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List of German divisions in World War II

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This is a list of German divisions in WWII. Only ground units are covered; "divisions" of aircraft are not. Upgrades and reorganizations are shown only to identify the variant names for what is notionally a single unit; other upgrades and reorganizations are deferred to the individual articles. Due to the scope of this list pre-war changes are not shown, nor are upgrades from units smaller than a division.

Contents

Name elements not usually translated

Grenadier
A traditional term for heavy infantry. (Translated "Infantryman")
Jäger
A traditional term for light infantry (Translated "Hunter").
Lehr
A demonstration unit (Translated "Teach").
Nummer
"Number" (See description in Infantry Series Divisions, below).
Panzer
Armored (Translated "Tank").
Sturm
"Storm" or "Assault" (Translated "Storm").
Volks
"of the People" (Translated "People").
zbV
Abbreviation for "zur besonderen Verwendung" Meaning "Special Purpose" (Translated "For Special Use").

Volks, Sturm, and Grenadier were sometimes used simply as morale-building adjectives, often without any significance to a unit's organization or capabilities.

Army

Panzer divisions

see also Panzer Division

Numbered panzer divisions

Named panzer divisions

  • Panzer Division Clausewitz (previously Division Nr. 233 (mot.), Panzergrenadier Division Nr. 233, and Panzer Division Nr. 233, Reserve Panzer Division 233)
    • Döberitz, Schlesien, and Holstein are approximately synonymous with Clausewitz.
  • Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 1 (previously 60th Infantry Division, 60th Motorized Infantry Division, and Panzergrenadier Division Feldherrnhalle)
  • Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2 (previously 13th Infantry Division, 13th Motorized Infantry Division, and 13th Panzer Division)
  • Panzer Division Jüterbog
  • Panzer Division Kempf (part Heer, part Waffen-SS)
  • Panzer Division Kurmark
  • Panzer Lehr Division (sometimes identified as 130th Panzer Division)
  • Panzer Division Müncheberg
  • Panzer Division Tatra (later Panzer Training Division Tatra, 232nd Panzer Division)

Light divisions

The designation "Light" (leichte) had various meanings in the German Army of World War II. There was a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an ad hoc collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to bail the Italians out and organized into a division once there. All five were eventually converted to ordinary Panzer divisions.

Various other divisions were dubbed "Light" for other reasons, and are listed among the Infantry Series Divisions.

Infantry series divisions

Types of division in the series

German infantry divisions had a variety of designations and specializations, though numbered in a single series. The major variations are as follows:

Fortress (Festung)
Divisions of non-standard organization used to garrison critical sites. The smaller ones might consist of only two or three battalions.
Grenadier
A morale-building honorific usually indicative of reduced strength when used alone.
Light, Jäger
Provided with partial horse or motor transport and usually lighter artillery, and reduced in size compared to an ordinary infantry division. Some of these were essentially identical to mountain divisions, and were sometimes referred to as Gebirgsjäger ("Mountain Light Infantry") divisions.
  • This description does not apply to the Light divisions in Africa (5th, 90th, 164th, 999th), nor to the five Light mechanized divisions listed in their own subsection.
Motorized
Provided with full motor transport for all infantry and weapons systems. Usually reduced in size compared to an ordinary infantry division.
Division Nummer
A sort of placeholder division, with a number (Nummer) and staff but few if any combat assets. These divisions started out without any type in their name (e.g., Division Nr. 179), though some acquired a type later on (e.g, Panzer Division Nr. 179).
Panzergrenadier
As motorized, but with more self-propelled weapons and an added battalion of tanks or fully armored assault guns.
Static (bodenständige)
Deficient in transport, even enough to move its own artillery. Many of these were divisions that had been mauled on the Russian Front and were sent west to serve as coastal defense garrisons until sufficient resources were available to rehabilitate them.
Volksgrenadier
A late-war reorganization with reduced size and increased short-range firepower. Many previously destroyed or badly mauled infantry divisions were reconstituted as Volksgrenadier divisions, and new ones were raised as well. Its fighting capability was equivalent to a US-style National Guard formation.
zbV
An ad hoc division created to meet a special requirement. (E.g., Division zbV Afrika)

Most of the size reductions listed above were by about a third, either by the removal of an infantry regiment or the removal of one infantry battalion from each of the three regiments. Infantry divisions were raised in waves, sets of divisions with a standardized table of organization and equipment. In general the later waves (i.e., the higher-numbered divisions) were of lower quality than the earlier ones.

Numbered divisions

1st to 99th
100th to 199th
  • 100th Light Infantry Division (later 100th Jäger Division)
  • 101st Light Infantry Division (later 101st Jäger Division)
  • 102nd Infantry Division
  • 104th Jäger Division
  • 106th Infantry Division
  • 110th Infantry Division
  • 114th Jäger Division
  • 117th Jäger Division
  • 118th Jäger Division
  • 121st Infantry Division
  • 133rd Fortress Division
  • Division zbV 140 (also 9th Mountain Division)
  • 141st Reserve Division
  • 143rd Reserve Division
  • 147th Reserve Division
  • 148th Reserve Division
  • 149th Field Training Division
  • 150th Field Training Division
  • Division Nr. 151 (later 151st Reserve Division)
  • Division Nr. 152
  • Division Nr. 153 (later 153rd Reserve Division, 153rd Field Training Division, 153rd Grenadier Division)
  • Division Nr. 154 (later 154th Reserve Division, 154th Field Training Division, 154th Infantry Division)
  • Division Nr. 155 (later Division Nr. 155 (mot.), Panzer Division Nr. 155, 155th Reserve Panzer Division)
  • 155th Field Training Division (later 155th Infantry Division)
    • Not related to Division Nr. 155.
  • Division Nr. 156 (later 156th Reserve Division, 47th Infantry Division, 47th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 156th Field Replacement Division (later 156th Infantry Division)
  • Division Nr. 157 (later 157th Reserve Division, 157th Mountain Division, 8th Mountain Division)
  • Division Nr. 158 (later 158th Reserve Division)
  • Division Nr. 159 (later 159th Reserve Division, 159th Infantry Division)
  • Division Nr. 160 (later 160th Reserve Division, 160th Infantry Division)
  • 162nd Infantry Division (later 162nd Infantry Division Turkestan, with foreign troops)
  • 163rd Infantry Division
  • 164th Infantry Division (later Fortress Division Kreta, which split into – )
    • Fortress Brigade Kreta
    • 164th Light Afrika Division
  • 165th Reserve Division
  • 166th Reserve Division
  • 167th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 169th Infantry Division
  • 170th Infantry Division
  • 171st Reserve Division
  • 172nd Reserve Division
  • 173rd Reserve Division
  • 174th Reserve Division
  • 181st Infantry Division
  • 182nd Reserve Division
  • 183rd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 187th Reserve Division (later 42nd Jäger Division)
  • Division Nr. 188 (later 188th Reserve Mountain Division, 188th Mountain Division)
  • 189th Reserve Division
  • 191st Reserve Division
  • 196th Infantry Division
  • 197th Infantry Division
  • 198th Infantry Division
  • 199th Infantry Division
201st to 999th
  • 201st Security Division
  • 203rd Security Division
  • 205th Infantry Division (previously 14th Landwehr Division)
  • 206th Infantry Division
  • 207th Infantry Division (later 207th Security Division)
  • 208th Infantry Division
  • 210th Coastal Defense Division
  • 211th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 212th Infantry Division (later later 578th Volksgrenadier Division, 212th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 213th Security Division
  • 214th Infantry Division
  • 217th Infantry Division
  • 218th Infantry Division
  • 221st Security Division
  • 228th Infantry Division
  • 230th Coastal Defense Division
  • 233rd Panzergrenadier Division
  • 242nd Static Infantry Division
  • 243rd Static Infantry Division
  • 246th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 250th Infantry Division (División Azul, the Spanish "Blue" Division in German service)
  • 256th Infantry Division (Later 256th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 257th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 258th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
  • 269th Infantry Division
  • 270th Fortress Infantry Division
  • 271st Volksgrenadier Division
  • 272nd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 274th Static Infantry Division
  • 275th Infantry Division
  • 276th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 277th Infantry Division (later 277th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 278th Infantry Division
  • 280th Fortress Infantry Division
  • 281st Security Division (later 281st Infantry Division)
  • 285th Security Division
  • 286th Security Division
  • 291st Infantry Division
  • 295th Infantry Division (later 295th Fortress Infantry Division)
  • 297th Infantry Division
  • 302nd Static Infantry Division (later 302nd Infantry Division)
  • 305th Infantry Division
  • 320th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 325th Security Division
  • 326th Infantry Division (later 326th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 331st Infantry Division
  • 332nd Static Infantry Division (later 332nd Infantry Division)
  • 334th Infantry Division
  • 337th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 340th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 344th Static Infantry Division (later 344th Infantry Division)
  • 345th Motorized Infantry Division
  • 347th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 349th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 352nd Infantry Division (later 352nd Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 361st Volksgrenadier Division
  • 362nd Infantry Division
  • 363rd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 371st Infantry Division
  • 376th Infantry Division
  • 381st Field Training Division
  • 382nd Field Training Division
  • 384th Infantry Division
  • 386th Motorized Infantry Division
  • 388th Field Training Division
  • 389th Static Infantry Division
  • 390th Security Division
  • 390th Field Training Division
  • 391st Security Division
  • 391st Field Training Division
  • 402nd Training Division
  • 403rd Security Division
  • 444th Security Division
  • 454th Security Division
  • 462nd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 526th Reserve Division
  • 541st Grenadier Division (later 541st Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 542nd Grenadier Division (later 542nd Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 543rd Grenadier Division
  • 544th Grenadier Division (later 544th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 545th Grenadier Division (later 545th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 546th Grenadier Division
  • 547th Grenadier Division (later 547th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 548th Grenadier Division (later 548th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 549th Grenadier Division (later 549th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 550th Grenadier Division
  • 551st Grenadier Division (later 551st Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 552nd Grenadier Division
  • 553rd Grenadier Division (later 553rd Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 558th Grenadier Division (later 558th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 559th Grenadier Division (later 559th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 560th Grenadier Division (later 560th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 561st Grenadier Division Ostpreußen 1 (later 561st Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 562nd Grenadier Division Ostpreußen 2 (later 562nd Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 563rd Grenadier Division (later 563rd Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 564th Grenadier Division (later 564th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 565th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 566th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 567th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 568th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 569th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 570th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 571st Volksgrenadier Division
  • 572nd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 573rd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 574th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 575th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 576th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 577th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 578th Volksgrenadier Division (previously 212th Infantry Division; later 212th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 579th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 580th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 581st Volksgrenadier Division
  • 582nd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 583rd Volksgrenadier Division
  • 584th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 585th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 586th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 587th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 588th Volksgrenadier Division
  • 702nd Static Infantry Division
  • 708th Static Infantry Division (later 708th Coastal Defense Division, 708th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 709th Static Infantry Division
  • 710th Static Infantry Division
  • 715th Infantry Division
  • 716th Static Infantry Division (later 716th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 719th Infantry Division
  • Division Nr. 805
  • 999th Light Afrika Division

Named divisions



  • Grenadier Division Lehr
    • Not related to Panzer Lehr.

  • Jäger Division Alpen

Mountain divisions

Ski division

Cavalry divisions

According to Davies, the Cavalry divisions were mounted infantry and the Cossack divisions were "true cavalry", modelled on the Russian cavalry divisions.

  • 1st Cavalry Division (later 24th Panzer Division)
  • 3rd Cavalry Division
  • 4th Cavalry Division
  • Cossack Cavalry Division(This unit was transferred to the Waffen-SS, where it was split to form the 1st & 2nd Cossack Cavalry Divisions.)

Landwehr divisions

Artillery divisions

  • 18th Artillery Division (formerly 18th Panzer Division)
  • 309th Artillery Division
  • 310th Artillery Division
  • 311th Artillery Division
  • 312th Artillery Division

Named fortress divisions

  • Fortress Division Danzig
  • Fortress Division Frankfurt/Oder
  • Fortress Division Gotenhafen
  • Fortress Division Kreta (previously 164th Infantry Division; later 164th Light Afrika Division)
  • Fortress Division Stettin
  • Fortress Division Swinemünde
  • Fortress Division Warschau

Named training divisions

  • Training Division Bayern
  • Training Division Kurland
  • Training Division Nord

Field replacement divisions

  • German Field Replacement Division A
  • German Field Replacement Division B
  • German Field Replacement Division C
  • German Field Replacement Division D
  • German Field Replacement Division E
  • German Field Replacement Division F

Navy

Naval infantry divisions

Luftwaffe

Hermann Göring divisions

The Hermann Göring formations grew from a single police detachment to an entire armored corps over the course of the war. The later epithet Fallschirm ("parachute") was purely honorific.

Airborne divisions

In order to keep its existence secret, the first German airborne division was named as if a Flieger ("flier") division in the series of Luftwaffe divisions that controlled air assets rather than ground troops:

  • 7th Flieger Division (often translated 7th Air Division)

The division was later reorganized to start a series of nominally airborne divisions. Though named Fallschirmjäger ("paratrooper") divisions, most were not actually trained for airdrops, and in practice most operated as ordinary infantry throughout their existence. The lower-numbered ones earned and maintained an élite status, but quality generally declined among the higher-numbered ones.

Field divisions

Luftwaffe Field Divisions were ordinary infantry divisions organized from Luftwaffe personnel made available after mid-war due to the manpower crunch. They were originally Luftwaffe units but were later handed over to the Heer, retaining their numbering but with Luftwaffe attached to distinguish them from similarly numbered divisions already existing in the Heer.

  • 1st Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 2nd Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 3rd Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 4th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 5th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 6th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 7th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 8th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 9th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 10th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 11th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 12th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 13th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 14th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 15th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 16th Luftwaffe Field Division
    • Eventually transferred to the Heer as 16th Luftwaffe Infantry Division (later 16th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 17th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 18th Luftwaffe Field Division
  • 19th Luftwaffe Field Division (later 19th Luftwaffe Sturm Division)
    • Eventually transferred to the Heer as 19th Grenadier Division (later 19th Volksgrenadier Division)
  • 20th Luftwaffe Field Division (later 20th Luftwaffe Sturm Division)
  • 21st Luftwaffe Field Division (previously the Meindl Division, an ad hoc collection of Luftwaffe resources)
  • 22nd Luftwaffe Field Division Not actually formed, its sub-units were attached to other divisions as needed.

Training divisions

  • German 1st Luftwaffe Training Division
  • German Parachute Training and Replacement Division

Anti-Aircraft divisions

These were headquarters for controlling aggregates of flak ("anti-aircraft artillery") assets rather than ordinary combined arms divisions organized for ground combat.

  • 1st Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 4th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 5th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 6th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 7th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 8th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 9th Anti-Aircraft Division (lost entirely at the Battle of Stalingrad)
  • 10th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 11th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 12th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 13th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 14th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 15th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 16th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 17th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 18th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 19th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 20th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 21st Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 22nd Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 23rd Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 24th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 25th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 26th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 27th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 28th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 29th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 30th Anti-Aircraft Division
  • 31st Anti-Aircraft Division

Waffen-SS divisions

Main article: Waffen-SS divisions

All divisions in the Waffen-SS were ordered in a single series up to 38th, regardless of type. Those tagged with nationalities were at least nominally recruited from those nationalities. Many of the higher-numbered units were small battlegroups (Kampfgruppen), i.e. divisions in name only. Also Panzer Division Kempf, a temporary unit of mixed Heer and Waffen-SS components.

See also

References

  • Astel, John; Goodwin, A. E.; Long, Jason, Bengtsson, Sven Ake; & Parmenter, James D. (1998). "Orders of Battle". Data booklet from the Europa game Storm Over Scandinavia. Grinnel, Iowa: Game Research/Design. ISBN 1-86010-091-0.
  • Davies, W.J.K. (1981). German Army Handbook 1939-1945. Second U.S. Edition. New York: Arco Publishing. ISBN 0-668-04291-5. 
  • Parada, George (2004). "Panzer Divisions 1940-1945". Retrieved April 1, 2005.
  • Yeide, Harry;(2004). The Tank Killers, A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force. (pg. 209). Casemate Publishers, Havertown, PA. ISBN 1-932033-26-2.

Further reading

View More Summaries on List of German divisions in World War II
 
Copyrights
List of German divisions in World War II from Wíkipedia. ©2006 by Wíkipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. View a list of authors or edit this article.

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