The I Kavallerie-korps was formed May 1944 from LXXVIII Armeekorps and the staff of Korps-Abteilung B. It commanded German and Hungarian cavalry units. It took part in the fighting retreat following the collapse of Heeresgruppe Mitte and later fought in East Prussia. In December it was transferred to Hungary where it took part in the failed efforts to break the Soviet siege of Budapest.

General der Kavallerie Gustav Harteneck later wrote:

While the Corps was still in the process of being transferred, we were once again ordered to take up stationary positions, to our great disappointment. The cavalry divisions of the Waffen-SS were fighting in the metropolis of Budapest. Every cavalryman knows that no good could come of that, and, as it turned out, nothing did. The SS divisions were encircled ... My Cavalry Corps launched a night attack in an attempt to relieve them, but it was too late, and the Russian forces were too powerful. Although we managed to fight out way to the city limits, only 100 or so cavalrymen, under the command of the famous rider Staff Colonel von Mitzlaff, were able to break through to us. The subsequent battles, in the course of which my Corps was under the command of 6th SS Panzer Army, might have turned out quite differently had the two SS cavalry divisions been deployed to full advantage as cavalry divisions, instead of being ordered to hold Budapest. (1)

Commanders

General der Kavallerie Gustav Harteneck (10 June 1944 - 8 May 1945)

Area of operations

Eastern front (June 1944 - May 1945)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Knight's Cross (1)
- Harteneck, Gustav 21.09.1944 General der Kavallerie K.G. I. Kav.Korps

Footnotes

1. "Axis Cavalry in World War II" by Dr Jeffrey T. Fowler page 21.

Sources used

Dr Jeffrey T. Fowler - Axis Cavalry in World War II
John E. Strandberg - Horsepower: The use of horses by the German armed forces during World War II (in Military Advisor Vol 21, No 4)
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -