Anyone have an OB for this late-war unit?
Thanks,
AHK
Pommerland Grenadier Division
Moderator: Tom Houlihan
Division Pommernland
Hi -
This division was created Feb. 1945 by the renaming of Division Koeslin; on 12 March 1945 its remnants broke out of encirclement in Pommerania into the Bridgehead at Dievnow, but it had been so badly cut up that it was disbanded shortly thereafter.
According to Tessin, it consisted of Pommern Regiments 1, 2, and 3. each regiment consisting of two battalions with two companies each. During its short life, it was assigned to Korps Tettau, part of the 3rd Panzer Army of Army Group Vistula. According to General Erhard Raus, Division Pommernland lacked a signal battalion and had no artillery or antitank weapons, other than Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck. Raus seems to have had a low opinion of the division, stating that it was composed of Volkssturm, construction and surveying personnel, and men from supply units of all 3 branches of the Wehrmacht. Some of the battalion even lacked commanders, and Raus had to snatch officers in his area of operations who were on leave from the Kurland Bridgehead and assign them to lead these hastily formed units. Despite its severe shortcomings, the division fought surprisingly well and was able to knock out a number of Soviet tanks before being overwhelmed.
Hope this helps ---
This division was created Feb. 1945 by the renaming of Division Koeslin; on 12 March 1945 its remnants broke out of encirclement in Pommerania into the Bridgehead at Dievnow, but it had been so badly cut up that it was disbanded shortly thereafter.
According to Tessin, it consisted of Pommern Regiments 1, 2, and 3. each regiment consisting of two battalions with two companies each. During its short life, it was assigned to Korps Tettau, part of the 3rd Panzer Army of Army Group Vistula. According to General Erhard Raus, Division Pommernland lacked a signal battalion and had no artillery or antitank weapons, other than Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck. Raus seems to have had a low opinion of the division, stating that it was composed of Volkssturm, construction and surveying personnel, and men from supply units of all 3 branches of the Wehrmacht. Some of the battalion even lacked commanders, and Raus had to snatch officers in his area of operations who were on leave from the Kurland Bridgehead and assign them to lead these hastily formed units. Despite its severe shortcomings, the division fought surprisingly well and was able to knock out a number of Soviet tanks before being overwhelmed.
Hope this helps ---
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technical.difficulties
finally, an answer
Many years ago, I saw a notation of the 'Pommerland Infantry Division' and have been trying to find something on it ever since. Thanks for the info.