83rd Infantry Division (Germany)

The 83rd Infantry Division, ( _de. 83. Infanterie-Division), was a German military unit that fought in several notable actions during World War II.

History and organisation

Formation

The division was formed December 1, 1939, at Bergen, and consisted of reservists from the north of Germany ("Wehrkreis" II, X, XI and XX).

It had the following organisation:

*Infanterie-Regiment 251
*Infanterie-Regiment 257
*Infanterie-Regiment 277
*Artillerie-Regiment 183
*Radfahrschwadron 183 (bicycle troops)
*Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 183
*Pionier-Bataillon 183
*Nachrichten-Abteilung 183
*Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubführer 183

1940-1; France

The division took part in the Nazi German invasion of France in 1940 and spent 1941 on occupation duty. In early 1942 it was sent to the Eastern Front, being assigned to the Third Panzer Army of Army Group Centre.

1942; Velikiye Luki

Initially the division was split up and used in various sectors, some elements being employed in anti-partisan operations.

The division was present at Velikiye Luki in late 1942. The town itself was garrisoned by the division's Infantry Regiment 277, along with the divisional artillery and pioneer battalion, under the command of a Lieutenant-Colonel von Saß. This force was encircled by units of Galitsky's 3rd Shock Army in the Battle of Velikiye Luki and destroyed after a siege of almost two months.

1943-4; Nevel, Courland

During 1943-4 the 83rd Division took part in defensive battles of Army Group Centre and Army Group North, having been transferred to the Sixteenth Army in October 1943. By late 1943 it had been reduced to four grenadier battalions.Mitcham, p.140]

Towards the end of 1944 Army Group North had been pushed into the Courland Pocket, where the division was involved in repulsing the first of the Soviet attempts to reduce the encircled force. At the end of the year it was evacuated by sea, and sent to reform at Thorn. It was now assigned to the Second Army of Army Group Vistula, where it would take part in the defence against the Soviet East Prussian Offensive.

1945; Graudenz, Samland

The staff and one regiment, Grenadier Regiment 257, were lost in Graudenz after being ordered to hold the town, which was encircled by the 2nd Belorussian Front on February 18 1945, at all costs. The defenders capitulated on March 5.

The remaining troops were transferred by sea to Samland, where several German divisions were conducting a defence. They were pushed back towards Pillau, where elements of the 83rd Division formed the final rearguard defending the harbour mole on 25 April (the divisional commander was killed at Neutief where the last German position was being held by Major-General Karl Henke).

Other parts of the division surrendered to Soviet forces on the Hela peninsula.

War crimes accusations

In 1946 several captured officers of Infantry Regiment 277, including its former commander von Saß, were executed in Velikiye Luki for crimes committed against the civil population of the city. It should also be noted that the division took part in anti-partisan operations, such as Operation "Greif" at Vitebsk.

See also

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

References

* Mitcham, S. "German Order of Battle, Volume 1", Stackpole, 2007, ISBN 0811734161
* Pipes, J. " [http://www.feldgrau.com/InfDiv.php?ID=73 83. Infanterie-Division] ". Retrieved March 14, 2008.
* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/83ID.htm 83 Infanterie-Division] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved March 14, 2008.

Footnotes