III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The III. (germanische) SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The (germanische) (lit. Germanic) part of its designation was granted as it was composed primarily of foreign volunteer formations.The Panzerkorps was formed in April, 1943 as a headquarters for the 5th SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking and 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. The corps was placed under the control of former Wiking commander SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner. After training, the corps took part in anti-partisan operations in the Balkans against Josip Broz Tito's forces, enjoying some successes. The corps then was sent to a quiet sector in Army Group North, now made up of the Nordland Division and the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands. By this stage, the Wiking had beensent south and came under the control of Army Group South's Eighth Army. Forced back by the Russian winter 1944 offensive, the corps took a leading role in the defense of the Narva salient in the summer of 1944, in what was then characterized by some Germans as The Battle of the European SS. It then withdrew with the rest of the ar