The XIX Army Corps was reorganized into the Western Campaign in May 1940 , containing three Panzer Divisions . The 1st Panzer Division under Friedrich Kirchner , the 2nd Panzer Division under Rudolf Veiel , the 10th Panzer Division under Ferdinand Schaal , and the Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland joined the XIX Army Corps , now under the command of Panzer Group Kleist . The XIX Army Corps became part of the German effort to trap the Allied troops with an attack through the Ardennes forest , devised by Erich von Manstein known as the '' sickle cut '' . The XIX Army Corps crossed into Luxembourg on 10 May , and progressed through southern Belgium supported by the German Third Air Fleet . Then Battle of Sedan was won by 15 May 1940 by the Germans , despite heavy losses to the French Char B1 bis tanks . The XIX Army Corps established a bridgehead on the Meuse , which allowed them to attack northward to the English Channel , and later southward to encircle Allied armies deployed in Belgium and the French forces along the Maginot Line . On 20 May , Amiens had been captured by 1st Panzer Division , to complete the XIX Army Corps ' march to the English Channel . Germany won the Battle of Arras on the next day , which led the Allies to evacuate towards Calais and Dunkirk . XIX Army Corps continued northwards on 22 May then were reinforced by the XIV Army Corps , and began the Siege of Calais on 24 May . A victory on 26 May saw XIX Army Corps take 20,000 Allied soldiers as prisoners of war , and the onset of the Battle of Dunkirk . Two days later soldiers of '' Leibstandarte '' killed 80 men of British 144th Infantry Brigade in the Wormhout massacre . The ensuing victory at Dunkirk ended the northward campaign of the XIX Army Corps on 29 May . On 1 June , Guderian was assigned to command '' Panzergruppe Guderian '' , taking most of the XIX Army Corps staff with him , and were joined by the XLI Corps and the XXXIX Corps , and became part of the 12th Army . Panzergruppe Guderian were redeployed southwards , commencing battle on 10 June . German tanks advanced quickly southward , and only met French resistance in forests and villages . Philippe Pétain became leader of France on 16 June , began negotiating for a ceasefire with the Germans . A day later , the 29th Infantry Division reached the border of Switzerland , effectively encircling Allied soldiers on the Maginot Line . The XIX Army Corps campaign ended on 22 June , with the establishment of Vichy France . During its campaigns , the XIX Army Corps and '' Panzergruppe Guderian '' captured 250,000 prisoners
Wormhout massacre
Wormhoudt massacre
XIX Army Corps