The corps was formed on 20 May 1940 in "Wehrkreis" IV with a home station at Naumburg, which was changed to Bautzen on 8 June. It was initially part of the "Oberkommando des Heeres" Reserve, becoming part of 9th Army of Army Group A in northern France by July. It transferred to the 17th Army of Army Group B in the General Government during March and April 1941 in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The corps transferred to the 6th Army with Army Group B in May, fighting with the army as part of Army Group South when the invasion began on 22 June. It Included the 111th, 299th, and 56th Infantry Divisions on 1 May. The corps participated in actions along the Bug River, the Battle of Kiev, and at Belgorod between June and December, continuing to fight at Belgorod until July 1942. In August the corps was transferred to the reserve of Army Group B, then assigned to the 8th Italian Army of the army group between September and December, fighting on the Don River during the Battle of Stalingrad.