page_title: XIX Army Corps
section_title: 16 May 1940
hierarchical_section_title: XIX Army Corps / Operational history / Western campaign / 16 May 1940
caption_attribution_description: English: The German advance to the English Channel between 16 May and 21 May of 1940.
context_page_description: The XIX Army Corps was an armored corps of the German Wehrmacht between 1 July 1939 and 16 November 1940, when the unit was renamed Panzer Group 2 and later 2nd Panzer Army. It took part in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of France.
  It was formed in Vienna on 1 July 1939, the same day as the 2nd Panzer Division, but was not assigned to any single military district. Commanded by General der Panzertruppe Heinz Guderian, it was stationed in Pomerania prior to taking part in the invasion of Poland. It was officially tasked with constructing fortifications in preparation for an attack from Polish forces, though in fact German preparations for the invasion were already well advanced. Subordinated within Army Group North and supplemented by the 3rd Panzer, 2nd Infantry, and 20th Infantry Divisions, XIX Army Corps was tasked to strike southwards towards the Vistula river and thereby prevent any eastwards retreat of Polish troops to its west. Operations began on 1 September 1939, beginning World War II in Europe.
context_section_description: On the 16th, 1st Panzer Division took Omont and Bouvellemont. Balck would be awarded the Knight's Cross for his ability to motivate his exhausted units to continue the assault on Bouvellemont. Guderian had his troops press on in spite of widespread exhaustion and forced the attack on Montcornet. Here, XIX Army Corps was temporarily strengthened by 6th Panzer Division (Werner Kempf) of XLI Corps, bringing the operational strength of the combined units back up to three panzer divisions and compensating for the loss of 10th Panzer Division, which was still undertaking rearguard action. Several hundred French soldiers were taken POW, including a detachment of the 4th Armored Division, a division then under command of Charles de Gaulle. By the evening of 16 May, Guderian was convinced that XIX Army Corps could finish the race to the English Channel starting the following day. The corps leadership gave out Korpsbefehl Nr. 7 for the following day. On XIX Army Corps' right, 2nd Panzer Division was to advance over Origny onto Ribemont, whereas 1st Panzer Division would march forward on the left, from Mézières towards Hamégicourt.
caption: Western Campaign: 16–21 May 1940
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