Infanterie vs Volksgrenadier Divisionen

[Helmut]

Servus,
Something which has puzzled me for some time, why were some of the divisions destroyed during the summer of '44 upon being reformed, redesignated as VG Divs and some retaining their old designations as Inf Divs? it seems that most of the VG Divs were either brand new Divs, such as those with a 500 number, or existing divs which had been destroyed during Bagration but this isn't a hard fact either. Was there any rhyme or reason to the redesignation or was it just the luck of the draw?

Thanks in advance any help.

Regardds,

Helmut

[bradhunter]

The redesignation was a result of the rebuilding of these units on a different structure:

http://books.google.com/books?id=GTpqAx ... g4#PPP1,M1

[Helmut]

Servus bradhunter,
Thanks for the input but I,m still confused as to who some divisions which wre reconstructed at that time or were fromed from scratch were designated as infantry and some as VG. I didn't see anything in the article you referenced that answered that question.

Regards,

Helmut

[Hans Weber]

Hello

I can't give you the final solution, but at least I can narrow down the possibilites.

It was quite rare that the units destroyed in summer 44 were reconstructed as Infantry Divisions.

If we only consider the Infantry divisions destroyed belonging to Heeresgruppe Mitte in June and July 1944 (23), only two were reconstructed under the denomination Inf. Div and both were formed from the two Korpsabteilungen G and H. A Korpsabteilung usually grouped three weak divisions and was in fact a divisional sized combat unit, not a Corps. The idea was to replenish each of its members at some time in the future to become fully sized divisions again. That didn't work well in practice. In case of the the two Korpsabteilung mentioned above, both were disolved after a short time with only one fully sized division emerging. At least it seems that enough men and material was at hands to make them full Inf. Div. not the weaker VGD, but I haven't been able to verify this.

Some Divisions might have carried the name Infantry Division while beeing reconstructed, but later in autumn 1944 were changed into VGD. I think we can narrow this phenomen down on the divisions of the 30. Welle. They were formed in August 1944. From the six formed, four were reconstructed, two beeing newly raized units. Two reconstructions were from the HG Mitte: 12. and 36. I have seen documents carrying the name 12. Inf. Div after August 1944. I think it should have been called Grenadierdivision by then, but maybe the staff carried on the old tradition. Also, and that might be another reason, it didn't have the typical Welle 32. VGD structure. Still, in October 1944 it was redesignated as Volksgrenadierdivision. The same applies to 36. Inf. Div. then Gren. Div. later VGD.

The twentyfive Volksgrenadierdivisions of the 32. Welle formed in late August, early September 1944 started with Numbers from 564 to 588. They later absorbed remenants of destroyed Infantry Divisions and some Schattendivisionen from the 31. Welle. When they did so, they usually took on the number of the old Division the men were from or another destroyed unit in case of the Schattendivisionen beeing infused. As they were always called Volksgrenadierdivisions from the beginning, the input of old Inf. or Lw-Feld-Div. did not change their name, only their number. The term Volksgrenadierdivision also implies a certain OOB, which is weaker than a Inf. Div 44 (or. n.A.).

This all might sound complicated, but organisational history of the Wehrmacht tends to be complicated.

Cheers
Hans

[Piet Duits]

Hi guys,

The Heeresgruppe Mitte had the following divisions destroyed:
Reste 299. Infanterie-Division (wird Korps-Abt. G gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18504/44 g.K. v. 1.8.44)
Reste 134. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
Reste 383. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
Reste 337. Infanterie-Division (wird Korps-Abt. G gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18504/44 g.K. v. 1.8.44)
260. Infanterie-Division (wird Korps-Abt. G gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18504/44 g.K. v. 1.8.44)
78. Sturm-Division (aufgelöst gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. I/18148/44 g.Kdos. v. 17.7.44)
12. Infanterie-Division (aufgelöst gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. I/18148/44 g.Kdos. v. 17.7.44)
31. Infanterie-Division (aufgelöst gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. I/18148/44 g.Kdos. v. 17.7.44)
57. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
110. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
267. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
296. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
6. Infanterie-Division (aufgelöst gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. I/18148/44 g.Kdos. v. 17.7.44)
45. Infanterie-Division (aufgelöst gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. I/18148/44 g.Kdos. v. 17.7.44)
36. Infanterie-Division (aufgelöst gem. OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. I/18148/44 g.Kdos. III. Ang. v. 21.7.44)
707. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
206. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
246. Infanterie-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
4. Luftwaffe-Feld-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)
6. Luftwaffe-Feld-Division (auflösung gem.OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. Nr. I/18542/44 g.Kdos. v. 3.8.44)

Of these divisions, the 6., 12., 31., 36., 45. and 78. were raised again as Grenadier-Divisions. That is, some of the 15 divisions which were raised as part of the 29. Welle were given a new name to honor the divisions which fought so well. The remnants of these divisions (mostly trains) were incorporated in the new divisions. All but the 12. were renamed as Grenadier-Divisions (for example 31. Infanterie- became 31. Grenadier).
The 12. was not renamed and became an Infanterie-Division.

Only a few weeks later, these Grenadier-Divisions of the 29. and 30. Welle (the 36. was reraised as a 30. Welle division), were ordered to change the organization to the newly formed 32. Welle. Which became known as the Volks-Grenadier-Division.
So, you had the divisions formed as part of the 29. Welle, those as part of the 30. Welle (with almost the same organization as the 29.) and the 25 newly ordered divisions of the 32. Welle, with 3 different organizations.
As of 9.10.44, the following divisions were renamed as Volks-Grenadier-Division:
Division Welle Gültige Gliederung
6. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
31. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
45. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
78. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
541. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
542. Inf.Div. 29. Inf.Div. 44
544. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
545. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
547. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
548. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
549. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
551. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
553. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
558. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
559. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
561. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
562. Gren.Div. 29. Div. 32. Welle
12. Inf.Div. 30. Inf. Div. 44
16. Inf.Div. 30. Inf. Div. 44
19. Gren.Div. 30. Div. 32. Welle
36. Gren.Div. 30. Div. 32. Welle
563. Gren.Div. 30. Div. 32. Welle


To understand the 32. Welle, you need to know more about the 29. Welle.

[Helmut]

Thanks to all for your information.

[Kelvin]

Hi, Piet, apart from those destroyed divison mentioned by you. Some more divisons were destroyed in Bagration : 95th and 256th infantry, 18th, 25th and FHH PG divison