The 208th Infantry Division ( German: 208. Infanterie-Division ) is a Wehrmacht military unit.
| 208th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Years of existence | August 1939 - 1945 |
| A country |  Germany |
| Subordination | Wehrmacht |
| Included in | 3rd Army Corps 18th army 2nd tank army 4th Panzer Army (partially) 1st Panzer Army (partially) |
| Type of | infantry |
| Number | 15 thousand people |
| Dislocation | Lübben (Spreewald) |
| Participation in | The Second World War
|
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Commanders
- 3 Structure
- 4 notes
- 5 Literature
History
It was founded in August 1939 in Lübben (Spreewald). Consisted in the 3rd army corps . In September 1939, participated in the invasion of Poland, reached Kutno, where it was located for some time. In 1940, it was transferred to the Western Front and included in the 18th Army . Captured Antwerp, occupied Holland and Belgium, participated in the battle of Dunkirk. After the occupation, France guarded the Belgian coast (near Calais) until December. During this period, lost 12 officers, 46 non-commissioned officers and 273 soldiers killed. 38 officers, 169 non-commissioned officers and 825 soldiers were wounded. Also, 4 officers and 55 soldiers were missing.
At the end of 1941 she was transferred to the Eastern Front and included in the 2nd tank army from Army Group Center , participating in battles near Vyazma and Zhizdra. The following year, the 309th and 337th infantry regiments from the division were under Rzhev, defending the city from parts of the Red Army.
In 1943, she participated in Operation Citadel , stationed near Orel. In July 1943, she entered into battles with Soviet troops near Bolkhov, and in August retreated south to Kursk.
During the battles for the Dnieper defended Kiev , after the capture of Kiev by Soviet troops, retreated to Zhytomyr .
In the winter of 1943/1944 it was regrouped and divided into two parts: one became part of the 4th Panzer Army, which was deployed at that time in Vinnitsa , the second became part of the 1st Panzer Army, which was located in Kamenetz-Podolsky , not far from borders with Romania. During the Lviv-Sandomierz and Iasi-Chisinau operations suffered serious losses, but was able to break into Czechoslovakia.
The division fought the last battles in Strigau and Waldenburg , after which it surrendered to the Soviet units near the Hohenelbe line of the - Turnau .
Commanders
| Command time | Rank | Name |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 1939 - December 13, 1941 | Lieutenant general | Moritz Andreas |
| December 13, 1941 - February 1, 1943 | Infantry general | Hans-Karl von Scheele |
| February 1, 1943 - April 1943 | Lieutenant general | Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben |
| April 1943 - June 22, 1943 | Major general | Georg Zwade |
| June 22, 1943 -? | Lieutenant general | Hans Pickenbrock |
Structure
| 1939 | 1943 |
|---|---|
| 309th Infantry Regiment [1] | 309th Grenadier Regiment |
| 337th Infantry Regiment [2] | 337th Grenadier Regiment |
| 338th Infantry Regiment [3] | 338th Grenadier Regiment |
| 208th artillery regiment | |
| 208th Engineer Battalion | |
| 208th anti-tank squad | 208th SPG anti-tank detachment |
| 208th reconnaissance unit | 208th rifle battalion |
| 208th communication unit | |
| 208th reserve unit | |
Notes
- ↑ Three battalions from Guben
- ↑ Three battalions from Cottbus
- ↑ Three battalions from Lübben
Literature
- Georg Tessin: Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945. Band 8: Die Landstreitkräfte 201-280. 2. Auflage. Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1979, ISBN 3-7648-1174-9 .
- Werner Haupt: Die deutschen Infanterie-Divisionen. Ed. Dörfler im Nebel-Verlag, Eggolsheim 2005, ISBN 3-89555-274-7 .