Hube took part in the
invasion of Poland and the
Battle of France as a regimental commander. During the war with France he issued a pamphlet to his soldiers stating "the deployment of black and colored troops against the German army contradicts the conception of the white race's master role towards the colored people" and that it is "a shame and dishonor, all the more so because our division has had to wage the hardest fights against the Negroes". Hube was appointed commander of
16th Infantry Division in June 1940. As commander of the
16th Panzer Division, he took part in
Operation Barbarossa as part of Field Marshal
Gerd von Rundstedt's
Army Group South. For this action during the campaign, Hube received the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On 16 January 1942, he was awarded the Oak leaves to the Knight's Cross for his actions in the
Battle of Kiev. Hube then led the division during
Fall Blau and the
Battle of Stalingrad. On 16 September 1942, Hube was given command of
XIV Panzer Corps, the parent formation of the 16th Panzer Division. Hube commanded the XIV Corps during the Soviet counter-offensive,
Operation Uranus. He was promoted to and received the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak leaves from Adolf Hitler personally on 21 December 1942. During his time at the
Führer-Headquarters in
Rastenburg, Hube argued strongly, but to no avail, for Hitler to allow the 6th Army to attempt a breakout. Instead, Hitler promised a new relief attack beginning in the middle of February. After the destruction of the
6th Army, Hube was sent to the
Mediterranean front. He created in Sicily, a four-division force whose task was to defend the island. With the advent of
Operation Husky on 10 July, Hube commanded the overall German defence. On 17 July 1943 Hube was given command of all army and
Flak troops on the island. Hube organised the evacuation to the Italian peninsula. He had prepared a strong defensive line, the 'Etna Line' around
Messina, that would enable the Germans to make a progressive retreat while evacuating large parts of his army to the mainland.
George S. Patton began his assault on the line at
Troina, but it was a linchpin of the defense and was stubbornly held. Despite three 'end run' amphibious landings the Germans managed to keep the bulk of their forces beyond reach of capture, and maintain their evacuation plans. Withdrawing a large number of troops from the threat of capture on Sicily represented a major success for the Axis. Hube later took part in the battles defending positions at
Salerno during the Allied
Operation Avalanche. Afterward, Hube was moved back to Germany and transferred to the
Führerreserve. On 23 October 1943, Hube was designated commander of the 200,000 man
1st Panzer Army, then serving with
Army Group South under Field Marshal
Erich von Manstein. In February 1944, Hube was officially confirmed as commander of the 1st Panzer Army. Shortly after,
III Panzer Corps, one of Hube's units, was required to assist German forces breaking out of the
Korsun-Cherkassy pocket. Soon after this, Hube's force was encircled in
a pocket near Kamenets-Podolsky. Hube led the breakout, which lasted from 27 March 1944 until 15 April 1944. ==Death==