148th Reserve Division (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The German 148th Reserve Division (German: 148. Reserve-Division) was a German reserve infantry
division
during the Second World War, made up of three infantry regiment
s (281st, 285th, and 286th) and an artillery
regiment.
and fought in Italy
in 1944 and 1945. Redesignated 148th Infantry Division in September 1944, it fought in the Po River
battles and surrendering to the 1st Brazilian Division on April 28, 1945 near the city of Fornovo
.
By that time it was commanded by General Otto Fretter-Pico and had some 9,000 soldiers. Despite the still strong manpower, and the fact that it had more than 100 mortar
s and cannon
s, the division was by this time very low on ammunition
and supplies.
148th Infantry Division
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
during the Second World War, made up of three infantry regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s (281st, 285th, and 286th) and an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
regiment.
History
The division was used as an occupation force in southern FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and fought in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1944 and 1945. Redesignated 148th Infantry Division in September 1944, it fought in the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
battles and surrendering to the 1st Brazilian Division on April 28, 1945 near the city of Fornovo
Fornovo
Fornovo may refer to the following Italian comuni :*Fornovo di Taro, in the province of Parma.*Battle of Fornovo .*Combat of Fornovo, event of Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, end of Italian Campaign during the World War II....
.
By that time it was commanded by General Otto Fretter-Pico and had some 9,000 soldiers. Despite the still strong manpower, and the fact that it had more than 100 mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s and cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s, the division was by this time very low on ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
and supplies.
Commanding officers
- Generalleutnant Hermann Böttcher, October 1942 - 1 April 1943
- Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und PanthenFriedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und PanthenFriedrich-Wilhelm Oskar Sigismund Deodat von Rothkirch und Panthen was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield...
, 1 April 1943 - 25 September 1943 - Generalleutnant Otto Fretter-PicoOtto Fretter-PicoOtto Fretter-Pico was a highly decorated major-general in the German Army during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
, 25 September 1943 - 20 March 1944 - Generalleutnant Otto Schönherr, 20 March 1944 - 18 September 1944
148th Infantry Division
- Generalleutnant Otto Fretter-PicoOtto Fretter-PicoOtto Fretter-Pico was a highly decorated major-general in the German Army during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
, 18 September 1944 - 28 April 1945
Sources
- http://division148.blogspot.com/