XXXXVIII Panzer Korps

[JT Fox]

I'm after some information on the 48th Panzer Korps, formally the 48th Armee Korps (mot).

I'm trying to build up a detailed picture of it's movements from the opening shots of Barbarossa, thought the Russian winter counter attack and into spring. June 41 to May 42.

The info I so far have is top level, Panzer Group etc.

If anyone knows of any good web sites which could give me more detail I would greatful for any links.

Where, when, what was it doing and who was the unit above. All that on a weekly time scale would be great.

Thanks JT Fox

[JasonC]

At the outset it was the 11th Panzer division, a crack unit that led the way for army group south, and a couple of IDs (57 and 75), with others in reserve at AG level that later joined it (13th PD, 25th motorized).

The 11th made the greatest progress in the south in the first few days, penetrating 24 miles by the end of the second and 42 by the end of the third. This triggered the Dubno counterattack, the largest tank battle of the early war.

That Russian counterattack tried to hit 11th PD from the south but missed because it had already passed the position aimed at, and instead hit the 57th ID covering its right flank. Drove it back 6 miles, then ran into the 16th PD (in PG1 but not PK48), which was trying to follow 11 PD's wake. The north side of the counterattack hit a bit of 11 PD but mostly 13 PD. But was soon back on the defensive. The 11th raced further into the Russian rear after that and helped make it a Russian fiasco - their tanks stuck too far west without support or supply etc.

The 11th led the way to Shepetovka then Zhitomir on the road to Kiev. The Russians thought that was the objective and put most of their forces in front of the rest of PG1 on that axis. Then 11th PD turned right through Berdichev and due south to Uman, closing the Uman pocket on 2 August by linking up with 17th army forces advancing from the Rumanian border. That trapped 2 Russian armies.

Next came the Kiev pocket (although 11th PD was withdrawn into reserve around that time). They formed the southern pincer around the city. After linking up with AG center they fought to reduce the pocket. Some AG south forces were then detached to AG center, and most of the rest advanced on Rostov, but 48 PK was left at the juncture between them. Basically they were screening the long empty sector between Guderian's drive on Tula and Rundstadt's drive on Rostov. Spring found them in the Kursk area, still defensive. They were not involved in the Russian spring counterattack in May, which was delivered well south of their positions.

[George MC]

Glantz's book "The Initial Period of war on the Eastern Front 22nd June - August 1941" has detailed info about 11th Panzers movements in the first two months of the war in the east.

Cheers fur noo

George Mc

[JT Fox]

Thanks for the book tip George Mc.

JasonC I found this site.

http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/

It has some real detailed maps but they are, (mostly), in Russian.

My Russian is not as good as it used to be and it used to be crap. So I'll use your commentry to try and follow the maps.

Thanks JT Fox