563rd Grenadier Division

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 563rd Grenadier Division was a German infantry division during World War II .

Division history

The division was set up on August 17, 1944 at the Döberitz military training area near Berlin for the military district III in the course of the 30th wave of deployment . This was done by renaming the Grenadier-Lehr-Division that had been set up shortly before . Shortly after the formation, the division was sent to Army Group North .

The division was originally intended for use by the Tanne West company , but was then relocated to Reval in September .

On October 9, 1944, the division was renamed the 563rd Volksgrenadier Division . The subordination took place first under the 16th Army , later under the 18th Army . Fights followed in the Kurland basin . In November 1944 the division was trapped and fought in the six battles of Courland. After heavy losses, the division had to be downgraded to a combat group at the end of November 1944 . When the war ended, the division fell in Liepaja in Latvia in Soviet captivity .

Commanders

structure

  • Grenadier Regiment 1147, disbanded after renaming due to previous losses and downgraded to a fusilier unit
  • Grenadier Regiment 1148
  • Grenadier Regiment 1149
  • Artillery Regiment 1563
  • Fusilier Company 563
  • Division units 1563

literature

  • Samuel W. Mitcham (2007). German Order of Battle. Volume Two: 291st - 999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. PA; United States of America: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3437-0 , pp. 160 + 161.
  • Georg Tessin : Associations and troops of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in World War II 1939–1945. Volume 11. The Land Forces 501–630. Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1975, p. 180.