716th Static Infantry Division (Germany)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 716th Infantry Division (Static)


caption=
dates= 1941-1945
country= Germany
allegiance=
branch=
type= Static Infantry Division
role= Coastal Defence
size= Approximately 8,000 men
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battles= Invasion of Normandy
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notable_commanders= Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter
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command structure
name= 716th Infantry Division (Static)
date= 1941-1944
parent= LXXXIV Infantry Corps
subordinate=

The 716th Static Infantry Division was raised in May 1941 for occupation duties in France. After various deployments within France between 1941 - 1943 it was finally stationed along the Normandy coastline, defending the area between the mouth of the River Orne and the Carentan Estuary. It fought the Allied invasion in the Battle of Normandy and was effectively destroyed on D-Day. It was then reconstituted for use as coastal defense on the Mediterranean coast near Spain. After the secondary Allied invasion in southern France the 716th Division retreated toward Germany, and was destroyed again near Colmar in January 1945. It was reconstituted a second time as the 716th Volksgrenadier Division in April 1945, and surrendered to the Americans in May.

=Order of Battle [ [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=3984 Axis History Factbook: 716. Infanterie-Division ] ] =

*726th Grenadier Regiment
*736th Grenadier Regiment
*716th Pioneer (Engineer) Battalion
*716th Anti-Tank Company
*1716th Artillery Regiment

See also

* Volksgrenadier
* Division (military), Military unit, List of German divisions in WWII
* Heer, Wehrmacht

References

* Pipes, Jason. " [http://www.feldgrau.com/InfDiv.php?ID=309 716.Infanterie-Division] ". Retrieved April 7, 2005.
* Wendel, Marcus (2004). " [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=3984 716. Infanterie-Division] ". Retrieved April 7, 2005.
* Wendel, Marcus (2004). " [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=858 716. Volksgrenadier-Division] ". Retrieved April 7, 2005.
*Zetterling, Niklas (2005). " [http://web.telia.com/~u18313395/normandy/gerob/gerob.html German Order of Battle in Normandy] ". Retrieved July 25, 2008
* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/716ID-R.htm 716. Infanterie-Division] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved April 7, 2005.