The XXX Armeekorps was formed in August 1939. It was destroyed on the Eastern front on 31 August 1944 and was reformed in November 1944.

Known war crimes

Soldiers from XXX Armeekorps took part in the murder of Jews in the area of Kodyma and on 2 August 1941 General der Infanterie Hans von Salmuth issued order 628/41 that read in part:

Participation of soldiers in operations against Jews and Communists: The fanatical intent of the members of the Communist Party and of the Jews to delay the German Armed Forces at all costs must be broken under all circumstances. In the interest of the security of the army rear area it is therefore necessary to take severe measures. Sonderkommandos have been charged with this mission. At one place, however, members of the armed forces participated in such an operation in an unpleasant manner.
For the future I order--Only those soldiers will participate in such operations who are expressly ordered to do so. I also forbid all members of the unit subordinate to me to participate as spectators. If members of the units are ordered to participate in such operations, they must be under the command of officer These officers are responsible for ensuring that no unpleasant excesses are committed by the troops. (1)

Hans von Salmuth was post-war sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes.

Soldiers from the corps were involved in the killing of thousands of Jews in the Romanian city of Iaşi (Jassy) in June-July 1941, the so called Iaşi pogrom. (2)

Commanders

General der Artillerie Otto Hartmann (1 Sep 1939 - ? Feb 1941)
General der Infanterie Eugen Ott (25 Mar 1941 - 10 May 1941)
Generaloberst Hans von Salmuth (10 May 1941 - 27 Dec 1941)
General der Artillerie Maximilian Fretter-Pico (27 Dec 1941 - 16 July 1944)
Generalleutnant Georg Postel (16 July 1944 - 31 Aug 1944)
Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann (23 Nov 1944 - 16 Dec 1944)
General der Kavallerie Philipp Kleffel (16 Dec 1944 - 8 May 1945)

Area of operations

Germany (Sep 1939 - July 1940)
Poland (July 1940 - Jan 1941)
Balkans (Jan 1941 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Aug 1944)
Holland & northwestern Germany (Nov 1944 - May 1945)

Footnotes

1. Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals Under Control Council Law No. 10. Nuernberg, October 1946-April 1949: Case 12: U.S. v. von Leeb (High Command case)
2. "Holocaust: The final solution" by David Cesarani, "The final solution: A genocide" by Donald Bloxham, "Besatzungspolitik und Massenmord: Die Einsatzgruppe D in der südlichen Sowjetunion 1941-1943" by Andrej Angrick, "Days of remembrance, April 7-14, 1991: Fifty years ago : from terror to systematic murder" by United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

Sources used

Andrej Angrick - Besatzungspolitik und Massenmord: Die Einsatzgruppe D in der südlichen Sowjetunion 1941-1943
Donald Bloxham - The final solution: A genocide
Matatias Carp - Holocaust Romániában
David Cesarani - Holocaust: The "final solution"
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals Under Control Council Law No. 10. Nuernberg, October 1946-April 1949: Case 12: U.S. v. von Leeb (High Command case)
United States Holocaust Memorial Council - Days of remembrance, April 7-14, 1991: Fifty years ago : from terror to systematic murder

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -