31st Infantry Division (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The German 31st Infantry Division, formed in October 1936, was made up of recruits from the Brunswick
region (Braunschweig
) of north-central Germany
. The division’s emblem was a standing lion. The 31st Division saw combat in Poland
in 1939, and then heavy fighting in Belgium
and France
in 1940. In June 1941 it took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union
as part of the 2nd Panzer Army in the central section. The 31st Division fought in battles for Bialystok
, Minsk
, Smolensk
and Bryansk
, and was engaged in the failed attempt to encircle Tula
southeast of Moscow
(late 1941). Other bitter fighting fell to the 31st Division in the winter of 1941/42. It was then joined to the 9th Army, 46th Panzerkorps, in the Kursk
area in 1943 where it took part in rear-guard skirmishes in the Middle Dneiper area of the Ukraine
. During the Fall of 1943 the 31st was involved in 28 major battles in which 35 of its 70 officers fell and the total strength of the unit fell from 1400 to 70. Then in June/July 1944 the 31st Infantry Division was almost completely anihillated to the East of Minsk. It’s commanding officer Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Ochsner
* was taken prisoner along with most of the remaining troops. (*Ochsner had been promoted to Lieutenant General on June 1, 1944. He was a Soviet prisoner until 1955.) The returning wounded and new recruits were organized into a new 31st Division in Germany in the Fall of 1944; initially designated the 31st Grenadier Division it was later merged with the 550th Grenadier Division to form the 31st Volksgrenadier Division. In September 1944 this Division participated successfully in the early battles to defend the Courland Peninsula
(Latvia
). In early 1945 the 31st Grenadier was evacuated by sea to northern Germany where it fought its last campaigns with the Army Group Vistula. In May 1945 it surrendered to the Russian troops on the Hel Peninsula
(a 35-km-long sand bar peninsula in Northern Poland that separates the Bay of Puck
from the Baltic Sea
).
Free State of Brunswick
The Free State of Brunswick was the republic formed after the abolition of the Duchy of Brunswick in the course of the German Revolution of 1918–19. It was a state of the German Reich in the time of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.-History:...
region (Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
) of north-central Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The division’s emblem was a standing lion. The 31st Division saw combat in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1939, and then heavy fighting in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and France
France
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...
in 1940. In June 1941 it took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
as part of the 2nd Panzer Army in the central section. The 31st Division fought in battles for Bialystok
Bialystok
Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Located on the Podlaskie Plain on the banks of the Biała River, Białystok ranks second in terms of population density, eleventh in population, and thirteenth in area, of the cities of Poland...
, Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
and Bryansk
Bryansk
Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk...
, and was engaged in the failed attempt to encircle Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
southeast of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(late 1941). Other bitter fighting fell to the 31st Division in the winter of 1941/42. It was then joined to the 9th Army, 46th Panzerkorps, in the Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
area in 1943 where it took part in rear-guard skirmishes in the Middle Dneiper area of the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. During the Fall of 1943 the 31st was involved in 28 major battles in which 35 of its 70 officers fell and the total strength of the unit fell from 1400 to 70. Then in June/July 1944 the 31st Infantry Division was almost completely anihillated to the East of Minsk. It’s commanding officer Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Ochsner
Willifrank Ochsner
Wilhelm-Francis "Willifrank" Ochsner was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht 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...
* was taken prisoner along with most of the remaining troops. (*Ochsner had been promoted to Lieutenant General on June 1, 1944. He was a Soviet prisoner until 1955.) The returning wounded and new recruits were organized into a new 31st Division in Germany in the Fall of 1944; initially designated the 31st Grenadier Division it was later merged with the 550th Grenadier Division to form the 31st Volksgrenadier Division. In September 1944 this Division participated successfully in the early battles to defend the Courland Peninsula
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
(Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
). In early 1945 the 31st Grenadier was evacuated by sea to northern Germany where it fought its last campaigns with the Army Group Vistula. In May 1945 it surrendered to the Russian troops on the Hel Peninsula
Hel Peninsula
Hel Peninsula |Nehrung]]) is a 35-km-long sand bar peninsula in northern Poland separating the Bay of Puck from the open Baltic Sea. It is located in Puck County of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.- Geography :...
(a 35-km-long sand bar peninsula in Northern Poland that separates the Bay of Puck
Bay of Puck
The Bay of Puck or Puck Bay , historically also known as the Bay of Putzig , is a shallow western branch of the Bay of Gdańsk in the southern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Gdańsk Pomerania, Poland. It is separated from the open sea by the Hel Peninsula.The bay has an average depth of 2-6 metres...
from the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
).
Commanding officers
- Generalleutnant Herbert Fischer, creation – 1 April 1937
- Generalleutnant Rudolf Kaempfe, 1 April 1937 – 22 May 1941
- Generalmajor Kurt Kalmukoff, 22 May 1941 – 13 August 1941
- Generalmajor Gerhard BertholdGerhard BertholdGerhard Berthold was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht 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...
, 13 August 1941 – 20 January 1942 - Oberst Friedrich HoßbachFriedrich HoßbachFriedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Hoßbach was a German staff officer who in 1937 was the military adjutant to the Fuehrer of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, 20 January 1942 – 24 February 1942 - Generalleutnant Kurt PfliegerKurt PfliegerKurt Pflieger was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht 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...
, 24 February 1942 – 1 April 1943 - Oberst Hermann FlörkeHermann FlörkeHermann Flörke was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 14th Infantry Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, 1 April 1943 – 15 May 1943 - Generalleutnant Friedrich Hoßbach, 15 May 1943 – 2 August 1943
- Oberst Kurt Moehring, 2 August 1943 – 25 September 1943
- Generalleutnant Willifrank OchsnerWillifrank OchsnerWilhelm-Francis "Willifrank" Ochsner was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht 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...
, 25 September 1943 – June 1944 - Oberst Ernst KönigErnst KönigErnst König was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, June 1944 – 1 July 1944 - Oberst Hans-Joachim von Stolzmann, 1 July 1944 – 21 July 1944