a breakthrough of Soviet forces to the north, the Corps found itself encircled in the forests east of Minsk, and despite a breakout attempt on 5 July spearheaded by the 25th Panzergrenadier Division, was almost entirely destroyed. The corps commander, General Paul Völckers, was captured, as were the commanders of the 78th and 260th Divisions, Hans Traut and Günther Klammt. The Corps, and its staff, was hurriedly reconstructed in July / August from replacement units and deployed on the East Prussian border. 1945 The rebuilt XXVII Corps was transferred to Second Army, facing the Soviet East Prussian Offensive. During the course of the offensive it was encircled on the Baltic coast at Danzig, and again destroyed / disbanded. The staff was evacuated and transferred to the reconstructed Third Panzer Army; the remnants of the Corps eventually surrendered to troops of the US Army on 4 May, north of Ludwigslust. Commanders August 1939 General Karl Ritter von Prager November 1939 General Alfred Wäger 23 December 1941 Lieutenant-General Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz 13 January 1942 General Joachim Witthöft 1 July 1942 Colonel-General Walter Weiß 10 February 1943 Lieutenant-General Karl Burdach 8 June 1943 General Paul Völckers 27 July 1944 General Helmuth Prieß October 1944 General Maximilian Felzmann April 1945 General Walter Hörnlein References "". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved February 11, 2008. Army,27 Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945