Hossbach was restored to the general staff in 1939 and promoted to major general on the 1st of March 1942. Exactly five months later, he was promoted again to lieutenant general, and his last promotion occurred on 1 November 1943, when he became general of infantry and was given command of the 16th Panzer Corps. He spent the next two years on the Eastern Front. He took over as commander of the 4th Army on 28 January 1945 but was dismissed two days later for defying Hitler's orders and withdrawing his troops from East Prussia in fear of a second Stalingrad.