Western Front: Normandy In April 1944, the corps was moved to
Septeuil, to the west of Paris, where it was assigned the LSSAH Division, the
12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend", the
Panzer Lehr Division, and the
17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen". The corps was attached to the
5th Panzer Army, the Western theatre's armoured reserve. With the launch of
Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France on 6 June 1944, the corps was ordered to
Falaise. The Hitlerjugend Division engaged British and Canadian troops to the north of
Caen on 8 June. The corps was tasked with holding the area of Caen and saw heavy fighting around the villages of
Authie,
Buron, and the airport at
Carpiquet. After the launch of
Operation Cobra, which destroyed the remnants of the Panzer Lehr Division, the corps was ordered to take part in
Operation Lüttich, the abortive counter-offensive towards
Avranches. The corps was caught in the
Falaise pocket, where it fought to maintain a corridor for the trapped German forces, losing all its armour and equipment in the process. After the collapse of the front, the corps retreated to the Franco-German border.
Battle of the Bulge In early October 1944, the corps was pulled back from the front line for rest and refit in
Westfalen. Refitting was complete by early December, and it was ordered to the
Ardennes region to join Dietrich's
6th Panzer Army, in preparation for an offensive codenamed
Wacht Am Rhein, and the ensuing
Battle of the Bulge. The corps played a major role in the battle with
Kampfgruppe Peiper of the LSSAH Division forming a mobile spearhead. After several weeks of heavy fighting with severely limited fuel supplies, and heavy Allied air attacks, the corps was exhausted. The offensive had to be called off.
Kampfgruppe Peiper became infamous during the battle for the murder of U.S. prisoners of war in what became known as the
Malmedy massacre. In the wake of the defeat, the corps along with the remainder of Dietrich's army, was moved to
Hungary.
Hungary and Austria The corps, composed of the LSSAH and Hitlerjugend divisions, was instrumental in one of the last successful German offensives,
Operation Southwind, eliminating the Soviet bridgehead west of the Garam in February 1945. The Germans then launched a pincer movement north and south of
Lake Balaton as part of
Operation Spring Awakening on 6 March 1945. This area included some of the last oil reserves still available to the
Axis. The attack was spearheaded by the 6th Panzer Army and included the corps, made up of elite units such as the LSSAH and Hitlerjugend divisions. Dietrich's army made "good progress" at first, but as they drew near the
Danube, the combination of the muddy terrain and strong Soviet resistance ground them to a halt. On 16 March, the Soviet forces counterattacked in strength, which forced the entire southern front to retreat towards
Vienna. The German forces, including the LSSAH and Hitlerjugend divisions, could not hold Vienna, which fell to Soviet forces on 13 April. The Germans units then retreated into Hungary. Thereafter, the bulk of the LSSAH Division surrendered to U.S. forces near
Steyr and the Hitlerjugend Division surrendered to U.S. troops near the town of
Enns, Austria on 8 May 1945. ==Commanders==