79th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

79th Infantry Division (Germany)

Divisional insignia of 79th Infantry
Active Raised March 1939, March 1945
Country Nazi Germany
Branch Wehrmacht
Type Infantry
Motto "Tapfer und Treu” (Courageous and Loyal)
Engagements Saar Front
Operation Barbarossa
 • Stalingrad
 • Kuban bridgehead
Romania
Operation Herbsnebel (Northwest Europe)
Commanders
Notable
commanders

Karl Strecker

Friedrich Weinknecht

The 79th Infantry Division (79. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.

Creation and Early History

The 79th Infantry Division began mobilization on March 1, 1939 as a part of the second German "wave" system or (2. Welle) of mobilization. Welle was the German designation for groups of infantry divisions raised at approximately the same time, with approximately the same type of organization, equipment, personnel and training. Raised from Rheinlanders in the German Military District (Wehrkreis) XII, and headquartered in Wiesbaden, the home station of the 79th was Koblenz. It was designated as a Division on August 26, 1939. Assigned to the French-German border in the Saar region, the 79th trained and worked on the West Wall. The Division saw action against the French on the Saar Front on May 10, 1940 when it was part of the invasion forces. In June, the division participated in attacks on the Maginot Line and the capture of Epinal. The Cross of Lorraine (Lothringer Kreuz) was designated as the symbol. Unteroffizier Werner Psaar stated that since the division's first combat was mainly in the Lorraine region, this is what led to the symbol. From June 1940 until April 1941, the division was on occupation duty and trained for Operation Sea Lion - the projected invasion of Great Britain. The 79th was relocated to Klagenfurt in April 1941 but was too late for the invasion of Yugoslavia.

Barbarossa

The Division was assigned to Heeresgruppe Süd for Operation Barbarossa on June 26, 1941. From June 1941 until September 1942, the 79th fought in southern Russia at Korosten, Lutsk, Rovno, Piryatin, and Akhtyrka, Kharkov, Voronezh, Izyum and Kalack before being redeployed in October 1942 from positions in front of the Red Army bridgehead across the Don at Serafimovich to Stalingrad. This late weakening of the 6th Army's left flank to replace the serious infantry losses in the Stalingrad city battle contributed to the success of Operation Uranus, as Red Army's northern pincer axis of attack rolled through the 79th's former positions, which were given over to the Romanian 5th Infantry division.

Stalingrad

The 79th began its attack on Stalingrad on October 17, 1942. The fighting in the Red October Tractor Factory was fiercely contended, hall by hall. When the Soviet Offensive started on November 19, 1942, the 79th was one of the units trapped in the "kessel" (or cauldron), when it was surrounded on November 24. The Sixth Army surrendered on January 31, 1943. The division staff, including the Ia (Operations Officer) Oberst Hans Schwanbeck, was flown out of Stalingrad on January 8–9, 1943. This evacuation is still an issue with surviving veterans of the 79th. Most men were taken into Soviet captivity including Generalleutnant Alexander von Daniels, the commander.

Second Life

The 79th was quickly raised again from the remnants of other German units near Rostov by the surviving staff officers, on January 12, 1943. The division then took part in operations in the Novocherkassk area until relieved on March 13, 1943. It refitted in the Volnovakha area and in April 1943, returned to battle. It fought a number of defensive actions before reaching the Kuban bridgehead in August 1943. The division was evacuated to the Ukraine and continued a slow movement west for almost a year.

Romania

1944 found the 79th in Romania as a part of IV Korps, 6. Armee. By August, the 79th was one of the divisions attempting to hold the city of Jassy. On August 23, 1944, with the Romanian coup, the 79th was once again encircled and virtually annihilated near Chitcani, Romania on the Berlad River. Less than 1,000 soldiers managed to escape. Generalleutnant Friedrich Weinknecht became the second commander of the 79th Infantry Division to be captured by the Soviets.

Third Life - Volksgrenadier

On October 27, 1944, the division was raised again outside the Welle system, this time in West Prussia and now as the 79th Volksgrenadier Division (79. Volks-Grenadier-Division). It had only ten percent combat veterans and was largely made up by absorbing the 586th Volksgrenadier Division (Katzbach). On December 11, 1944, the 79th Volksgrenadier Division was assigned to 7. Armee a reserve force near Bitburg, Germany. Although at half strength, the 79th was to take part in Operation Herbstnebel.

Luxembourg

On December 21, 1944, the 79th VG moved towards its assembly area near Diekirch, Luxembourg. On December 24, 1944, the Volksgrenadiers in conjunction with the Führer Grenadier Brigade, launched a series of attacks against the Blue Ridge Division, the 80th Infantry Division (United States). The objective was to seize the town of Heiderscheid, which included a strategic bridge across the Sure River. Both units suffered very heavy losses, particularly when on December 26 most of the 79th VG artillery and FGB armor was destroyed by American fighter bombers. The 79th VG began falling back towards the town of Baunscheid, to hold another strategic bridgehead there; it was unable to hold against the US 80th Infantry Division.

1945

After Heavy fighting continued into January 1945, the Division fell to US forces at Heidelberg and Darmstadt. Remnants of the 79th fought in the vicinity of Rothenburg ob der Tauber under the name Battle Group (Kampfgruppe) "Hummel" in mid-April. This last organized unit of the 79th Volksgrenadier Division surrendered to US Forces on April 14, 1945. Grenadiers of the 79th Volksgrenadier Division fought small unit actions in the Alps.

Commanders

79th Infantry Division (March 1939 - March 1945)
General der Infanterie Karl Strecker March 1939 - January 1942
Generalleutnant Richard Graf von Schwerin January 1942 - August 1943
Generalmajor Heinrich Kreipe August 1943 - October 1943
Oberst Andreas von Aulock October 1943
Generalleutnant Friedrich-August Weinknecht October 1943 - August 29, 1944 (POW)
Generalmajor Erich Weber 1944
Oberst Reinherr 1945
Oberst Hummel 1945
Oberstleutnant von Hobe 1945
Oberst Reymann 1945
Oberst Seeher 1945

Orders of Battle

Order of Battle 1939

Order of Battle 1944

Trivia

The Cross of Lorraine was used as a divisional insignia by both the German 79th Infantry Division and its American counterpart.

See also

Bibliography

Printed references

Web resources

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