View source for IX SS Mountain Corps

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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= IX SS Mountain Corps
|dates= 21 June 1944 – 12 February 1945
|country= {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
|branch= [[File:Flag Schutzstaffel.svg|border|23px]] ''[[Waffen-SS]]''
|type= ''[[Gebirgsjäger]]''
|role= [[Mountain warfare]]
|size= [[Corps]]
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* [[World War II]]
** [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]
{{tree list/end}}
|disbanded=
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|notable_commanders= ''SS-Gruppenführer'' [[Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig]]<br/>''SS-Obergruppenführer'' [[Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch]]
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The '''IX Waffen Mountain Corps of the SS (Croatian)''' ({{langx|de|IX. Waffen-Gebirgskorps der SS (Kroatisches)}}), later simply '''IX SS Mountain Corps''', was a ''[[Waffen-SS]]'' [[corps]] during [[World War II]]. Originally set up to command Croatian and Albanian SS divisions, it also commanded a variety of other German and Hungarian units of the ''Waffen-SS''. It saw action on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] between July 1944 and January 1945 when it was virtually destroyed during the [[Siege of Budapest]].{{sfn|McCroden|Nutter|Glantz|2019| p=122}}

==History==
The corps was raised on 21 June 1944 in [[Bácsalmás]], [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] as a command formation for the [[13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)|13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Handschar" (1st Croatian)]] and the [[23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian)|23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Kama" (2nd Croatian)]] under the command of ''SS-[[Gruppenführer]]'' [[Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig]].{{sfn|Lepre|1997|p=228}} The 13th SS Division was not initially transferred to the corps, being involved in fighting against the [[Yugoslav Partisans]] in the [[Independent State of Croatia]].{{sfn|Lepre|1997|p=231}} In August, due to high rates of desertion from the 13th SS Division, Sauberzweig proposed to disarm the Bosnians in both the 13th and 23rd SS Divisions, but [[Heinrich Himmler]] instead opted to transport the 2,000 Bosnians of the 23rd SS Division from Hungary to Bosnia and reorganise the remaining troops of both divisions there, with key support units from the 13th SS Division centralised under the IX SS Mountain Corps, which would also move to Bosnia from Hungary.{{sfn|Lepre|1997|pp=256–257}}

By September 1944, the [[Red Army]] had advanced to the border of Hungary, which placed the corps training area close to the front lines. ''Kama'' was not ready for combat and was disbanded; its volunteers went to strengthen the ''Handschar'' and the [[31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division]]. In mid-September, the corps was strengthened by several combat divisions, including the ''Handschar'' and went into action against the Yugoslav Partisans.

In October, the corps was moved to the frontline in Hungary, where it took command of four combat divisions, the [[13th Panzer Division]], the [[Panzer-Grenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle|60th Panzergrenadier Division "Feldherrnhalle"]], the [[8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer|8th SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer"]], and the [[22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division|22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresa"]]. All these divisions had been involved in the recent heavy fighting around [[Battle of Debrecen|Debrecen]]. Between them, the divisions barely had 60 tanks.

As all subordinate units were now Germanic, the corps was redesignated as the IX SS Mountain Corps. The renamed corps was ordered to form a part of the [[6th Army (Wehrmacht)|6th Army]], defending the approaches to [[Budapest]].

On 24 November 1944, the corps staff arrived in Budapest, the combat divisions already in action against the advancing Soviet forces. After a month's heavy fighting, the corps was encircled in the city. The corps was placed in command of all encircled German units, and [[Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch]] was placed in command. Having spent his career as a police commander, Pfeffer-Wildenbruch lacked even a basic military understanding, and as the 6th Army commander [[Hermann Balck]] said "At best, one could say that Budapest was being led by a politician".{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Pfeffer-Wildenbruch established his corps command centre on [[Buda Castle|Castle Hill]], in the centre of the Hungarian Government District, and ordered the encircled forces to attempt breakouts, which they were unable to accomplish. A rescue effort was being assembled by Balck's army group.

On 1 January 1945, the [[IV SS Panzer Corps]] launched [[Operation Konrad|Operation Konrad I]], the first in a series of relief attempts. After initial gains, the assault stalled. Konrad II followed, which reached to within sight of the city before being halted by stubborn Soviet defences.

By 17 January, the remainder of the corps along with the [[I Corps (Hungary)|Hungarian I Corps]], commanded by General [[Iván Hindy]], were evacuated across the [[Danube]] to [[Buda]]. The final relief effort, Konrad III, was halted on 28 January. By this stage, the Axis forces in Buda had been pushed into a one square kilometer pocket. On 11 February, the corps was ordered to attempt a breakout. Only 785 troops were able to reach the German lines, including 170 ''Waffen-SS'' men. On 12 February, the remainder of the corps was destroyed, with small groups of men, including Pfeffer-Wildenbruch and his staff, surrendering to the Soviets.

==Commanders==
* ''SS-Gruppenführer'' [[Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig]] (1 June – mid-November 1944){{sfn|McCroden|Nutter|Glantz|2019| p=122}}
* ''SS-Obergruppenführer'' [[Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch]] (mid-November 1944 – 11 February 1945){{sfn|McCroden|Nutter|Glantz|2019| p=122}}

==Orders of battle==
'''16 September 1944 – Croatia'''
* Corps staff
** 109th SS Corps Signals Battalion
** 509th SS Mountain Artillery Regiment
** 509th SS Observation Battery
** 509th SS Flak Battalion
** 509th SS Military Police Troop
** ''SS [[Kampfgruppe]] Dörner''
* [[File:118. Jaeger Div.png|22px]] [[118th Jäger Division]]
* [[File:7th SS Division Logo.svg|22px]] [[7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen|7th SS Mountain Division "Prinz Eugen"]]
* [[File:Armband of Croatian Legion.svg|22px]] [[369th (Croatian) Infantry Division]]
* [[File:13th SS Division Logo.svg|22px]] [[13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)|13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Handschar" (1st Croatian)]]

'''26 December 1944 – Budapest'''
* Corps staff
** 509th SS Mountain Artillery Regiment
** 509 SS Heavy Observation Battalion
** 509th SS Flak Battalion
** 509th SS Military Police Troop
* [[File:8th SS Division Logo.svg|22px]] [[8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer|8th SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer"]]
* [[File:22nd SS Division Logo.svg|22px]] [[22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division|22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresa"]]
* [[File:13th Panzer Division logo.svg|22px]] [[13th Panzer Division]]
* [[File:Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle insignia.svg|10px]] [[Panzer-Grenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle|60th Panzergrenadier Division "Feldherrnhalle"]]
* [[271st Infantry Division]]
** 12th Flaksturm Regiment
** 4th SS Police Regiment
** 4 x ''ad hoc'' infantry battalions (comprising surviving elements from other units)

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book | last=McCroden | first=W.T. | last2=Nutter | first2=T.E. | last3=Glantz | first3=D.M. | title=German Ground Forces of World War II: Complete Orders of Battle for Army Groups, Armies, Army Corps, and Other Commands of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, September 1, 1939, to May 8, 1945 | publisher=Savas Beatie | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-61121-101-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7E8IEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT6}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Lepre
  | first = George
  | year = 1997
  | title = Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943–1945
  | publisher = Schiffer Publishing
  | location = Atglen, Philadelphia
  | isbn = 978-0-76430-134-6
  }}

{{SS Corps}}
{{SS Divisions}}
{{SS organizations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:09}}
[[Category:Waffen-SS corps]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1944]]
[[Category:Mountain corps of Germany in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Germany in Yugoslavia in World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945]]
[[Category:Budapest offensive]]