323rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
| 323rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) | |
|---|---|
| German: 323. Infanterie-Division | |
| Active | 1940–1943 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
The 323rd Infantry Division (
History
323rd Infantry Division
The 323rd Infantry Division was formed as a static division of the 13th Aufstellungswelle in Franconia in Wehrkreis XIII. Of its initial battalions, three were drawn from each the 62nd and the 73rd Infantry Divisions.[1] The division's initial commander was Max Mühlmann.[2]
Between May 1941 and April 1942, the 323rd Infantry Division served on occupation duty in northwestern France. On 13 January 1942, Hans Bergen took command of the division.[2]
Following a decree on 7 February 1942, the division was restructured from a static division to an assault division to prepare it for service on the Eastern Front. The previously understaffed regiments of the division were brought to full strength in March 1942 through the addition of a 13th and 14th company to each of the infantry regiments and the addition of a heavy fourth detachment to the artillery regiment.[1]
After heavy fighting on the Eastern Front that began with the division's arrival there in May 1942, the formation had been reduced to
The division's commander Bergen was replaced by Viktor Koch on 5 November 1942, by Andreas Nebauer on 25 December 1942, and by Ronald Koschella on 2 February 1943.[2]
Division Group 323
The Division Group 323 was formed on 2 November 1943 from the remnants of the 323rd Infantry Division and put under the supervision of the
Organization
Superior formations
| Year | Month | Army Corps | Army | Army Group | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | December | In deployment. | Wehrkreis XIII | ||
| 1941 | January – April | ||||
| May – December | Höheres Kommando z.b.V. LX | 15th Army | Army Group D | English Channel coast | |
| 1942 | January – March | ||||
| April | XXXVII Army Corps
| ||||
| May – July | OKH reserves. | Army Group South | Southern Russia | ||
| August | Blümm | 2nd Army | Army Group B | Voronezh | |
| September – December | VII Army Corps | ||||
| 1943 | January – February | Kastornoye | |||
| March – November | Remnants attached to the 75th Infantry Division and 26th Infantry Division. | ||||
| November | Restructured into Division Group 323 and assigned to the 88th Infantry Division. | ||||
Subordinate formations
The initial internal structure of the 323rd Infantry Division was as follows:[1]
- Infantry Regiment 591 (three battalions). Drawn from one battalion each of the Infantry Regiment 199 and the Infantry Regiment 164, both previously part of the 62nd Infantry Division.
- Infantry Regiment 593 (three battalions). Drawn from one battalion each of the Infantry Regiment 213 and the Infantry Regiment 170, both previously of the 73rd Infantry Division.
- Infantry Regiment 594 (three battalions). Drawn from one battalion each of the Infantry Regiment 186, previously part of the 73rd Infantry Division, and the Infantry Regiment 183, previously part of the 62nd Infantry Division.
- Artillery Regiment 323 (three detachment). Drawn from one detachment each of the Artillery Regiment 162, previously part of the 62nd Infantry Division, and the Artillery Regiment 173, previously part of the 73rd Infantry Division, as well as four additional batteries.
Noteworthy individuals
- Max Mühlmann, divisional commander of the 323rd Infantry Division (15 November 1940 – 12 January 1942).
- Hans Bergen, divisional commander of the 323rd Infantry Division (12 January 1942 – 5 November 1942).
- Viktor Koch, divisional commander of the 323rd Infantry Division (5 November 1942 – 25 December 1942).
- Andreas Nebauer, divisional commander of the 323rd Infantry Division (25 December 1942 – 2 February 1943).
- Ronald Koschella, divisional commander of the 323rd Infantry Division (2 February 1943 – 2 November 1943).
References
- ^ ISBN 3764808721.
- ^ ISBN 9780811734165.
- ISBN 9780811706568.