79th Infantry Division (Germany)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=79th Infantry Division (Germany)


caption=Divisional insignia of "79th Infantry"
country=Nazi Germany
type=Infantry
branch=Wehrmacht
dates=Raised March 1939, March 1945
motto="Tapfer und Treu” (Courageous and Loyal)
nickname=
battles=Saar Front
Barbarossa
Stalingrad
Kuban Bridgehead
Romania
Herbstnebel
notable_commanders= Oberst Alois Weber
associated units=

208 Infanterie Regiment
212 Infanterie Regiment
226 Infanterie Regiment
179 Artillerie Regiment
179 Panzerabwehr Abteilung
179 Pionier Bataillon
179 Aufklärungs-Abteilung

The 79th Infantry Division "(79. Infanterie-Division)" was an infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.

Creation and Early History

The 79th Infantry Division began mobilization on March 1, 1939 as a part of the second German "wave" system "(2. Welle)" of mobilization. Welle was the German designation for groups of infantry divisions raised at approximately the same time, with approximately the same type of organization,equipment, personnel and training. Raised from Rheinlanders in German Military District "(Wehrkreis)" XII, headquartered in Wiesbaden,the home station of the 79th was Koblenz. It was designated as a Division on August 26, 1939. Assigned to the French-German border in the Saar region, the 79th trained and worked on the West Wall. The Division saw action against the French on the Saar Front on May 10 1940 when they were a part of the invasion forces. In June, the division participated in attacks on the Maginot Line and the capture of Epinal. The Cross of Lorraine "(Lothringer Kreuz)" was designated as the symbol. Unteroffizier Werner Psaar stated that since the division's first combat was mainly in the Lorraine region, this is what led to the symbol. From June 1940 until April 1941, the division was on occupation duty and trained for Operation Sea Lion. The 79th was relocated to Klagenfurt in April 1941 but was too late for the invasion of Yugoslavia.

Barbarossa

It was assigned to Heeresgruppe Süd for Operation Barbarossa on June 26, 1941. From June 1941 until September 1942 the 79th fought in southern Russia at Korosten, Lutsk, Rovno, Piryatin, and Akhtyrka, Kharkov, Voronezh, Izyum and Kalack before being sent in October 1942 to the Battle of Stalingrad.

talingrad

The SIXTH ARMEE, including the 79th, began its attack on Stalingrad on October 17 1942. The fighting in the Red October Tractor Factory was fiercely fought, hall by hall. When the Soviet Offensive started on November 19 1942, the 79th was one of the units trapped in the "kessel" when they were surrounded on November 24. The SIXTH ARMEE surrendered on January 31, 1943. The division staff, including the Ia (Operations Officer) Oberst Hans Schwanbeck, were flown out of Stalingrad on January 8 - 9, 1943. This evacuation is still an issue with surviving veterans of the 79th. Most men were taken into Soviet captivity including Generalleutnant Alexander von Daniels, the commander.

Second Life

The 79th was quickly raised again by the surviving staff officers. On January 12, 1943, from remnants of other German units near Rostov. The division then took part in operations in the Novocherkassk area until relieved on March 13, 1943. They refitted in the Volnovakha area and in April 1943, returned to battle. They fought a number of defensive actions before reaching the Kuban Bridgehead in August 1943. The division was evacuated to the Ukraine and continued a slow movement west for almost a year.

Romania

1944 found the 79th in Romania as a part of IV Korps, SIXTH ARMEE. By August, the 79th was one of the divisions attempting to hold the city of Jassy. On August 23, 1944, with Romania capitulated, 79th was once again encircled and virtually annihilated near Chitcani, Romania on the Berlad River. Less than 1,000 soldiers managed to escape. Generalleutnant Friedrich Weinknecht became the second commander of the 79th Infantry Division to be captured by the Soviets.

Third Life - Volksgrenadier

On October 27, 1944, the division was raised again outside of the Welle system, this time in West Prussia and now as the 79th Volksgrenadier Division "(79. Volks-Grenadier-Division)". It had only ten percent combat veterans and was largely made up by absorbing the 586th Volksgrenadier Division "(Katzbach)". On December 11, 1944, the 79th Volsgrenadier Division was assigned to SEVENTH ARMEE a reserve force near Bitburg, Germany. Though at half strength, the 79th was to take part in Operation Herbstnebel.

Luxembourg

On December 21, 1944, the 79th VG towards its assembly area near Diekirch, Luxembourg. On December 24 1944, the Volksgrenadiers in conjunction with the Führer Grenadier Brigade, launched a series of attacks against the Blue Ridge Division, the 80th Infantry Division (United States). The objective was to seize the town of Heiderscheid, a strategic bridge crossing along the Sure River. Both units suffered very heavy losses, particularly when on December 26 most of the 79th VG artillery and FGB armor was destroyed by American fighter bombers. The 79th VG begin falling back, unable to hold against the US 80th Infantry Division, towards the town of Baunscheid, to hold another strategic bridgehead there.

1945

Heavy fighting continued in to January 1945.
The Division fell to U.S. forces at Heidelberg and Darmstadt.
Remains of the 79th fought in the vicinity of Rothenburg ob der Tauber under the name Battle Group "(Kampfgruppe)" "Hummel" in mid-April. This last organized unit of the 79th Volksgrenadier Division surrendered to US Forces on April 14, 1945. Grenadiers of the 79th Volksgrenadier Division fought small unit actions in the Alps.

Commanders

Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

* Karl Strecker, Generalleutnant, Commanding Officer, October 26 1941
* Friedrich Weinknecht, Generalleutnant, Commanding Officer, July 15 1944

208 Regiment

* Günter Goebel, Hauptmann, Fhr. einer Kampfgr. G.R. 208, January 18 1943 "with Oak Leaves"
* Richard Wolf, Oberstleutnant, Kommandeur G.R. 208, April 19 1945 "with Oak Leaves"
* Fritz Müller, Oberstleutnant Kommandeur G.R. 208, May 14 1944 "with Oak Leaves"
* Jakob Roth, Unteroffizier, Zugführer 2./G.R. 208, June 4 1944
* Gustav Woszella, Leutnant, Führer 8./G.R. 208, July 4 1944

212 Regiment

* Richard Eichler, Oberstleutnant, Kommandeur G.R. 212, January 20 1943
* Volkhard Eitner, Hauptmann, Kommandeur I./G.R. 212, June 10 1943
* Robert Nittler, Oberleutnant, 3./G.R. 212, January 20 1943

226 Regiment

* Andreas von Aulock, Oberst, Kommandeur G.R. 226, August 16 1944 "with Oak Leaves"
* Fritz Krück, Oberleutnant Führer II./G.R. 226, March 5 1945
* Karl-Willi Lumpp, Oberleutnant, d. R. Führer 3./G.R.226, July 18 1943
* Hans-Hermann Möckel, Hauptmann, Führer Kampfgruppe, April 17 1945

179 Panzerabwehr-Abteilung

* Josef Röder, Obergefreiter, January 20 1943

Orders of Battle

Order of Battle 1939

Infanterie-Regiment 208
Infanterie-Regiment 212
Infanterie-Regiment 226

Artillerie-Regiment 179
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 179

Pionier-Bataillon 179
Aufklärungs-Abteilung 179
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 179
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubtruppen 179

Order of Battle 1944

Grenadier-Regiment 208
Grenadier-Regiment 212
Grenadier-Regiment 226
Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 79

Artillerie-Regiment 179

Panzerjäger-Abteilung 179

Pionier-Bataillon 179
Feldersatz-Bataillon 179
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 179
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubtruppen 179

Trivia

The Cross of Lorraine was used as a divisional insignia by both the German 79th Infantry Division and 79th Infantry Division (United States).

See also

Battle of the Bulge order of battle

Seventh Army (Germany)

List of German divisions in World War II

Bibliography

Printed references

* Quarrie, Bruce "The Ardennes Offensive, I ARMEE & VII ARMEE" (Order of Battle series book), Osprey Publishing Group, London, UK. 2001. ISBN 1 85532 913 1
* Hans Sänger "Die 79. Infanterie-Division. 1939", ISBN 10 3895552135
* Unteroffizier Werner Psaar, Source: "Wiesbadener Soldatenkalender 1943" Rud. Bechtold & Comp. , Wiesbaden

Web resources

* Pipes, Jason. " [http://www.feldgrau.com/InfDiv.php?ID=69] ". Retrieved December 28 2007.

* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Volksgrenadierdivisionen/79VGD.htm] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. (Follow links for 79. Volks-Grenadier-Division) Retrieved December 28 2007.

* Kwasny A., Kwasny G., "Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD)", Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001

* Oberst Alois Weber " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/W/WeberA.htm] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved December 28 2007.