215th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
|
215th Infantry Division |
|
|---|---|
 Troop identification: the sword |
|
| active | August 26, 1939 to May 8, 1945 (surrender) |
| Country |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
|
| Armed forces | Wehrmacht |
| Armed forces | army |
| Branch of service | infantry |
| Type | Infantry division |
| structure | structure |
| Location | Heilbronn |
| Second World War |
French campaign war against the Soviet Union 1941–1945 |
| Commanders | |
| list of | Commanders |
| insignia | |
| Identification symbol | sword |
The 215th Infantry Division was a major division of the Wehrmacht in the German Reich .
history
The United Association was on 26 August 1939 as a division of the third formation wave through the Landwehr -Kommandeur Heilbronn in the military district situated V and went from September 1939 to January 1940 to secure the 7th Army in the area of Karlsruhe - Baden-Oos - Rastatt on West Wall in Position. Then the division moved to the Saarpfalz to secure the border .
Western campaign
With the beginning of the western campaign , she moved into defense positions on both sides of Bergzabern as part of the XXIV Army Corps from May 1940 and experienced her first apron battles.
In June 1940, the broke Division , the Maginot Line in the section Bitsch - Haguenau and participated in the fighting in Bruschtal around the Donon in the Association of XXXVII. Army Corps. Then they moved as an occupation force in the area Belfort , Nevers and Besançon .
War against the Soviet Union
During the war against the Soviet Union , the division was relocated with 65 transport trains to Tschudowo on the Eastern Front to be deployed on the Volkhov . By the end of December 1941, she suffered considerable losses in the fierce retreat fighting:
- 14 officers and 141 NCOs and men had died
- 14 officers and 355 NCOs and men were wounded
- 1 officer and 23 non-commissioned officers and men were considered missing
- 13 officers and 590 NCOs and men were frostbitten
In 1942, the division defended the west bank of the Volkhov with positions in the Dymno and Polisti area. Until July 18, 1942, the heavy defensive battles - 89 enemy attacks in regimental strength, 189 enemy attacks in company strength and 339 scout and raid troops - claimed losses on the Volkhov:
- 961 dead
- 3,119 wounded and 1,633 frostbitten
- and 180 missing.
The division was finally relocated to the Tosno area to refresh, but then again had to fight hard fighting in the area southwest of Leningrad , where it took part in the trench warfare at Schluesselburg , Mga and Krassny Bor south of Lake Ladoga in 1943 and fought in the Third Ladoga Battle and from September 1943 defense battles in space mga Sinyavino - Neva -Knie, later in the room Pushkin led -Alexandrowka.
In 1944, the withdrawal led the division via Ishora - Vyriza - Diwenskaja - Ossmino - Luga to the Pleskau area , where they had to face tough defensive battles near Gridino. After the further deposition in the " panther position " near Pleskau, the unit was refreshed as a reserve of the 18th Army from May to June .
In July 1944 the combat mission took place south of Dünaburg , after which it was relocated to the Biržai area . After heavy fighting on both sides of Bauska , the division had to retreat to Riga and in October 1944 was in heavy defensive battles near Frauenburg .
After further fighting in the Kurland basin , the division was transported by ship across the Baltic Sea to West Prussia on February 22, 1945 . There it was worn out in the defensive battles in the Tucheler Heide and at Gotenhafen- Oxhöft. The divisional staff was transported via Swinoujscie to Berlin , where on April 4, 1945 it formed the staff of RAD Division No. 3 "Theodor Körner" .
Storage and operational areas
| Period | Army Corps | army | Army Group | Operational area |
| September 1939 | reserve | 7th Army | C. | Upper Rhine |
| October 1939 | XXV. | |||
| January 1940 | XXIV. | 1st Army | Saar Palatinate | |
| May 1940 | XXXVII. | |||
| July 1940 | XXXXV. | Vosges | ||
| August 1940 | XXV. | 12th Army | ||
| September 1940 | XVIII. | 1st Army | Eastern France | |
| November 1940 | LX. | D. | France | |
| December 1940 | XXXXV. | |||
| January 1941 | ||||
| December 1941 | reserve | 16th Army | North | Tikhvin |
| January 1942 | XXXIX. | |||
| February 1942 | L. | 18th Army | Volkhov | |
| August 1942 | Leningrad | |||
| October 1942 | 11th Army | |||
| November 1942 | 18th Army | |||
| January 1943 | ||||
| September 1943 | XXVI. | |||
| November 1943 | L. | |||
| January 1944 | Luga | |||
| March 1944 | XXVIII. | Pleskau | ||
| June 1944 | reserve | |||
| July 1944 | II. | 16th Army | Dünaburg | |
| August 1944 | I. | Livonia | ||
| October 1944 | VI. SS | Bauska | ||
| November 1944 | L. | Kleffel | Courland | |
| December 1944 | XXXVIII. | 16th Army | ||
| January 1945 | ||||
| February 1945 | reserve | Courland | ||
| March 1945 | XVIII. | 2nd Army | Vistula | West Prussia |
Commanders
| Rank | Surname | from ... to | |
| General of the Infantry | Baptist kneel | September 1, 1939 to November 13, 1941 | |
| Lieutenant General | Bruno Frankewitz | November 14, 1941 to April 5, 1945 | |
Chiefs of Staff (Ia)
| Rank | Surname | date | |
| Lieutenant colonel | Hielscher | 1939 | |
| major | Ernst Eggert | June 1941 | |
| Lieutenant colonel | Max von Cranach | August 1941 | |
| Lieutenant colonel | Walter Schelm | October 17, 1941 | |
| Lieutenant colonel | Alexander Praetorius | June 30, 1944 | |
structure
1939
- 380 Infantry Regiment (1st - 3rd Battalion, Heilbronn Training Manager )
- 390 Infantry Regiment (1st - 3rd Battalion, Head of Training Pforzheim )
- 435 Infantry Regiment (1st - 3rd Battalion, Head of Training Ludwigsburg )
- Pioneer Battalion 215, was replaced by Army troops from November 5, 1939 and by the Pioneer Battalion 204 formed from the pioneer companies of the infantry regiments
- Division units 215
June 13, 1944
- Grenadier Regiment 380 with I.–II. battalion
- Grenadier Regiment 390 with I.–II. battalion
- Grenadier Regiment 345 with I.–II. battalion
- Division Fusilier Battalion 215
- Panzerjäger detachment 215
- Artillery Regiment 215 with I.–IV. Department
On February 15, 1940, the 4th, 8th and 12th companies of the infantry regiments were converted into machine-gun companies. The reconnaissance department 215 was dissolved, its staff took over the II./380, which was handed over on February 10, 1940 to the formation of the infantry regiment 630 of the 554th (Upper Rhine) division .
On February 15, 1940, the 3rd Company of the Pz.Jäger Department was also handed over.
On January 13, 1941, their 2nd company was surrendered.
On December 13, 1941, the division gave up the heavy division of Artillery Regiment 215, which joined the 183rd Infantry Division as IV./ArtRgt 219 .
On February 28, 1941, the 13th (infantry gun) companies of the three infantry regiments went to the 98th Infantry Division .
In November 1941, the division received the 13th companies of the 208th Infantry Division and the IV./ArtRgt 225.
In 1942 three infantry battalions - II./380, I./390 and II./345 - were disbanded.
On July 10, 1943, the IV./ArtRgt 225 was finally renamed IV./ArtRgt 215.
On September 14, 1943 the Fusilier Battalion 215 was set up.
The formation of the Panzerjäger Department 215 followed on May 10, 1944.
On July 7, 1944, the II./Gren.Rgt. 959 of the 363rd Infantry Division became a division.
In November 1944, after heavy losses, it was replenished with the help of a "shadow division" with new field post numbers.
Knight's Cross bearer
| Surname | step | date | Rank | Service position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringhof, Jakob | Knight's cross | December 23, 1943 | Captain | Div.Füs.Btl 215 |
| Schäzle, Bernd | Knight's cross | January 3, 1944 | Lieutenant dR | Platoon leader id 11./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Zeller, Konrad | Knight's cross | January 5, 1944 | Captain dR | Kdr I./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Zeller, Willy | Knight's cross | February 7, 1944 | Lieutenant dR | Leader 9./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Cousin, max | Knight's cross | February 7, 1944 | Sergeant | Platoon leader id 1./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Frankewitz, Bruno | Knight's cross | February 29, 1944 | Lieutenant General | Kdr 215th Inf. Div |
| Heidbrink, Wilhelm | Knight's cross | March 6, 1944 | Major dR | Leader Gren.Rgt 435 |
| Pfeiffer, Karl | Knight's cross | March 15, 1944 | First lieutenant | Leader I./Gren.Rgt 435 |
| Mehrle, Hans | Knight's cross | April 15, 1944 | First lieutenant | Rgt Adjutant Gren. Rgt 380 |
| Old town, Rudolf | Knight's cross | May 14, 1944 | Captain dR | Kdr I./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Schmid, Walter | Knight's cross | May 15, 1944 | Lieutenant dR | Adjutant II./Gren.Rgt 390 |
| Zeller, Konrad | Oak leaves | June 9, 1944 | Captain dR | Kdr III./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Geiger, Herbert | Knight's cross | August 8, 1944 | Sergeant Major | Kp troop leader 1./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Horlbeck, Max | Knight's cross | August 12, 1944 | major | Kdr II./Gren.Rgt 435 |
| Müller, Alois | Knight's cross | August 12, 1944 | Sergeant | Gruppenführer id 4./Gren.Rgt 435 |
| Weglehner, Friedrich | Knight's cross | August 12, 1944 | Major dR | Kdr II./Gren.Rgt 390 |
| Herb, Wilhelm | Knight's cross | August 12, 1944 | Lieutenant Colonel dR | Kdr Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Hockenjos, Fritz | Knight's cross | September 2, 1944 | Captain dR | Deputy Leader II./Gren.Rgt 380 |
| Wenz, Alfred | Knight's cross | September 21, 1944 | First Lieutenant dR | Chief 7./Gren.Rgt 435 |
| Henkenschuh, Hans | Knight's cross | September 10, 1944 | sergeant | Platoon leader at 7./Gren.Rgt 390 |
| Pfizenmayer, Paul | Knight's cross | November 3, 1944 | Captain dR | Chief 3./Art.Rgt 215 |
| Mozer, Werner | Knight's cross | December 11, 1944 | Lieutenant dR | Platoon leader id 5./FEB 215 |
| Harms, Wilhelm | Knight's cross | February 1, 1945 | Lieutenant Colonel dR | Kdr Gren.Rgt 390 |
| Frankewitz, Bruno | Oak leaves | March 16, 1945 | Lieutenant General | Kdr 215th Inf.-Div. |
literature
- Haupt, Werner: Army Group North , Bad Nauheim 1967.
- Haupt, Werner: Kurland 1944/45 - the forgotten Army Group , Friedberg 1979.
- Last battle on the Eastern Front - From Döberitz to Danzig 1944/45, Hans-Jürgen Pantenius, Verlag ES Mittler & Sohn GmbH, 2002.
- Schelm, Walter / Mehrle, Hans Dr .: From the battles of the 215th Württemberg-Baden Infantry Division - published by the Kameradenhilfswerk and Trad. Verb. D. formerly 215th Inf. Div. , Stuttgart 1955.
- Georg Tessin : Associations and troops of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in World War II 1939–1945 . Volume 8: The Land Forces 201–280 . 2nd Edition. Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1979, ISBN 3-7648-1174-9 .
- Zeller, Konrad / Mehrle, Hans / Glauner, Theodor: Path and fate of the 215th Württemberg-Baden Infantry Division 1936–1945. Documentation in pictures. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Friedberg 1980 (new edition by Dörfler-Verlag).
Web links
- 200th through 370th German Infantry, Security, and Panzer Grenadier Divisions. Organizations and Histories 1939–1945 ( Memento from February 10, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 461 kB), Nafziger Collection, Combined Armed Research Library.
