German 16th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 16th Infantry Division of the German Army
was created in 1934 as Kommandant von Münster
. In October 1935 the division was renamed 16. Infanterie-Division. On 26 August 1939 the division was mobilized for the invasion of Poland
(1939). It participated in the Battle of France
in 1940. The division was then split, also in 1940, resulting in two independent lineages: The 16th Panzer
Division and the 16th Motorized Infantry Division. The latter, from 1944 onward, combined with other non 16th elements, was known as the 116th Panzer Division.
during the Balkans
campaign in 1941. It then participated in Operation Barbarossa
with Army Group South
, also in 1941. The 16th Panzer Division was encircled and ultimately destroyed at Stalingrad
during the winter of 1942–43.
It was rebuilt for a campaign in the west, fought in Sicily
and southern Italy
during the Italian Campaign
in 1943 and returned to the Russian Front later in the year. Severely mauled near Kiev
, it was withdrawn to Poland
for rehabilitation in 1944. The 16th Panzer Division returned to the east in 1945, where it surrendered to the Soviets and Americans in Czechoslovakia
.
campaign in 1941 along with the 16th Panzer Division (see above). It took part in Operation Barbarossa
with Army Group South later in the year. It advanced on the Caucasus
with elements coming to within 20 miles of Astrakhan
in 1942 — the most easterly point reached by any German unit during the war. It also participated in the Battle of Stalingrad
.
The 16th Motorized Infantry Division participated in defensive operations after the Soviets broke up the front of the southern sector. In 1943, it was upgraded to the 16th Panzergrenadier Division. This upgraded formation suffered heavily in the continuous retreats and was transferred to France
for rest and refitting.
It was reorganized as the 116th Panzer Division (with the number changed since the 16th Panzer Division was already taken by its sibling), absorbing the 179th Reserve Panzer Division
in the process in 1944. This new formation fought in the Battle of Normandy
and was almost destroyed in the Falaise Gap.
It subsequently defended the Siegfried Line
at Aachen
in an understrength condition. The 116th Panzer Division was withdrawn for refitting and then recommitted, but failed to save the city of Aachen. It later participated in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest
then in the Battle of the Bulge
, again sustaining heavy casualties. It was caught in the Wesel Pocket, but managed to escape across the Rhine, ultimately surrendering within the Ruhr Pocket
in April, 1945.
German Army
The 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...
was created in 1934 as Kommandant von Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
. In October 1935 the division was renamed 16. Infanterie-Division. On 26 August 1939 the division was mobilized for the invasion of 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...
(1939). It participated in the Battle 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...
in 1940. The division was then split, also in 1940, resulting in two independent lineages: The 16th Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
Division and the 16th Motorized Infantry Division. The latter, from 1944 onward, combined with other non 16th elements, was known as the 116th Panzer Division.
Commanding officers
- Generaloberst Gotthard HeinriciGotthard HeinriciGotthard Heinrici was a general in the German Army during World War II.-Personal life:Heinrici's was born in Gumbinnen , East Prussia, on Christmas Day, 1886, to Paul Heinrici, a local Lutheran minister of the Prussian Church, and his wife Gisela, née von Rauchhaupt, who was of recent Jewish descent...
- Generalleutnant Heinrich KrampfHeinrich KrampfHeinrich Krampf born in Würzburg was commander of the 16. Infanterie-Division and the 304. Infanterie-Division during World War II.-Awards:*Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class...
, 1 February 1940 - Generaloberst Hans-Valentin HubeHans-Valentin HubeHans-Valentin Hube was a German general who served in the German Army during the First and Second World Wars. He was one of 27 people to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds...
, 1 June 1940 - General der InfanterieGeneral der InfanterieGeneral of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer and refers to:* General of the Infantry * General of the Infantry...
Friedrich-Wilhelm von ChappuisFriedrich-Wilhelm von ChappuisFriedrich-Wilhelm von Chappuis was a General der Infanterie who commanded the XXXVIII. corps 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 bravery or successful military...
, 1 November 1940 - General der Panzertruppen Sigfrid HenriciSigfrid HenriciGeneral Sigfrid Henrici was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II.He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in the 11th Artillery Regiment in 1907 and was commissioned as a Leutnant in an artillery regiment in 1909...
- Generalleutnant Johannes StreichJohannes StreichJohannes Streich 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...
- General der Panzertruppen Sigfrid Henrici, November 1941
- General der Panzertruppen Gerhard von SchwerinGerhard von SchwerinGerhard Helmuth Detloff Graf von Schwerin was a German army General in World War II. As General der Panzertruppe, he was tasked with defending the city of Aachen while in command of the 116th Panzer Division "Windhund" .By the time the 3rd US Armored Division reached Aachen on 13 September 1944,...
, 13 November 1942 - Generalmajor Wilhelm CrisolliWilhelm CrisolliWilhelm Crisolli 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...
, 20 May 1943
Panzer Division
The 16th Panzer Division served as a reserve in RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
during the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
campaign in 1941. It then participated in Operation Barbarossa
Operation 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...
with Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
, also in 1941. The 16th Panzer Division was encircled and ultimately destroyed at Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
during the winter of 1942–43.
It was rebuilt for a campaign in the west, fought in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and southern 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...
during the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
in 1943 and returned to the Russian Front later in the year. Severely mauled near Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, it was withdrawn to 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...
for rehabilitation in 1944. The 16th Panzer Division returned to the east in 1945, where it surrendered to the Soviets and Americans in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Commanding officers
- Generaloberst Hans-Valentin HubeHans-Valentin HubeHans-Valentin Hube was a German general who served in the German Army during the First and Second World Wars. He was one of 27 people to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds...
, 1 November 1940 - Generalleutnant Günther AngernGünther AngernGünther Angern was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several panzer 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...
, 15 September 1942 - Generalmajor Burkhart Müller-Hillebrand, March 1943
- Generalmajor Rudolf SieckeniusRudolf SieckeniusGeneralmajor Rudolf Sieckenius was a German soldier, most famous for his command of 16 Panzer Division during Operation Avalanche in September 1943...
, 5 May 1943 - Generalmajor Hans-Ulrich BackHans-Ulrich BackHans-Ulrich Back was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II who held several divisional commands. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 1 November 1943 - Generalleutnant Dietrich von MüllerDietrich von MüllerDietrich von Müller was a German Officer during both World War I and World War II. Just before the end of World War II he was promoted to Generalleutnant and awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, 14 August 1944 - OberstOberstOberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
Theodor KretschmerTheodor KretschmerTheodor Kretschmer 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. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, 1 December 1944 - Generalleutnant Dietrich von Müller, 2 February 1945
- Oberst Dr. Albrecht Aschoff, 1 Apr 1945
- Oberst Kurt Treuhaupt, 19 Apr 1945
Motorized Division
The 16th Motorized Infantry Division, nicknamed Windhund ("Greyhound"), participated in the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
campaign in 1941 along with the 16th Panzer Division (see above). It took part in Operation Barbarossa
Operation 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...
with Army Group South later in the year. It advanced on the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
with elements coming to within 20 miles of Astrakhan
Astrakhan
Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...
in 1942 — the most easterly point reached by any German unit during the war. It also participated in the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
.
The 16th Motorized Infantry Division participated in defensive operations after the Soviets broke up the front of the southern sector. In 1943, it was upgraded to the 16th Panzergrenadier Division. This upgraded formation suffered heavily in the continuous retreats and was transferred to 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...
for rest and refitting.
It was reorganized as the 116th Panzer Division (with the number changed since the 16th Panzer Division was already taken by its sibling), absorbing the 179th Reserve Panzer Division
179th Reserve Panzer Division (Germany)
The 179th Reserve Panzer Division of the German army in World War II was formed in July 1943. The division was stationed in France from July 1943 to May 1944 when it was disbanded and absorbed by the 116th Panzer Division.- Order of battle :...
in the process in 1944. This new formation fought in the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and was almost destroyed in the Falaise Gap.
It subsequently defended the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
at 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, ...
in an understrength condition. The 116th Panzer Division was withdrawn for refitting and then recommitted, but failed to save the city of Aachen. It later participated in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest
Battle of Hurtgen Forest
The Battle of Hürtgen Forest is the name given to the series of fierce battles fought between U.S. and German forces during World War II in the Hürtgen Forest, which became the longest battle on German ground during World War II, and the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought...
then in 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...
, again sustaining heavy casualties. It was caught in the Wesel Pocket, but managed to escape across the Rhine, ultimately surrendering within 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...
in April, 1945.
See also
- 16th Luftwaffe Field Division (an unrelated unit)
- PanzergrenadierPanzergrenadieris a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
- Panzer DivisionPanzer DivisionA panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
- 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
- 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