75th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

The 75th Infantry Division (German: 75. Infanterie-Division) was a German infantry division in World War II. It was formed on 26 August 1939.

75th Infantry Division
German: 75. Infanterie-Division
75. Infanterie Division Vehicle Insignia
Active26 August 1939 – 8 May 1945
Country Nazi Germany
Branch Heer ( Wehrmacht)
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
EngagementsBattle of France
Operation Barbarossa
Battle of Kiev (1941)
Battle of Kursk
Lower Dnieper Offensive
Hube Pocket
Battle of the Dukla Pass
Upper Silesian Offensive
Prague Offensive
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Helmuth Beukemann

Service history

The 75th Infantry Division was formed on 26 August 1939 as a division of the second Aufstellungswelle in Wehrkreis II using personnel of the 12th Infantry Division (also headquartered at Wehrkreis II) to form three infantry regiments and an artillery regiment. These regiments were the Infantry Regiments 172 (Neustrelitz), 202 (Rostock), and 222 (Schwerin), and the Artillery Regiment 175 (Ludwigslust), as well as the Division Units 175 for divisional support.[1]: 24 

On 31 January 1940, the battalion II./172 was transferred to the 292nd Infantry Division as II./508. A third of the division (Staff/222, I./172, I./202, I./222) was transferred away on 8 October 1940 and reassigned to the 302nd Infantry Division. These transfers were subsequently replenished.[1]: 24 

The 75th Infantry Division participated in the Massacre at Babi Yar (29–30 September 1941).[2]

After an OKH directive of 15 October 1942, all infantry regiments were redesignated "Grenadier Regiment", though regiments in the tradition of certain previous German military units could instead petition to be called "Rifle Regiment" or "Fusilier Regiment".[3]: 62f.  In the case of the 75th Infantry Division, this resulted in the Grenadier Regiments 172 and 222 and, after 11 June 1943, the Fusilier Regiment 202.[1]: 24f. 

Following a directive of 2 October 1943, divisions on the Eastern Front were reformed to become Division neuer Art organization-style divisions. The battalions I./272, II./202 and II./222 were dissolved and replaced by their regiments' respective third battalions. The Bicycle Detachment 175, which had been added to the division on 7 June 1942, became the Division Fusilier Battalion 75.[1]: 24f. 

On 1 January 1945, the 75th Infantry Division (then a part of Army Group Heinrici (Gotthard Heinrici) under Army Group A) had a strength of 8,441 men.[4]: 504 

In March to April 1945, the division was smashed in the Mährisch-Ostrau sector and its remnants absorbed by other forces.[1]: 24f. 

Superior formations
Superior formations of the 75th Infantry Division[1]: 25 
Year Month Army Corps Army Army Group Area of operations
1939 Sep. Army reserves 1st Army Army Group C Saar Palatinate
Oct. XXIV Army Corps
Dec. XII Army Corps
1940 Jan.–Jul.
Jul.–Aug. III Army Corps 18th Army None German-occupied Poland
Sep.–Dec. 12th Army Army Group B
1941 Jan.–Apr. 17th Army
May 6th Army Army Group A
Jun.–Aug. LV Army Corps Army Group South Kholm, Kyiv
Sep.–Dec. XXIX Army Corps Kyiv, Belgorod
1942 Jan.–Jul. Belgorod
Aug. Army group reserves
Sep.–Dec. VII Army Corps 2nd Army Voronezh
1943 Jan.–Feb.
Mar.–Jul. Army Group Center Sumy
Aug.–Dec. 4th Panzer Army Army Group South Belgorod, Kyiv, Zhytomir
1944 Jan. Vinnytsia
Feb. 1st Panzer Army Cherkassy
Mar. 8th Army
Apr. XXXXVI Panzer Corps 1st Panzer Army Army Group North Ukraine Brody
May–Jul. XXIV Army Corps
Aug. XI Army Corps Carpathian mountains
Sep. XXIV Army Corps
Oct. Army Group A Beskid mountains
Nov.–Dec. XI Army Corps
1945 Jan.
Feb.–Mar. LIX Army Corps Army Group Center Upper Silesia
Apr. Army reserves Mährisch-Ostrau

Commanders

References
  1. Tessin, Georg (1977). Die Landstreitkräfte 071–130. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 6. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3764810971.
  2. "Babi Yar | Sciences Po Mass Violence and Resistance - Research Network". 31 May 2016.
  3. Tessin, Georg (1977). Die Waffengattungen - Gesamtübersicht. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 1. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3764810971.
  4. Lakowski, Richard (2008). "Der Zusammenbruch der deutschen Verteidigung zwischen Ostsee und Karpaten". In Müller, Rolf-Dieter (ed.). Die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht. Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. 10/1. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 491–681. ISBN 9783421062376.

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