212th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

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The 212th Infantry Division was a German infantry division that fought in World War II. It was destroyed in Lithuania, and reconstituted as the 578th Volksgrenadier Division before being renamed the 212th Volksgrenadier Division.

Divisional history

212th Infantry Division

The 212th Infantry Division was raised on 26 August 1939 and remained on garrison duty in Germany until March 1941, when it spent three months as a coastal defense unit along the

Although the troops under Sensfuss had a numerical superiority, they were at a disadvantage in one regard: The Americans had tanks, while they did not. On December 16, after making a successful crossing of the Sauer river, the 212th Volksgrendier Division was able to infiltrate through American lines, push into the streets of Echternach, and overwhelm all major resistance. They were also able to surround but not defeat a fairly large U.S. battle group at Berdorf.^[1] Over the next two days, they were able to penetrate as far as Scheidgen before digging in to repulse numerous counter-attacks by the Americans. After several days of slow progress, however, the Ardennes offensive as a whole was looking increasingly non-viable. By December 28, Brandenberger ordered the 212th Volksgrenadier Division to withdraw back to its starting positions. It went on to participate in subsequent defensive operations along the Rhine, until surrendering to the Americans near the end of the war.

Commanding officers

212th Infantry Division

• Generalmajor Walter Friedrichs (? August 1939 – 15 September 1939)
• General der Artillerie Theodor Endres
  (15 September 1939 – 1 October 1942)
• Generalleutnant Hellmuth Reymann (1 October 1942 – 1 October 1943)
• Generalmajor Dr. Karl Koske (1 October 1943 – 1 May 1944)
• Generalleutnant Franz Sensfuß (1 May 1944 – 15 September 1944)

212th Volksgrenadier Division

• Generalleutnant Franz Sensfuß (October 1944 – 1 April 1945)
• Genralmajor Max Ulich (1 April 1945 – 21 April 1945)
• Generalmajor Jobst Freiherr von Buddenbrock (21 April 1945 – 8 May 1945)

Order of battle

1939

• 316th Infantry Regiment
• 320th Infantry Regiment
• 423rd Infantry Regiment
• 212th Artillery Regiment
• 212th Engineer Battalion
• 212th Anti-tank Detachment
• 212th Reconnaissance Detachment
• 212th Signal Detachment
• Supply Troops

1943

• 316th Grenadier Regiment
• 320th Grenadier Regiment
• 423rd Grenadier Regiment
• 212th Fusilier Battalion
• 212th Field Replacement Battalion
• 212th Artillery Regiment
• 212th Engineer Battalion
• 212th Panzerjäger Detachment
• 212th Signal Detachment
• Supply Troops

See also

• Battle of Krasny Bor
• Battle of the Bulge

References