77th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
77th Infantry Division | |
---|---|
77. Infanterie-Division | |
Army | |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Engagements | World War II |
The 77th Infantry Division (77. Infanteriedivision in German) was a German military unit which served during World War II.
Operational history
The infantry division was formed on 15 January 1944 in the town of Münsingen, and formed part of the twenty-fifth wave of infantry divisions raised in Germany.[1] The division was built up around a cadre of officers and men from the 355th and 364th Infantry Divisions, which both had been badly mauled on the Eastern Front.
The new recruits joining the division were well trained, and benefited from the experience of the officers and men they were joining. The division was sent to Normandy in France as a component of the LXXXIV Corps of the 7th Army, which was tasked with defending occupied France from an Allied invasion west of the Seine.[2] On March 5 the division was moved to Caen, where it aided the 352nd Infantry Division in coastal defense.[citation needed]
Initially commanded by Lieutenant General Walter Poppe, command was transferred to Lieutenant General Stegmann on May 1, with Colonel Bacherer, commander of the 7⁄8, assuming temporary command.
Initially opposing the U.S. 4th Infantry Division as it moved inland from
Commanders
- 01.02.1944 - 25.04.1944 : Generalleutnant Walter Poppe
- 25.04.1944 - 01.05.1944 : Oberst der Reserve Rudolf Bacherer
- 01.05.1944 - 18.06.1944 : Generalleutnant Rudolf Stegmann
- 18.06.1944 - 15.08.1944 : Oberst der Reserve Rudolf Bacherer
Sources
- ^ Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle, Volume 1: 1st-290th Infantry Divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books.
- ^ Bishop, Chris (2008). German Infantry in World War II. MBI Publishing Company.
- ^ Sperry, John (2007). 9th Infantry Division: old reliables. Turner Publishing Company.
- ^ Willmott p. 102
- ^ "history of le plessis lastelle". Le-plessis-lastelle.com. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
Bibliography
- Willmott, H.P. (1984) "June, 1944" Blandford Press ISBN 0-7137-1446-8