34th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
| 34th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1936–1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  German Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Division HQ—Heidelberg, Wehrkreis XII |
The 34th Infantry Division, (German: 34. Infanterie-Division), was a German military unit that fought in the Battle of France and on the Eastern Front during World War II. The division was first formed following the expansion of the army under Adolf Hitler's leadership, but finally disbanded following their surrender to the Americans in Italy.
History
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The 34th Infantry Division was formed between 1935 and 36 during the rapid expansion of the army following the withdrawal from the
On 19 September the 105th infantry regiment and 2nd battalion of the artillery regiment were moved to form the new
During the second phase of the invasion, the division made its way to
On 22 June 1941,
In July 1944 the 34th ID was transferred to Armeeabteilung Zangen in Italy, around Genoa.
The Division fought in the Second Battle of the Alps and capitulated in April 1945.
Order of Battle
The structure of the division was as follows;[1][2]
- Divisional Staff
- 24th Signal Battalion
- 34th Reconnaissance Battalion
- 80th Infantry Regiment
- 105th Infantry Regiment (replaced by 253rd Infantry Regiment after mobilisation in 1939)[1]
- 107th Infantry Regiment
- 34th Field Replacement Battalion
- 34th Artillery Regiment (originally 3 battalions, later 4)[1]
- 34th Anti-Tank Battalion (Panzerjäger)
- 34th Engineer Battalion
- 34th Divisional Supply and Support Column
Commanding officers
- Generalleutnant Erich Lüdke, 1 April 1936 – 1 October 1937
- Generalmajor Max von Viebahn, 1 October 1937 – 1 March 1938
- Generalleutnant Friedrich Bremer, 1 March 1938 – 1 April 1939
- General der Artillerie Hans Behlendorff, 19 July 1939 – 10 May 1940
- Generalleutnant Werner Sanne, 11 May 1940 – 1 November 1940
- General der Artillerie Hans Behlendorff, 1 November 1940 – 18 October 1941
- Generalleutnant Friedrich Fürst, 18 October 1941 – 5 September 1942
- Generalleutnant Theodor Scherer, 5 September 1942 – 2 November 1942
- General der Infanterie Friedrich Hochbaum, 2 November 1942 – 31 May 1944
- Generalleutnant Theobald Lieb, 31 May 1944 – 1945
- Oberst Ferdinand Hippel, 1945
War crimes
Elements of the division have been implicated in the Grugliasco massacre, Piedmont, alongside the 5th Mountain Division, where, on 30 April 1945, 67 civilians were executed.[3][4]
On 7 December 1944 a patrol of the division, led by a local spy, broke into the "Vittoria" hotel in the village of Grimaldi, municipality of Ventimiglia, and captured three families who had found shelter there. The twelve prisoners were then taken out of the hotel and shot there. [5]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780811746540.
- ^ a b c d e "34. Infanteriedivision - Lexikon der Wehrmacht". www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ "Grugliasco, 30.04.1945" (in Italian). Atlas of Nazi and Fascist Massacres in Italy. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "34. Infanterie-Division" (in Italian). Atlas of Nazi and Fascist Massacres in Italy. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "Frazione Grimaldi "Albergo Vittoria", Ventimiglia, 07.12.1944" (in Italian). Atlas of Nazi and Fascist Massacres in Italy. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- Mitcham, S. German Order of Battle, Volume 1, Stackpole, 2007, ISBN 0-8117-3416-1
- Gassend, Jean-Loup. Autopsy of a Battle, the Allied Liberation of the French Riviera, August September 1944, Schiffer, 2014, ISBN 9780764345807