5th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

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5th Infantry Division,
5th Light Infantry Division,
5th Jäger Division

Troop registration number of the 5th Jäger Division

Troop registration
active October 15, 1934 as part of the Reichswehr  until May 3, 1945
Country German Reich NSGerman Reich (Nazi era) German Empire
Armed forces Reichswehr
Wehrmacht
Armed forces army
Branch of service infantry
Type Infantry Division
structure See outline
Location See garrisons
Second World War German-Soviet War
Double battle near Vyazma and Bryansk
Battle of Demyansk
Vistula-Oder operation
Battle for the Seelow Heights
management
Please refer: List of commanders
insignia
Ulm Minster Ulm Minster with Danube Gull

The 5th Infantry Division was a large association of the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht .

history

Memorial plaque in Ulm Minster
Memorial plaque in Ulm Minster

Lineup

As part of the expansion of the Reichswehr, the division was set up in October 1934 with the camouflage designation Kommandant von Ulm and on October 15, 1935 renamed the 5th Infantry Division. The division headquarters was from the staff of former infantry leader V formed.

After heavy losses in the east, the division was reclassified to the 5th light infantry division in the Moulin / France area on December 1, 1941 and renamed the 5th Jäger division on July 6, 1942 .

On May 1, 1945 the division was blown up when it was set down in the direction of the Elbe in the Wittenberge area, and on May 3, the mass was captured in the American bridgehead on the Elbe near Lenzen.

Garrisons

The divisional headquarters were located in Ulm . The troops of the division were stationed in Württemberg and Baden .

Participation in skirmishes and combat operations

The division was mobilized on August 25, 1939 , as a division of the 1st wave of deployment . In addition to the troops already subordinate to them, there were:

  • I. Division of Artillery Regiment 41,
  • the division units 5.
Storage and operational areas
date corps army Army Group Operational area
September 1939 XII. 7th Army C. Upper Rhine
November 1939 XVIII. 12th Army A. Eifel
June 1940 VI. 2nd Army Aisne , Loire
July 1940 XXVII. 12th Army C. France
August 1940 XVIII.
September 1940 1st Army
November 1940 LX. D. Besançon
April 1941 VI. 18th Army B. Neidenburg / East Prussia
May 1941 V. 9th Army
June 1941 center Vyasma
October 1941 Panzer Group 3
December 1941 VIII. 1st Army D. Nevres
February 1942 X. 16th Army North Staraya Russa
April 1943 reserve
June 1943 X.
August 1943 VIII.
December 1943 X.
December 1943 IX. 3rd Panzer Army center Vitebsk
April 1944 LVI. 2nd Panzer Army Kovel
April 1944 VIII.
May 1944 2nd Army Narew
July 1944 4th Panzer Army
August 1944 XX. 2nd Army
November 1944 XXIII.
February 1945 X. SS 11th Army Vistula Neustettin
March 1945 3rd Panzer Army Dramburg
April 1945 CI. 9th Army
1939-1940

The division did not take part in the attack on Poland , but was moved to the Siegfried Line at the end of August ; Parts of the division were already maneuvering on the Upper Rhine at this time. Then, the division took in 1940 in the network of the 2nd Army in the western campaign in part. The division remained in France as an occupying force until March 1941.

1941

April 1941 the division moved to East Prussia and took part in the attack on the Soviet Union in June . She struggled in the corps group of Seydlitz on Wjasma ago, was moved after heavy losses to brush for two months after France, designed to be deployed in the highlands and in the 5th Light Infantry Division renamed.

1942-1944

In January 1942, the 5th Light Division returned to the Eastern Front, where it took part in the Brückenschlag operation to liberate the German troops trapped in the Demyansk pocket and took positions in the Staraya Russa area until the end of 1943 .

In July 1942, at this time the division was fighting south of Lake Ilmen , the division was transformed into the Jäger Division and renamed the 5th Jäger Division . At the beginning of 1944 the division was moved to the Vitebsk area. In March 1944, the division joined the LVI. Panzer Corps under General Hoßbach with the 5th Panzer Division and the 131st Infantry Division for the relief attack on Kovel . Heavy defensive battles followed in the area around Kovel and in the Pripjet area, as well as retreat battles over the Bug and the Narew to the East Prussian border.

1945

In 1945 there were defensive battles in East Prussia and retreat battles on the Vistula and the Oder . After the battle for the Seelow heights , the retreat to the Elbe followed . The division, its last command post was at Schivelbein near Dramburg, was blown up on May 2nd near Wittenberge . The intelligence and reconnaissance departments crossed the Elbe and were taken prisoner by the Americans. After an attempt to break through the remaining parts of Wittenberge failed, the remaining troops surrendered to the Americans in Lenzen north of Wittenberge on the night of May 3 .

organization

Association membership

In peacetime the division was subordinate to the V Army Corps in Stuttgart.

Subordinate troops

Subordinate to the division

1934
  • Infantry Regiment 14 in Constance with I. – III. Battalion (previously Constance Infantry Regiment )
  • Infantry Regiment 56 in Ulm with I. – III. Battalion (established October 15, 1939)
  • Artillery Regiment 5 in Ulm with I. – III. Division (previously 5th Artillery Regiment )
  • Pioneer Battalion 5 in Ulm (previously 5th (Württ.) Pioneer Battalion)
1935
  • On October 15th, Infantry Division News Department 5 was set up in Ulm
1936
  • On October 15, the Infantry Regiment 75 in Freiburg with I. – III. Battalion set up from the
  • Supplementary Battalion Infantry Regiment 14 in Weingarten , the 1st Battalion of Infantry Regiment 460 (260th Infantry Division) was mobilized in 1939
  • Supplementary battalion Infantry Regiment 56 in Weinsberg, later Biberach, became the 2nd battalion of Infantry Regiment 460 during mobilization in 1939
  • Supplementary Battalion Infantry Regiment 75
  • Supplementary Battalion Artillery Regiment 5
  • MG Battalion 35 in Horb , previously MG Battalion 4 of the 5th Army Corps, was placed under the division
1939

Division of the 1st wave. An infantry division of the 1st wave had a target population of 534 officers, 2701 NCOs, 14,397 common soldiers and 102 civil servants.

See also: Structure of an Infantry Division .

Structure of an infantry division of the Wehrmacht of the 5th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht 1940

In addition to the troops already subordinate to them, there were:

  • I. Division of Artillery Regiment 41,
  • Division troops 5
  • Reconnaissance department 5 from Cavalry Regiment 18, from March 1, 1941, cycling department 5, from April 1, 1943, reconnaissance department 5
  • Infantry Division Resupply Leader 5, from November 1, 1942, commander of Division Resupply Troops 5, with all units

As replacement troop units for the division, the following were set up in military district V:

  • on August 27, 1939 Field Replacement Battalion 5 in Ulm, surrendered on December 22, 1939, set up again on March 20, 1941 (subordinated to the division)
  • Subordinated to the 155th Division, from September 1, 1940 under the 165th Division, from October 1, 1942 under the 465th Division
* on August 27, 1939 Infantry Replacement Battalion 14, from April 10, 1943 Grenadier Replacement and Training Battalion 14
* On August 29, 1939 Infantry Replacement Battalion 56, from October 1941 Jäger Replacement Battalion 56
* on August 26, 1939 Infantry Replacement Battalion 75, from July 20, 1942 Jäger Replacement Battalion 75, on April 16, 1945 1st Battalion Grenadier Regiment 726
* on August 26, 1939 Artillery Replacement Department 5 in Ulm as a light department
December 1941 as a light division
  • Jäger Regiment 56 with I. to III. Battalion (previously 56th Infantry Regiment)
  • Jäger-Regiment 75 with I. to III. Battalion (previously 75th Infantry Regiment)
  • Artillery Regiment 5 with 1st to 4th divisions
  • Division troops 5
  • Panzerjäger detachment 5
  • Cycling department 5 with 1st and 2nd cycling company
  • Engineer Battalion 5th
  • News Department 5
  • Infantry Division Supply Leader 5
Structure of the 5th division of the Wehrmacht in 1942
1942 as a hunter division
  • Jäger Regiment 56 with I. to III. battalion
  • Jäger-Regiment 75 with I. to III. battalion
  • Artillery Regiment 5 with 1st to 4th divisions
  • Division troops 5
  • Field Replacement Battalion 5
  • Panzerjäger -teilung 5 with staff, 1st 3rd company (motZ), from 1943 1st company (motZ), 2nd company (StuG), 3rd company (Geb.Fla.)
  • Radfahrabteilung 5, from April 1, 1943 Reconnaissance Department 5 with 1st to 3rd cycling company, 4th heavy company
  • Engineer battalion 5 with staff, 1st and 2nd company (besp), 3rd cycling company, bridge column B (mot) 5, light engineer column 5
  • Communication department 5 with staff, 1st telephone company (part mot), 2nd radio company (motorized), light communication column
  • Infantry division supply leader 5, from commander of supply troops 5 with 1st to 3rd small motor vehicle column (30t) 5, 4th to 6th driving column (besp) 5, 7th small motor vehicle column fuel (25 m³ ) 5, motor vehicle workshop company (motorized) 5, motor vehicle replenishment squadron 5, replenishment company 5, bakery company (motorized) 5, butchery company (motorized) 5, catering office 5, 1. and 2nd medical company (partly mot.), 1st and 2nd ambulance train 5, field hospital (motorized) 5, veterinary company (motorized) 5, field post office (motorized) 5

Levies

  • January 1940 the field replacement battalion 5 as 3rd battalion Inf.-Regt. 324 to the 163rd Infantry Division
  • February 1940 Staff and 2nd Battalion Inf.-Regt. 56 to the 292nd Infantry Division
  • October 1940 Staff Inf.-Regt. 14, III. Battalion Inf.-Regt. 14, III. Battalion Inf.-Regt 56 and III. Battalion Inf.-Regt 75 to the 125th Infantry Division
Both of the latter taxes were replaced again.

Commanders

No. Surname Beginning of the appointment End of appointment
1. Major General / Lieutenant General Eugen Hahn Lineup August 10, 1938
2. Lieutenant General Wilhelm Fahrmbacher 0September 1, 1939 October 25, 1940
3. Lieutenant General Karl Allmendinger October 25, 1940 January 31, 1941
Leader of the division Colonel Walter Jost January 20, 1941 00November 1941
Leader of the division Colonel Walter Jost 00July 1942 July 28, 1942
Leader of the division Colonel Führer July 29, 1942 July 29, 1942
4th Major General / Lieutenant General Helmut Thumm 0February 1, 1943 August 16, 1944
Leader of the division Colonel i. G. Johannes Gittner March 26, 1944 August 16, 1944
5. Major General Friedrich Sixt August 17, 1944 April 18, 1945
6th Major General Edmund Blaurock April 19, 1945 0May 3, 1945

Well-known members of the division

References

swell

See also

literature

  • Adolf Reinicke: The 5th Jäger Division 1939–1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Bad Nauheim 1962.
  • Gert Sievert: end and heir of the 5th Infantry and Jäger Division. Editors: Gert Sievert / Helmut Binder / Karl Dörflinger / Dieter Keller / Siegfried Sarau, ed .: Circle of comrades of the 5th Infantry and Jäger Division, Villingen 1982.
  • Helmut Thumm: The path of the 5th Infantry and Jäger Division 1921–1945. Illustrated book. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Bad Nauheim 1976.
  • Georg Tessin : Associations and troops of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in World War II 1939–1945. Volume 2. The Land Forces 1–5 . 2nd Edition. Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1973, ISBN 3-7648-0871-3 .
  • Veit Scherzer : German troops in World War II. Volume 3. The divisions - divisions and brigades with the numbers 4 to 8. Scherzers Militär-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2008, ISBN 978-3-938845-13-4 .
  • Hans-Joachim Harder: Military history handbook Baden-Württemberg. Published by the Military History Research Office , Kohlhammer Verlag , Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-17-009856-X .
  • Werner Haupt : Army Group North. Bad Nauheim 1967.
  • Werner Haupt: Leningrad, Volkhov, Courland. 1976.
  • Franz Kurowski : Demjansk - The cauldron in the ice. Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2001.
  • Samuel W. Mitcham : Briarcliff Manor: Hitler's Legions. Stein and Day, 1985.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Ticino, p. 288.
  2. ↑ Hermann Heidegger: The 5th Infantry Division in the West in 1939/40. In: Adolf Reinicke: The 5th Jäger Division 1939–1945.
  3. ↑ Ticino, pp. 288–289.
  4. ↑ a b Tessin, p. 289.
  5. ↑ Mitcham, p. 320.
  6. ↑ [http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/4559/angriffder5jgerdivisionaufkowe.jpg cf. Map of the attack of the 5th Jäger Division on Kovel] (Link not available)

Remarks

  1. ↑ In the A-Plan of the Reichswehr from 1932 planned list of 21 divisions.
  2. ↑ The division into waves denotes different structures and equipment ( proof of military strength ) of army divisions of the Wehrmacht.
  3. ^ The supplementary battalions were reorganized in 1935 to train the white cohorts and from October 1936 they were subordinated to the nearest infantry regiment.
  4. ↑ MG = machine gun . The battalions were so named, but were in reality anti-aircraft battalions with 12 2-cm anti-aircraft guns .
  5. ↑ The supply troops were not active and were only set up when mobilized.
  6. ↑ a b c d Abbreviations: mot = motorized, motZ = motorized with tractor , part- mot = part- motorized, besp = covered.