The XXXIX Panzerkorps was formed from XXXIX Armeekorps in July 1942. It fought at Cholm and in the withdrawal to Smolensk. It suffered heavy losses in the encirclement at Minsk and later withdrew through Kurland and East Prussia. It fought at the Ardennes and ended the war on the Elbe.

Commanders

General der Panzertruppen Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (09 July 1942 - 30 Nov 1942)
General der Artillerie Robert Martinek (01 Dec 1942 - 13 Nov 1943)
Generalleutnant Carl Püchler (14 Nov 1943 - 18 Apr 1944) m.d.F.b.
General der Artillerie Robert Martinek (19 Apr 1944 - 28 June 1944) (1)
Generalleutnant Otto Schünemann (28 June 1944 - 29 June 1944) m.d.F.b. (2)
General der Panzertruppen Dietrich von Saucken (29 June 1944 - 15 Oct 1944)
Generalleutnant Karl Decker (16 Oct 1944 - 26 Dec 1944) m.d.F.b.
General der Panzertruppen Karl Decker (27 Dec 1944 - 21 Apr 1945) (3)
Generalleutnant Karl Arndt (21 Apr 1945 - 8 May 1945) m.d.F.b.

Area of operations

Eastern front, central sector (July 1942 - Nov 1944)
Kurland & East Prussia (Nov 1944 - Jan 1945)
Western front, Ardennes & Germany (Jan 1945 - May 1945)

Order of battle

Arko 140
Korps-Nachrichten Abteilung 439
Korps-Nachschub Truppen 439
Ost-Batailon 439

Notable members

Joachim Ziegler (Served in the corps staff, later division-commander in the Waffen-SS)

Footnotes

1. General der Artillerie Robert Martinek killed  by a strafing Soviet fighter plane near Mogilev
2. Generalleutnant Otto Schünemann killed in air attack near Pagost
3. General der Panzertruppen Karl Decker commited suicide near Fallersleben

Sources used

Microfilm Publication A-3356, German Officer Personnel files, NARA
Roger James Bender & Warren W Odegard - Uniforms, Organization and History of the Panzertruppe
Dermot Bradley, Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp - Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945
François de Lannoy & Josef Charita - Panzertruppen: German armored troops 1935-1945
Wolf Keilig - Die Generale des Heeres
Andris Kursietis - Die Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945
French Maclean - Quiet Flows the Rhine: German General Officer Casualties in World War II
French MacLean - The Unknown Generals, German Corps Commanders of WWII
Kurt Mehner - Die Deutsche Wehrmacht 1939-1945: Führung und Truppe
Friedrich Wilhelm Von Mellenthin - German Generals of WWII
Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr - The Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of World War II and Their Commanders
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Günter Wegmann & Christian Zweng - Formationsgeschichte u. Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Streitkräfte, 1815 - 1990, Teile IV, Abt. 1:  Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden u. Truppenteile des Heeres, Oct.35 - May.45
Mark C. Yerger - Waffen-SS Commanders: The army, corps and divisional leaders of a legend (2 vol)

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -