[1] The Generalkommando of LIII Army Corps was first deployed on 15 February 1941, in Wehrkreis XVIII (Salzburg).
[12] LIII Army Corps, advancing some 9 kilometers north of Spasskoye-Penkova,[13] met heavy Soviet resistance in the form of two cavalry divisions, five rifle divisions and a tank brigade that were approaching from Yefremov towards Tula with the intention to attack XXIV Army Corps units that were bogged down south of Tula.
The Soviet forces were surprised by the presence of LIII Army Corps just as LIII Army Corps was surprised by the sudden arrival of heavy Soviet forces, and a battle was fought between the 3 November and 13 November.
[12][14][15] After reinforcements from Heinrich Eberbach's armored Kampfgruppe arrived, the Soviet forces were repelled and over 3,000 Red Army soldiers taken prisoner.
After several days of relentless Soviet attacks, leaving 167th Infantry Division heavily battered, Guderian judged the defensive value of LIII Army Corps as only limited.
When the Soviet Operation Kutuzov hit LIII Army Corps beginning on 12 July, the Soviet troops advanced with an artillerity density of more than 200 guns per kilometer of front, whereas LIII Army Corps could only offer 1.7 barrelled weapons per kilometer as a resistance.
[24] 3rd Panzer Army fell into military disaster in the Vitebsk salient, where it was ordered to stand its ground against overwhelming Soviet forces instead of mounting a fighting retreat.
This came as a result of a direct order from Adolf Hitler and could thus not be overruled by local military commanders.
By 24 June, there was a gap between the German units that exposed the rear of LIII Army Corps.
On the request from the local commanders to obtain consent from Hitler and the high command to retreat out of Vitebsk and with the urgent message from Ernst Busch that 24 June was the last day where this operation might be possible, Kurt Zeitzler personally flew to the Berghof in Berchtesgaden, where he was instead instructed to confirm Hitler's original command that 3rd Panzer Army was to stand its ground to the last.
Soviet troops captured the last remaining road connecting LIII Army Corps with the German lines on the same day.
Friedrich Gollwitzer, commander of LIII Army Corps, decided to disobey Hitler's orders and attempt to escape with his forces towards German positions.
The final breakout attempt and the last signal from LIII Army Corps was received in the early morning hours of 27 June, when large parts of the corps attempted the westwards breach through Soviet-controlled areas that were now 80 kilometers deep.
Only a small number reached the German lines, whereas the rest perished during the attempt.
[1] LIII Corps was one of five Generalkommando units of Army Group Centre to be destroyed as a result of Bagration, along with XII, XXVII, XXXV and XXXXI.
[25] At the end of July 1944, the status of LIII Army Corps was simply noted as whereabouts unknown ('Verbleib unbekannt').
The surrender of the city of Iserlohn was also included in that final action of LIII Corps.