98th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
|
98th Infantry Division |
|
|---|---|
| active | September 1939 to May 1945 |
| Country |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
|
| Armed forces | Wehrmacht |
| Armed forces | army |
| Branch of service | infantry |
| Type | Infantry division |
| structure | structure |
| Installation site | Grafenwohr |
| Nickname | Sudeten German eagle |
| Commanders | |
| list of | Commanders |
The 98th Infantry Division was a major unit of the army of the German Wehrmacht during World War II .
Division history
Areas of application :
- Germany : September 1939 to May 1940
- France : May 1940 to June 1941
- Eastern Front , Southern Section: June to November 1941
- Eastern Front, Central Section: November 1941 to March 1943
- Eastern Front, Southern Section: March 1943 to May 1944
- Yugoslavia : June to August 1944
- Italian campaign : August 1944 to May 1945
In September 1939 the 98th Infantry Division was set up on the Grafenwöhr military training area in military district XIII as part of the 5th wave of deployment . After the soldiers during the Poland attack gained their first experience of war, which was Division of the Army Group South assumed. In the period from the reorganization in February 1941 to July 1941, the 98th Infantry Division suffered a permanent decline in combat strength. In 1942 the following battalions had to be disbanded: II. Btl./IR 282, III. Btl./IR 289 and III. Btl./IR 290, so that the division only had six infantry battalions. From 1942 until the summer of 1943 it consisted of only two regiments. The GR 289 had to be completely disbanded due to heavy casualties and the survivors were divided into GR 282, GR 290 and the Division Battalion 98. During its submission to Army Group Center from October 1941 to June 1943, the 98th ID was equipped with Soviet T-26 and T-70 captured tanks. In May 1944 the 98th Infantry Division was destroyed in the Crimea and had to be reorganized on June 5th, 1944 with personnel from the 387th Infantry Division in Croatia . In the theater of war in Italy, the division served as Grenadier Training Brigade or Grenadier Training Regiment 290. The plan to rename the "Reichsgrenadier Division Hoch- und Deutschmeister" was abandoned. In May 1945, the 98th Infantry Division surrendered to US troops in Italy.
people
| period of service | Rank | Surname |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 1939 to April 11, 1940 | Lieutenant General | Erich Schröck |
| April 11 to June 10, 1940 | Lieutenant General | Herbert Stimmel |
| June 10, 1940 to December 31, 1941 | Lieutenant General | Erich Schröck |
| December 31, 1941 to February 1, 1944 | General of the Infantry | Martin Gareis |
| February 1, 1944 to April 11, 1945 | Lieutenant General | Alfred-Hermann Reinhardt |
| April 11 to May 8, 1945 | Major general | Otto Schiel |
Awards
A total of 24 knight's crosses and 71 German crosses in gold were awarded to members of the 98th ID.
structure
Changes in the structure of the 98th ID from 1939 to 1945
| 1939 | 1941 | 1943-1944 | 1945 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 282nd Infantry Regiment | Grenadier Regiment 282 | Grenadier Regiment 117 | |
| 289th Infantry Regiment | Grenadier Regiment 289 | ||
| 290 Infantry Regiment | - | Grenadier Regiment 290 | |
| - | Division Battalion 98 | Division Fusilier Battalion 98 | |
| Artillery Regiment 198 | |||
| Cycling Squadron 198 | - | ||
| Anti-tank department 198 | Panzerjäger and Reconnaissance Division 198 | Panzerjäger detachment 198 | 3rd Flak Company |
| Engineer Battalion 198 | |||
| News Division 198 | |||
| Infantry Division Supply Leader 198 | Commander of ID Resupply Forces 198 | Supply Regiment 198 | |
| Administrative Services 198 | |||
| Medical Services 198 | |||
| Veterinary Company 198 | |||
| - | Field Replacement Battalion 198 | ||
The AR 198 consisted of the 1st to 4th divisions.
literature
- Martin Gareis: Combat and end of the Franconian-Sudeten German 98th Infantry Division , publisher: Dörfler, 2004, ISBN 978-3-89555-184-0 .
- W. Schulz: The way of the 98th Infantry Division 1939-1945 , self-published, Wulfsfelde 1978.
- B. Wehinger: "Three brothers, one cousin, four theaters of war", publisher: epubli GmbH, 2015, ISBN 978-3-7418-3927-6 .
