The LXXXVI Army Corps () was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1945.
History The LXXXVI Army Corps was formed on 19 November 1942 under the supervision of Oberbefehlshaber West (Army Group D). The corps was initially headquartered at Dax in southwestern France. The initial commander of the LXXXVI Army Corps was Bruno Bieler. The corps was put under the supervision of the 1st Army in December 1942.
After the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944, the LXXXVI Army Corps was called away from the defensive position in the southwest to help the defense of Normandy. The corps was assigned to the 5th Panzer Army under Army Group B. Subsequently, it was driven back by the Allied advance to the Lille area, where it served under the 15th Army in September. The LXXXVI Army Corps was successively driven back to the Venlo and the Lower Rhine regions, where it served under the 1st Parachute Army and again under the 5th Panzer Army.
The corps fought between December 1944 and May 1945 as part of the 1st Parachute Army under Army Group H in Northwest Germany. Its final commander before German surrender was Erich Straube.
Structure +Organizational chart of the LXXXVI (86th) Wehrmacht Army CorpsYearDateCommanderSubordinate unitsArmyArmy GroupOperational area1942DecemberBruno BielerNoneNoneArmy Group DSouthwest France (Dax)19431 January344th Infantry, 715th Infantry1st Army3 February344th Infantry, 715th Infantry, 18th LFD4 March9 AprilErwin Jaenecke344th Infantry, 715th Infantry1 May344th Infantry1 June7 JulyGustav Fehn5 August5 SeptemberHans von Obstfelder4 October8 November3 December19441 January276th Infantry, 344th Infantry12 February2nd SS Panzer, 159th Infantry, 276th Infantry11 March8 April159th Infantry, 276th Infantry11 MayArmy Group G12 June15 July12th SS Panzer, 21st Panzer, 346th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 16th LFD5th Panzer ArmyBefore 5 August 1944: known as Panzergruppenkommando West.Army Group BNormandy31 August346th Infantry, 711th Infantry16 September59th Infantry, 712th Infantry15th ArmyLille13 October176th Infantry, 180th Infantry, Panzerbrigade 1071st Parachute ArmyVenlo / Lower Rhine5 November180th Infantry, 344th Infantry, Panzerbrigade 107, Erdmann5th Panzer Army26 November180th Infantry, 606th Infantry, 7th Parachute1st Parachute ArmyArmy Group H31 DecemberErich Straube84th Infantry, 180th Infantry, 190th Infantry194519 February15th Infantry, 180th Infantry, 7th Parachute1 March190th Infantry12 April15th Infantry, 325th Infantry, 471st Infantry, Panzerverband GroßdeutschlandOberbefehlshaber NordwestEms / Weser
Noteworthy individuals
Bruno Bieler, corps commander of LXXXVI Army Corps (16 November 1942 – 1 April 1943). Erwin Jaenecke, corps commander of LXXXVI Army Corps (1 April 1943 – 3 June 1943). Gustav Fehn, corps commander of LXXXVI Army Corps (1 July 1943 – 25 August 1943). Hans von Obstfelder, corps commander of LXXXVI Army Corps (25 August 1943 – 30 November 1944). Carl Püchler, corps commander of LXXXVI Army Corps (30 November 1944 – 15 December 1944). Erich Straube, corps commander of LXXXVI Army Corps (15 December 1944 – May 1945).
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References