German 12th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
German 12th Infantry Division, later known as the 12th Volksgrenadier Division, was a German
military unit that fought during World War II
.
was announced in October 1935. Initially, the division included Infantry Regiment 27, formed in Rostock
and Infantry Regiment 48, created from the 5th (East Prussian) Regiment of the former Reichswehr
. In 1937, Infantry Regiment 89, raised in Schwerin
, was added. The division's full organisation was as follows:
and in 1940 it participated in the invasion of France
. It remained on occupation duties until May 1941, latterly in the Netherlands
.
under Army Group North
, and remained under that command until the end of 1943. In 1942 it was one of the divisions encircled in the Demyansk Pocket
.
In December 1942, Infantry Regiment 27 was renamed Fusilier Regiment 27 (taking over the traditions of an earlier Imperial German
regiment, the 90th), while Infantry Regiments 48 and 89 were renamed Grenadier Regiments 48 and 89 (in both cases, these were intended as honorific or morale-building titles).
At the beginning of 1944 the division was transferred to Fourth Army
, under Army Group Center; in June, it was one of those that found itself facing the Soviet offensive in the Belorussian SSR, Operation Bagration. After an effective defence of the road into Mogilev
, the division withdrew into the town, which it was ordered to hold at all costs, and was destroyed there. Very few troops escaped back to German lines from the encirclement.
Division in October 1944, and fought the rest of the war in the west under Army Group B
. It participated in the defense of Aachen
, the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge
. In April 1945 it surrendered at Wuppertal
upon the collapse of the Ruhr Pocket
.
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...
military unit that fought during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation
The division was formed in 1934 under the cover name of Infanterieführer II, and did not assume its bona-fide designation until the creation of the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
was announced in October 1935. Initially, the division included Infantry Regiment 27, formed in Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
and Infantry Regiment 48, created from the 5th (East Prussian) Regiment of the former Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
. In 1937, Infantry Regiment 89, raised in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
, was added. The division's full organisation was as follows:
- Infanterie-Regiment 27
- Infanterie-Regiment 48
- Infanterie-Regiment 89
- Artillerie-Regiment 12
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 48
- Aufklärung-Abteilung 12
- Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 12
- Pionier-Battalion 12
- Nachrichten-Abteilung 12
- Feldersatz-Battalion 12
- Divisions-Versorgungs-Einheiten 12
Actions 1939-41
In 1939 it fought in the invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
and in 1940 it participated in the invasion of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. It remained on occupation duties until May 1941, latterly in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Actions in the Soviet Union
In June 1941 the division joined Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
under Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
, and remained under that command until the end of 1943. In 1942 it was one of the divisions encircled in the Demyansk Pocket
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
.
In December 1942, Infantry Regiment 27 was renamed Fusilier Regiment 27 (taking over the traditions of an earlier Imperial German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
regiment, the 90th), while Infantry Regiments 48 and 89 were renamed Grenadier Regiments 48 and 89 (in both cases, these were intended as honorific or morale-building titles).
At the beginning of 1944 the division was transferred to Fourth Army
German Fourth Army
The 4th Army was a field army of Imperial Germany during World War I and of the Wehrmacht during World War II-World War I:At the outset of war, the Fourth Army, with the Fifth Army, formed the center of the German armies on the Western Front, moving through Luxembourg and Belgium in support of the...
, under Army Group Center; in June, it was one of those that found itself facing the Soviet offensive in the Belorussian SSR, Operation Bagration. After an effective defence of the road into Mogilev
Mogilev
Mogilev is a city in eastern Belarus, about 76 km from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from the border with Russia's Bryansk Oblast. It has more than 367,788 inhabitants...
, the division withdrew into the town, which it was ordered to hold at all costs, and was destroyed there. Very few troops escaped back to German lines from the encirclement.
As 12th Volksgrenadier Division
It was rebuilt as the 12th VolksgrenadierVolksgrenadier
Volksgrenadier was the name given to a type of German Army division formed in the Autumn of 1944 after the double loss of Army Group Center to the Soviets in Operation Bagration and the Fifth Panzer Army to the Allies in Normandy. The name itself was intended to build morale, appealing at once to...
Division in October 1944, and fought the rest of the war in the west under Army Group B
Army Group B
Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.-Battle for France:The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam...
. It participated in the defense of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. In April 1945 it surrendered at Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
upon the collapse of the Ruhr Pocket
Ruhr Pocket
The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclement that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War II, in the Ruhr Area of Germany. For all intents and purposes, it marked the end of major organized resistance on Nazi Germany's Western Front, as more than 300,000 troops were...
.
Commanders
- Lieutenant-General Ludwig von der Leyen (1 September 1939)
- Lieutenant-General Walther von Seydlitz-KurzbachWalther von Seydlitz-KurzbachWalther Kurt von Seydlitz-Kurzbach was a German general. He was born in Hamburg, Germany, into the noble Prussian Seydlitz family. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(10 March 1940) - Colonel Karl Hernekamp (1 January 1942)
- Lieutenant-General Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von LützowKurt-Jürgen Freiherr von LützowKurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow was a German general during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(1 March 1942) - Colonel Gerhard Müller (1 June 1942)
- Colonel Wilhelm Lorenz (11 July 1942)
- Lieutenant-General Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow (20 July 1942)
- Lieutenant-General Curt Jahn (25 May 1944)
- Lieutenant-General Rudolf BamlerRudolf BamlerRudolf Bamler was a German Wehrmacht leader before and during the Second World War...
(4 June 1944) - Major-General Gerhard EngelGerhard EngelGerhard Michael Engel 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 with Oak Leaves...
(28 June 1944)
See also
- VolksgrenadierVolksgrenadierVolksgrenadier was the name given to a type of German Army division formed in the Autumn of 1944 after the double loss of Army Group Center to the Soviets in Operation Bagration and the Fifth Panzer Army to the Allies in Normandy. The name itself was intended to build morale, appealing at once to...
, InfantryInfantryInfantrymen 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 (military)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...
, Military unit - HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, List of German divisions in WWII