21st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
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21st Infantry Division |
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|---|---|
 Troop registration |
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| active | October 1, 1934 to May 8, 1945 (surrender) |
| Country |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
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| Armed forces | Wehrmacht |
| Armed forces | army |
| Branch of service | infantry |
| Type | Infantry Division |
| structure | structure |
| garrison | Elblag |
| Second World War | Battle calendar |
| Commanders | |
| list of | Commanders |
| insignia | |
| Identification symbol | Order knight with sword and shield |
The 21st Infantry Division was a large unit of the army of the German Wehrmacht .
history
The divisional staff of the 21st Infantry Division was formed on October 1, 1934 under the name "Commander of Elbing" - a camouflage designation to conceal the expansion of the Reichswehr - in Elbing in Military District I ( East Prussia ). The infantry regiments were formed from the 3rd (Prussian) Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division of the Reichswehr . On October 15, 1935, the staff was officially renamed the 21st Infantry Division .
When the attack on Poland in September 1939, the division crossed the Ossa , captured in the association of the XXI. Army Corps Graudenz and crossed the Narew . In the formation of the 1st Army Corps , the division marched on via Białystok into the Wolkowysk area . Placed for special use by Army Group North in October, it moved west to the Eifel in November .
In 1940 the division took part in the western campaign. From the Bitburg area through Luxembourg and Belgium she came across the Association of XVIII. Army Corps in the Mezieres-Charleville area, fought in June in the association of the XIII. Army corps at Rethel . After the breakthrough and further persecution as far as the Chalon-sur-Saône area , the division moved to East Prussia in September 1940 and became part of the 1st Army Corps / 18th. Army under.
In June 1941, the Division attacked the Association of the First Army Corps of space Tilsit to Lithuania , marched across the Daugava River , fought in Jacob Town , Ostrow , Porkhov and Dno and finally reached the Ilmensee . Attack battles followed near Grusino, on the Volkhov crossing in the association of XXXIX. Army corps (motorized) and finally defensive battles and deposition on the west bank of the Volkhov at the mouth of the Tigoda. On August 9, 21st Infantry Division advanced across the marshy Mschaga River onto the road to Novgorod . The densely wooded swamp and river area impaired the movements of the infantrymen considerably; in addition, the entrances were strongly secured through Soviet earth bunkers, machine-gun positions and minefields . In the early hours of the morning, IR 3 and IR 45 crossed the Mschaga with the help of artillery support after pioneers had created mine lanes for the advancing raid troops. Despite increasing resistance, IR 24 took the town of Mschaga. On August 12th, the crossing over the Uschnitza River begins, with close combat involving many losses. Colonel Chill, regimental commander of the IR 45, was able to take the Werenda position of the 48th Soviet Army without any problems due to a captured enemy map and conquer Novgorod on August 16.
The Tigoda River formed the border between ID 61 and ID 21 and was the target of a major Soviet counterattack on January 3, 1942. On January 13, 1942, a heavy Soviet artillery attack opened the Volkhov Battle , which ended with the destruction of the broken-in Soviet units on the Erica lane. From January to May 1942 the division held positions on the Volkhov, then took part in the defensive battles near Kirishi , and defended from September under the XXVIII. Army corps again from positions on the Volkhov.
At the beginning of 1943, the heavy defensive battle ( Second Ladoga Battle ) began in the Mga area around the heights of Sinjawino south of Lake Ladoga. This was followed by positional battles in the Neva section from March to July, then defensive battles in the Mga area ( Third Ladoga battle ). Parts of the division were in action around Oranienbaum - Peterhof at the Oranienbaum bridgehead .
In 1944 the withdrawal to Pleskau took place amid defensive fighting , and in July to the Baltic States. The division fought near Riga and moved in October to the Tauroggen area , where they joined the XXXXI. Panzer Corps took part in the trench warfare in the Goldap area .
In 1945 the withdrawal took place via Masuria in the Heilsberg and Preußisch Eylau area , followed by the withdrawal to the Fresh Haff in the Association of XX. and XXVI. Army Corps. In the final fighting at Pillau , the division went under.
Skirmishes
| date | Operations | ||
| 1st - 3rd September 1939 | Storming of the fortress Graudenz | ||
| 4-10 September 1939 | Storming of the Nowogrod fortification | ||
| 11-13 September 1939 | Battles south of Zambrow | ||
| 14.-18. September 1939 | Fight for Białystok and eastwards | ||
| October 18, 1939 to May 9, 1940 | Use in the operational area of the Western Front | ||
| 11-17 May 1940 | Advance through Luxembourg, Belgium to the Aisne | ||
| 18.-20. May 1940 | Taking Rethel | ||
| May 21 to June 8, 1940 | Defensive battles on the Aisne | ||
| 9-10 June 1940 | Violent Aisne transition near Rethel | ||
| 11-13 June 1940 | Breakthrough fighting on the Suippe section | ||
| 14.-17. June 1940 | Persecution battles through the Champagne u. across the Rhine-Marne Canal | ||
| 18.-25. June 1940 | Persecution battles on both sides of the Côte d'Or | ||
| June 26 to September 10, 1940 | Securing the demarcation line and occupying forces | ||
| September 11, 1940 to June 21, 1941 | Use in the homeland war zone of the Eastern Front | ||
| 22-29 June 1941 | Border fighting in Lithuania | ||
| 22-25 June 1941 | Breakthrough through the border positions | ||
| 25-27 June 1941 | Breakthrough through the Venta- Dubyssa position and taking of Schaulen ( Šiauliai ) | ||
| June 27 to July 10, 1941 | Conquest of Riga and fighting between Daugava and Velikaya | ||
| July 10 to September 23, 1941 | Advance across the old Russian border and operations south of Lake Ilmen | ||
| 16. – 19. July 1941 | Fight at Porchow and Don | ||
| July 20 to August 9, 1941 | Attack across the Schelon to the Mschaga | ||
| 10-20 August 1941 | Operations against Leningrad | ||
| 10-13 August 1941 | Breakthrough through the Mschaga position | ||
| 10-17 August 1941 | Conquest of Novgorod | ||
| 10-24 August 1941 | Battle of Novgorod | ||
| 18.-20. August 1941 | Advance to the Leningrad - Moscow railway line | ||
| August 21 to October 15, 1941 | Defensive battles between Lake Ilmen and Lake Ladoga | ||
| October 16 to November 27, 1941 | Advance on Tikhvin and Volkhovstroy and fighting over Tikhvin | ||
| October 16 to November 15, 1941 | Advance on Volkhovstroy and Grusino | ||
| November 16 to December 18, 1941 | Defensive battles on the Volkhov and between Volkhovstroy and Grusino | ||
| 19.-27. December 1941 | Defensive battles at Volkhovstroy and evasion to the positions south of Lake Ladoga | ||
| December 28, 1941 to June 30, 1942 | Battle between Lake Ilmen and Lake Ladoga | ||
| December 28, 1941 to May 10, 1942 | Defensive battles in the Kirishi and Sokoly-Moor bridgehead | ||
| December 28, 1941 to June 30, 1942 | Defense against enemy intrusion at the Tigoda estuary | ||
| March 10 to May 10, 1942 | Repel the enemy breakthrough attack from the Pogostje area on Ljuban | ||
| 8-21 May 1942 | Repel the enemy attack on Lipowik | ||
| May 22 to June 30, 1942 | Trench warfare on the Volkhov and in the Pogostje area | ||
| July 1, 1942 to January 13, 1944 | Trench warfare in the area of Army Group North | ||
| July 1 to September 19, 1942 | Defensive battles in the Volkhov bridgehead in Kirishi | ||
| August 27 to September 3, 1942 | 1st defensive battle south of Lake Ladoga | ||
| September 20, 1942 to January 11, 1943 | Position battles between Grusino and Kirishi and on the Volkhov | ||
| January 12 to March 31, 1943 | 2. Defensive battle south of Lake Ladoga | ||
| April 1 to May 15, 1943 | Defensive battles in the Maluxo - Gaitolowo area | ||
| May 15 to July 21, 1943 | Defensive battles on the Neva between the Mga and Kolpino rivers | ||
| July 22nd to September 24th, 1943 | 3. Defensive battle south of Lake Ladoga | ||
| September 25, 1943 to January 13, 1944 | Trench warfare in the Chudovo-Grusino area | ||
| January 14 to April 23, 1944 | Defensive battles in Northern Russia and in front of the Baltic countries | ||
| January 14th to March 1st, 1944 | Defensive battle against Novgorod and Leningrad, retreat fights on Pleskau and Narva | ||
| 4th - 12th March 1944 | 1. Defensive battle at Ostroff and Pleskau | ||
| March 31 to April 17, 1944 | 2. Defensive battle near Pleskau | ||
| April 24 to June 21, 1944 | Trench warfare in the area of Army Group North | ||
| April 24 to June 21, 1944 | Defensive battles south of Pleskau and on the Velikaya | ||
| June 22 to July 26, 1944 | Defensive battles in front of and in the Baltic countries | ||
| June 22 to July 26, 1944 | Defensive battle between Pleskau and Ostroff, retreat fights between Lake Peipus and Walk | ||
| October 6, 1944 to April 28, 1945 | Defensive battles for East Prussia | ||
| 6-13 October 1944 | Defensive battle at Raseinen and Tauroggen | ||
| 14.-28. October 1944 | Trench warfare on both sides of the Memel Tilsit | ||
| October 29, 1944 to January 17, 1945 | Defensive and retreat battles in East Prussia up to the Heilsberg position | ||
| January 31 to March 28, 1945 | Battle for Heiligenbeil and Balga | ||
| March 29 to April 16, 1945 | Battle of Königsberg-Fischhausen | ||
| 17.-28. April 1945 | Defensive battles in Pillau and on the Fresh Spit | ||
Storage and operational areas
| date | corps | army | Army Group | Operational area |
| September 1939 | XXI | 3rd Army | North | East Prussia, Poland |
| October 1939 | reserve | Poland | ||
| November 1939 | III | 12th Army | A. | Eifel |
| March 1940 | XVIII | Eifel, Luxembourg | ||
| June 1940 | XIII | Aisne , Marne | ||
| July 1940 | XVIII | C. | France | |
| August 1940 | XXVII | |||
| September 1940 | I. | 18th Army | B. | East Prussia |
| May 1941 | C. | |||
| June 1941 | North | Tilsit , Volkhov | ||
| September 1941 | Murmansk Railway | |||
| December 1941 | Volkhov | |||
| May 1942 | XXVIII | Ladoga | ||
| February 1943 | XXVI | |||
| April 1943 | LIV | |||
| September 1943 | XXVI | |||
| October 1943 | XXXVIII | Volkhov | ||
| November 1943 | XXVIII | |||
| January 1944 | Pleskau , Walk, Riga | |||
| October 1944 | IX | 3rd Panzer Army | center | Tilsit |
| November 1944 | reserve | 4th Army | East Prussia | |
| December 1944 | XXXIX | |||
| January 1945 | XXXXI | |||
| February 1945 | XX | North | East Prussia ( Heiligenbeil ) | |
| April 1945 | XXVI | East Prussia ( Pillau ) | ||
Outline (June 22, 1941)
- 3rd Infantry Regiment
- 24th Infantry Regiment
- 45th Infantry Regiment
- Artillery Regiment 21
- Reconnaissance Department 21
- Panzerjäger detachment 21
- Engineer Battalion 21
- News Department 21
- Supply Leader 21
See also: Structure of an infantry division of the Wehrmacht
Commanders
| Rank | Surname | Duration | |
| Lieutenant General | Albert Wodrig | October 1, 1934 to November 10, 1938 | |
| Lieutenant General | Kuno-Hans von Both | September 1 to October 20, 1939 | |
| Lieutenant General | Otto Sponheimer | November 1, 1939 to April 1942 | |
| Lieutenant General | Wilhelm Bohnstedt | April 1942 | |
| Lieutenant General | Otto Sponheimer | April 1942 to January 10, 1943 | |
| Lieutenant General | Gerhard Matzky | January 10 to October 1, 1943 | |
| Colonel | Hubert Lamey | October 1 to December 1943 | |
| Lieutenant General | Gerhard Matzky | December 1943 to March 1, 1944 | |
| Major general | Franz Sensfuss | March 1 to March 28, 1944 | |
| Lieutenant General | Hermann Foertsch | March 28 to August 22, 1944 | |
| Major general | Heinrich Götz | August 22 to September 25, 1944 | |
| Colonel | Hengersdorff | September 25 to October 1944 | |
| Colonel | Eberhard Scharenberg | October to December 12, 1944 | |
| Colonel | Beyse | December 12, 1944 to January 14, 1945 | |
| Major general | Heinrich Götz | January 14 to April 1, 1945 | |
| Major general | Karl Koetz | April 1 to May 8, 1945 | |
Knight's Cross bearer
48 members of the division were awarded the Knight's Cross while they were part of the association .
Well-known members of the division
- Horst Hildebrandt (1919–1989), was Lieutenant General from 1973 to 1979, Inspector of the Army
literature
- Allmayer-Beck, Christoph Freiherr von, The history of the 21st (East Pr./west Pr.) Infantry Division , Schild Verlag GmbH, Munich 1990.
- Haupt, Werner, Army Group North , Bad Nauheim 1967.
- Haupt, Werner, Kurland 1944/45 - the forgotten army group , Friedberg 1979.
- Podzun, Hans-Henning, Way and Fate of the 21st Infantry Division , Remember-Verlag, Kiel 1951.
- Georg Tessin : Associations and troops of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in World War II 1939–1945. Volume 4. The Land Forces 15–30 . 2nd Edition. Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück 1976, ISBN 3-7648-1083-1 .
- Traditional Association, The 21st Infantry Division. Russian campaign 1941 , self-published 1960, some folding maps and pictures.
- Nigel Askey: Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organizational and Statistical Analysis, and Military Simulation VOLUME IIA, Lulu Publishing, 2013, ISBN 978-1-304-45329-7
Web links
- Klaus Bartels: " 21st Infantry Division ", Genealogy by Klaus Bartels, March 12, 2007, accessed January 8, 2009.
Individual evidence
- ^ Nigel Askey: Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organizational and Statistical Analysis, and Military Simulation . Volume IIA. Lulu Publishing, 2013, ISBN 978-1-304-45329-7 , pp. 678 .
