The XXI Corps was activated on December 6, 1943, at Camp
Polk, Louisiana, and was responsible for training an estimated
200,000 men and 70 different units of varying sizes before it
embarked for the European Theater in November of 1944. After a short
stay in England, the Corps landed in France and became operational
on January 13, 1945, after being assigned to the Seventh Army. The
XXI was assigned position along the left flank of Seventh Army near
the Maginot Line and gathered strength for an attack south of the
Colmar Canal during the last week in January.
In late January, divisional units of the XXI Corps were
transferred to other Seventh Army corps and the XXI Corps was
transferred to the operational control of the French First Army with
the mission of eliminating the Colmar Pocket. The 3d and 28th
Infantry Divisions, until that time under the control of the French
II Corps, were transferred to XXI Corps control. Late in January the
75th Infantry Division was transferred from the Ardennes area to XXI
Corps control. The 12th Armored Division was transferred to XXI
Corps control in early February. The French 2d and 5th Armored
Divisions also operated under XXI Corps control during the Colmar
Pocket fighting. Elements from the Corps reached the Rhine River on
February 6th, and German resistance ended within the pocket on
February 9th. The XXI Corps returned to Seventh Army control on
February 16th and moved to Morhange two days later to begin a
limited offensive. Extremely heavy resistance was encountered in
capturing Forbach and Stiring-Wendal, and Corps elements of the 70th
Division and 101st Cavalry Group reached the Saar River on March
14th.
Launching an attack into the Siegfried Line, the men of
the XXI broke through and crossed the Saar to take Saarbrucken on
March 20th, and the Corps arrived in the Bitche sector two days
later. Corps troops crossed the Rhine River at Neuschloss and
Mannhein on the 28th and 29th of March and attacked east into
Germany towards Wurzburg and Schweinfurt. On April 2nd, Corps
elements captured Konigshafen and repulsed heavy enemy
counterattacks, and four days later Wurzburg was captured after
house-to-house fighting. Infantrymen mopped up the last enemy
resistance in Schweinfurt on April 12th, and armor units pursued
fleeing German elements who were primarily fighting delaying
actions.
The Seventh Army attack turned south, and Corps elements
of the 12th Armored Division captured Laucheim and Bopfingen against
light resistance and then captured a bridgehead across the Danube
River at Dillingen the following day. The XXI captured Landsberg and
crossed into Austria with the direction of the main advance aiming
towards Innsbruck and the Brenner Pass. Elements of the XXI Corps
attacked the area of the National Redoubt on April 30th and ended
any possible German last-ditch defense in the Bavarian Alps.
The following day, Corps troops captured Bad Tolz, moved
toward the Watchen See, cleared Oberarnmergau, and advanced
southwest up the Inn River Valley where German Army Group G
surrendered on May 6, 1945, as the fighting in Europe came to a
close. After a short period of occupation duties, the XXI was
inactivated on September 30, 1945, at Swabish Gmund, Germany, after
having participated in three campaigns. The shoulder patch worn by
the XXl Corps was approved by the OMG on April 3, 1944. The crossed
arrows represent the fighting power of the Corps, and the acorn is a
symbol of strength, while the four-leaf clover is a sign for good
fortune. The blue and white portions of the insignia suggest the
colors of the Corps' distinguishing flag.
