330. Gebirgsdivision

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:55 am

Who has some information on the mysterious 330. Gebirgsdivision?

The 330. Infanterie-Div. was formed 19 December 1941 in Wehrkreis III and then served on the central sector of the Eastern Front until it was disbanded on 2 November 1943 with the remnants becoming Divisionsgruppe 330. As Divisionsgruppe 330 with Regimentsgruppen 554 and 555, it was attached to 342. Infanterie-Div. and remained on the central sector of the Eastern Front until it was renamed Grenadier-Rgt. 554 on 27 July 1944.

Now here’s the question. beginning in the second half of February 1944, a 330. Gebirgs-Div. begins to appear in the records of LXIX. Armeekorps z.b.V./Panzerarmee-Oberkommando 2 in Yugoslavia. It had Gebirgsjäger-Rgt. 555 and 556 and was stationed in and around Bjelovar to the east of Zagreb. On 23 Feb 44 it participated in anti-Partisan operations “Fuchsjagd” followed in March by “Schneeschmeltz” and “Cannae”. It is referred to in these primary documents more than a hundred times, so this is some sort of typo.

This “330. Gebirgsdivision" is NOT to be found in Tessin or any other reference that I have. Nor is it to be found in the usual on-line references (i.e., Feldgrau, Axis History Factbook, Lexikon der Wehrmacht, etc.). Does anyone know anything about it?

Skarn · Post by **Skarn** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:09 am

Very interesting post, Lorenz !
I support the request about this 330. Gebirgs Division.

All the best,

Loïc

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:01 am

Maybe a "Tarndivision" ? Are there an divisional units mentioned in the Sources ? I never came across a 330.GebJgDiv ...

And Kaltenegger does not mention it anyway . Strange !

Jan-Hendrik

Skarn · Post by **Skarn** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:49 am

Hello Jan-Hendrik,

Sorry not to know that, but what was a "Tarndivision" ?

Anyway, Lorenz's sources seem to be good enough to be considered correct, don't they ?

Regards,

Loïc

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:08 am

It could have been a "Schattendivision" , explained here _

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... derung.htm

or a "Tarndivison" which appeared , a unit that existed only on "paper" to fool the enemy and his intelligence services , But that is all only speculation by myself , thats why I asked if there were mentioned divisional troops within the material .

Jan-Hendrik

Skarn · Post by **Skarn** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:12 am

Got it !
Thanks for the answer, I added a German word to my military vocabulary

A kind of 80. Jäger Division or 28. Panzer Division, actually

I can't help you or Lorenz concerning the 330. Gebirgs Division, but the topic seems very very interesting.

Regards,

Loïc

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:12 am

Thanks for your replies, gentlemen.

I had my first response to this mystery over on the Axis History Forum, so I posted the solution to the puzzle over there. If you are still interested, here is the link:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 498#795498

Please note that the question of WHY still remains open. You will see where I commented on the "Tarn" issue and why I don't think that explains in full what was going on. There must have been more to it that just an attempt to conceal the formation of the Division.

I will be very interested in your comments on this.

Thanks again,

--Lorenz

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:25 am

Damn , good job , Larry !

Jan-Hendrik

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:59 am

Thanks, J-H.!

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:05 pm

Ehre wem Ehre gebührt

Loranz = Larry D. ??

Jan-Hendrik

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:30 am

Hi Lorenz,

I would suggest that the terrain of the Balkan theatre required Jagers or Alpenjagers rather than conventional infantry and that this 330 Geb. Div fits a pattern:

1) All four of the original security divisions in Yugoslavia (704, 714, 717 and 718) were later converted into Jager divisions.

2) All the Waffen-SS divisions formed or partly formed in the Balkans during the war (7th, 13th, 21st [?]) and serving there were classified as mountain divisions.

3) The senior German mountain division, the 1st, spent most of the last two years of the war in the Balkans.

My suspicion is that, if one was rebuilding a division in the Balkans and it was expected to serve there, it simply made good sense to fit it out as a mountain unit.

I have another theory. If I remember rightly, in late 1943 the Erstazheer moved an Austrian reserve division in the 140-194 series (but ending in --7 or --8) into Croatia in much the area you describe. I think it shortly disappeared from the order of battle. I would suggest that this might have been a source of manpower for the 330 Geb. Division. I will try to find the actual division number for you to look up in Tessin.

One thing is for sure - WKIII was not equipped to sustain a mountain division as it had no mountains. All German mountain divisions came from alpine regions of WKVII (Bavaria) or WKXVIII (Western Austria). My guess is that 330 Geb. Div. must have ha some link to these two wehrkreise.

Cheers,

Sid.

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:44 am

Sid G. wrote:

I have another theory. If I remember rightly, in late 1943 the Erstazheer moved an Austrian reserve division in the 140-194 series (but ending in --7 or -- into Croatia in much the area you describe. I think it shortly disappeared from the order of battle. I would suggest that this might have been a source of manpower for the 330 Geb. Division. I will try to find the actual division number for you to look up in Tessin.

That's mighty close, Sid, might close, indeed. It might not win you the new Mercedes convertible, but you do get the Saab sedan! To see how close to the truth you are, go to the Axis History Forum link I provided several postings above this one.

An outstanding piece of expert deductive reasoning, Sid!!

Best,

--Lorenz

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:11 am

Hi Lorenz,

According to the Die Deutsche Wehrmacht site both 330th and 367th Infantry Divisions were from Wehrkreis VII (Bavaria), which was one of the two wehrkreise that did support mountain divisions. It makes no reference to WKIII.

Cheers,

Sid.

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:48 am

Hi again, Sid -

330. Inf.Div.
Lexikon-der-Wehrmacht says: Aufgestellt am 19. Dezember 1941 als "Walküre"-Einheit auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Wandern im WK III.

Web site Diedeutschewehrmacht says Aufgestellt 19.12.1941 im WK VII.

367. Inf.Div.
Lexikon-der-Wehrmacht says: Aufgestellt am 15. November 1943 als Division der 21. Welle im Raum Agram durch die Umbenennung des Stabes und des Rahmens der aufgelösten 330. Infanterie-Division.

Web site Diedeutschewehrmacht says Aufgestellt 15.11.1943 im WK VII.

It appears that I took my information from the Lexikon der Wehrmacht web site, which is usually reliable. Perhaps we shouldn't trust the information there anymore! YIKES!

This clearly shows that the only reliable source is primary documents. Books and web sites have mistakes, typos and other errors.

--Lorenz

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:04 am

Hi Lorenz,

The Walkure I divisions were energency formations that each took regiments from several wehrkreise. 330th Infantry Division may have been assembled at a training ground in WKIII, but a majority, perhaps all, of its men must have come from other wehrkreise.

I would imagine that once the winter emergency in Russia was over the Walkure I divisions were allocated to a single specific wehrkreis like all normal divisions.

Cheers,

Sid.