21st Mountain Corps

21st Mountain Corps

XXI. Gebirgskorps / Gebirgs-Armeekorps

History

Corps was formed on 18 August 1943 and after Italian capitulation took over occupation duties in Montenegro and Albania. Its first task were disarming Italian troops and setting up coastal defense followed by regular operations against Partisans. Corps was transferred from 2nd Panzer Army to Army Group E which was tasked with occupation of Greece.

Once withdrawal of Army Group E finally began on 10 October 1944, 21st Mountain Corps found itself isolated since it couldn't withdrew towards main communication line through Macedonia and take advantage of Salonica-Belgrade railroad but instead had to withdraw by Podgorica-NikÅ¡iÄ‡-Trebinje-Mostar road. This plan called for joining with 22nd Mountain Corps retreating from Greece but 5th SS Mountain Corps was already abandoned Trebinje retreating towards Mostar creating gap into which Yugoslav Partisans moved in. What made retreat more difficult besides both Yugoslav and Albanian Partisans ambushes was the fact that all Corps communication was intercepted and deciphered by ULTRA allowing Allied commanders to coordinate Balkan Air Force air and Partisan ground attacks.

Only practical retreat route left for 21st Mountain Corps was by road Andrijevica - ViÅ¡egrad - Sarajevo, 22nd Infantry Division was ordered to advance south through Partisans lines to Bijelo Polje in order to secure retreat lines.

Losses for 11 to 21 December 1944.

182 killed

490 wounded

57 missing

356 motor vehicles (Kfz.)

1 Flak 38

1 Flak 2cm

1 Pak 7,5cm

1 s.FH18

94 horses

55 m3 fuel

35 tons of rations

150 tons of ammunition

Battles & Campaigns

12 Nov 43 - Operation 505

Nov 43 - Operation Roter Mann - Berati, central Albania

Nov 43 - Operation Edelweiss - Debar, western Macedonia

Dec 43 - Operation 1828

Dec 43 - Operation Bergkessel

Operation SEITENSPRUNG

Operation BERGGEIST

Operation OSTERGLOCKE

Sarajevo operation

Reference

Tagesmeldung 24 December 1944