrison Battalion
      • 3rd Garrison Battalion
      • 4th Garrison Battalion
      • 5th Garrison Battalion
      • 6th Garrison Battalion
    • 3rd Replacement Brigade
      • 3rd Armoured Car Battalion
    • Labour Service
      • 1st Labour Regiment
      • 2nd Labour Regiment
      • 3rd Labour Regiment
    • Railway Security (23 x battalions)
      • Railway Security Sector A
      • Railway Security Sector B
      • Railway Security Sector C
      • Railway Security Sector D
      • Railway Security Sector E

May 1945[]

The composition of the corps at end of the war in May 1945 was as follows:[1][2][3][4]

  • XV Mountain Corps
    • Corps Headquarters
      • 415th Mountain Corps Signal Battalion
      • 415th Corps Map Platoon
      • 415th Corps Field Post
      • 415th Corps Supply Battalion
      • 415th Corps Field Gendarmerie Troop
    • Staff, 21st Luftwaffe Field Division (Group Barthe)
    • 300th Division Staff

181st Infantry Division[]

  • 181st Infanterie-Division Logo 181st Infantry Division: Lieutenant General Eugen-Heinrich Bleyer[8]
    • Division Headquarters, in Steiermark
    • 222nd Divisional Administrative Services
    • 222nd Signal Battalion
    • 222nd Bicycle Company
    • 359th Grenadier Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 363rd Grenadier Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 181st Fusilier Battalion
    • 222nd Artillery Regiment (3 x battalions)
    • 222nd Panzerjäger Battalion
    • 222nd Engineer Battalion (1 x company only)
    • 222nd Field Post
    • 222nd Supply Troops Commander
    • 222nd Medical Company
    • 222nd Field Gendarmerie Troop

Commanders[]

Commander of the corps included:[1][2][3][4]

  • 25 August 1943 – 10 October 1943: General of the Infantry Rudolf Lüters
  • 11 January 1943 – 1 January 1944: General of the Infantry Ernst Leyser
  • 1 August 1944 – 8 May 1945: General of the Panzer Troops Gustav Fehn

Notes[]

References[]

  • National Archives and Records Administration, Signatur T 78 Roll 410
  • Franz Schraml: Kriegsschauplatz Kroatien. Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, Neckargemünd 1962


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