LXXXI Army Corps (Wehrmacht)

The LXXXI Army Corps (LXXXI. Armeekorps) was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was established in occupied France in 1942 and remained active until 1945.

History
The LXXXI Army Corps was established in occupied France on 28 May 1942 from the renamed Höheres Kommando z. b. V. XXXII. In turn, the Higher Command XXXII, not to be confused with the XXXII Army Corps, had been established on 15 October 1939 from the Grenzschutz-Abschnittkommando 2. The initial commander of the LXXXI Army Corps was Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen.

The LXXXI Army Corps, initially headquartered at Rouen, was originally subordinate to the 15th Army under Army Group D between June 1942 and July 1944. It was then moved to the 5th Panzer Army in August 1944, to the 7th Army between September and October 1944, and to the 5th Panzer Army between November and December 1944. It was moved back to the 15th Army in early 1945.

On 5 March 1945, Gauleiter of Cologne-Aachen Josef Grohé demanded from LXXXI Army Corps commander Friedrich Köchling to defend the city of Cologne at all costs; Köchling refused. 

LXXXI Army Corps surrendered in the Ruhr Pocket.

Noteworthy individuals

 * Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (1 April 1942 – 7 September 1944).
 * Friedrich-August Schack, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (7 September 1944 – 20 September 1944).
 * Friedrich Köchling, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (20 September 1944 – 10 March 1945).
 * Ernst-Günther Baade, corps commander of LXXXI Army Corps (10 March 1945 – May 1945).
 * Otto Zeltmann, chief of the general staff of LXXXI Army Corps.