# LXXXI Army Corps (Wehrmacht)

The LXXXI Army Corps (German: LXXXI. Armeekorps) was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was established in occupied France in 1942 and remained active until 1945.

## History

The LXXXI Army Corps was established in occupied France on 28 May 1942 from the renamed Höheres Kommando z. b. V. XXXII. In turn, the Higher Command XXXII, not to be confused with the XXXII Army Corps, had been established on 15 October 1939 from the Grenzschutz-Abschnittkommando 2. The initial commander of the LXXXI Army Corps was Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen.
The LXXXI Army Corps, initially headquartered at Rouen, was originally subordinate to the 15th Army under Army Group D between June 1942 and July 1944. It was then moved to the 5th Panzer Army in August 1944, to the 7th Army between September and October 1944, and to the 5th Panzer Army between November and December 1944. It was moved back to the 15th Army in early 1945.
On 5 March 1945, Gauleiter of Cologne-Aachen Josef Grohé demanded from LXXXI Army Corps commander Friedrich Köchling to defend the city of Cologne at all costs; Köchling refused.$^{:525}$
LXXXI Army Corps surrendered in the Ruhr Pocket.

## Structure

Organizational chart of the LXXXI (81st) Wehrmacht Army Corps :
| Year | Date | Subordinate units | Army | Army Group | Operational area |
| 1942 | 8 June | 10th Panzer, 302nd Infantry, 332nd Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1942 | 4 July | 302nd Infantry, 332nd Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1942 | 5 August | 302nd Infantry, 332nd Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1942 | 2 September | 10th Panzer, 302nd Infantry, 332nd Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1942 | 8 October | 10th Panzer, 302nd Infantry, 332nd Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1942 | 5 November | 302nd Infantry, 332nd Infantry, 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1942 | 1 December | 332nd Infantry, 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 1 January | 332nd Infantry, 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 3 February | 332nd Infantry, 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 4 March | 191st Infantry, 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 9 April | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 1 May | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 1 June | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 7 July | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 5 August | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 5 September | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 4 October | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 8 November | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1943 | 3 December | 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 1 January | 245th Infantry, 348th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 12 February | 245th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 11 March | 245th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 8 April | 245th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group D | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 11 May | 245th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group B | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 12 June | 245th Infantry, 346th Infantry, 711th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group B | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 17 July | 89th Infantry, 245th Infantry, 17th LFD | 15th Army | Army Group B | Northern France (Rouen) |
| 1944 | 31 August | 49th Infantry, 85th Infantry, 353rd Infantry | 5th Panzer Army | Army Group B | Normandy |
| 1944 | 16 September | 9th Panzer, 116th Panzer, Panzerbrigade 105, 49th Infantry | 7th Army | Army Group B | Aachen |
| 1944 | 13 October | 12th Infantry, 246th Volksgrenadier | 7th Army | Army Group B | Aachen |
| 1944 | 5 November | 3rd Infantry, 12th Infantry, 246th Volksgrenadier | 5th Panzer Army | Army Group B | Aachen |
| 1944 | 26 November | 3rd Infantry, 12th Infantry, 47th Infantry, 340th Volksgrenadier | 5th Panzer Army | Army Group B | Aachen |
| 1944 | 31 December | 47th Infantry, 353rd Infantry, 363rd Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group B | Rur / Ruhr Pocket |
| 1945 | 19 February | 59th Infantry, 363rd Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group B | Rur / Ruhr Pocket |
| 1945 | 1 March | 9th Panzer, 11th Panzer, 59th Infantry, 363rd Infantry, 476th Infantry | 15th Army | Army Group B | Rur / Ruhr Pocket |
| 1945 | 12 April | Panzerbrigade 106, Würtz, Scherzer | 15th Army | Army Group B | Rur / Ruhr Pocket |

## Noteworthy individuals

* Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (1 April 1942 – 7 September 1944).
* Friedrich-August Schack, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (7 September 1944 – 20 September 1944).
* Friedrich Köchling, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (20 September 1944 – 10 March 1945).
* Ernst-Günther Baade, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (10 March 1945 – May 1945).
* Otto Zeltmann, chief of the general staff of LXXXI Army Corps.