276 Infantry Division
A Wehrmacht Division, the 276 Infantry Division (the 276. Infanterie-Division or 276. ID in German) was created as part of the 10th wave of mobilisation (10 Welle) on 22nd May 1940, but after completion of training it was subsequently disbanded in July as France signed an armistice with Germany.
On 17th November 1943 the 276. ID was reformed in the 22nd wave of mobilisation from men reallocated from the divisional staff, signals and supply units of the 38. Infanterie-Division, which was subsequently disbanded.
The 276. ID was moved down into south west France to the region of Bayonne , Cambo-les-Bains and Biarritz. Here the formation was responsible for occupational tasks and coastal defences after the abolition of the 'Zone Libre'. The 'Zone Libre' had until this point in the war been unoccupied, but was invaded by German and Italian troops on 11th November 1943 in response to Allied landings in North Africa on 8th November.
276. Infanterie-Division was transferred to the Normandy sector in June 1944 following Overlord and was to cease as a fighting unit in late August 1944 when it was destroyed in the Falaise Pocket in Argentan under the command of Generalleutnant Curt Badinski .
Survivors of the Division finally went on to form the 276. Volksgrenadier-Division at the beginning of September (4th) 1944.
During Pomegranate (16th -18th July) the 276 Infantry Division faced units of the 49th (West Riding) Division and 197 Brigade of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division.
The formation and original disbandment of the 277 Infantry Division (the 277. Infanterie-Division or 277. ID) mirrored that of its sister battalion the 276.ID. In likewise manner the reformed battalion occurred as part of the 22nd wave of mobilisation on 17th November 1943 in Croatia.
In 1944, 277.ID were to be found in Southern France and by mid-April their role was to defend the 'Mediterranean Coastal Sector' which ran over a distance of 54 kilometers from Leucate to Agde. They were to defend against enemy landings in the sector and to improve the defensive capabilities in the area though reinforcing coastal defensive positions and advancing training in mobile warfare techniques.
The Division was a so-called 'Division type 44' which had the following strength:
By the end of May 1944, 277.ID was considered to be fully equipped with personnel and material, although a lack of mobile antitank defences was keenly felt in the months to come. With regards to personnel, the formation was considered to be 'entirely fit for defence' being made up of one third Eastern campaign veterans, one third of 'indespensible' troops (i.e. men yet to be called for active service by virtue of their criticality to the civilian economy) and one third were new recruits. Geographically, one third of the officers and two thirds of other ranks were Austrian.
In anticipation of Allied landings from Africa and Corsica, the Division was put on alert, but orders were subsequently received to transport the Division by rail to Normandy in the middle of June.
Harassing air raids placed strict limitations on the ability to move men by rail and the distance to Normandy was covered by marching formations. 277.ID detrained south of the Loire River and covered the remaining 200 km on foot to Le Mans where the Divisional H.Q. was established.
The Division saw action in Normandy until it too, like 276.ID, was destroyed as a fighting formation in August 1944 in Argentan. Remnants of the Division were formed into the 277th Volksgrenadier Division (277. Volksgrenadier-Division) which was formed on September 4, 1944 in Hungary by redesignation of the newly formed 574th Volksgrenadier Division (574. Volksgrenadier-Division) of the 32nd mobilisation wave (32. Welle).
The Division surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr pocket in April 1945.
During Operation Pomegranate the 277 Infantry Division opposed 176 and 177 Brigade of 59th (Staffordshire) Division.
During Pomegranate (16th -18th July) the 276 Infantry Division faced units of the 49th (West Riding) Division and 197 Brigade of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division.
Generalleutnant Curt Badinski
Commanding Officer of 276. Infanterie-Division
277 Infantry Division
The formation and original disbandment of the 277 Infantry Division (the 277. Infanterie-Division or 277. ID) mirrored that of its sister battalion the 276.ID. In likewise manner the reformed battalion occurred as part of the 22nd wave of mobilisation on 17th November 1943 in Croatia.
In 1944, 277.ID were to be found in Southern France and by mid-April their role was to defend the 'Mediterranean Coastal Sector' which ran over a distance of 54 kilometers from Leucate to Agde. They were to defend against enemy landings in the sector and to improve the defensive capabilities in the area though reinforcing coastal defensive positions and advancing training in mobile warfare techniques.
The Division was a so-called 'Division type 44' which had the following strength:
- Three infantry regiments (489, 490, 491) of two battalions each and a rifle battalion (277), i.e. a total of seven battalions.
- One artillery regiment with three light (10.5 cm calibre) and one heavy (15 cm calibre) detachments, i.e. a total of twelve artillery detachments across the three infantry regiments.
- One antitank company with 12 heavy, rifled antitank guns.
- One engineer battalion, one signals battalion, rear services and a replacement training battalion.
By the end of May 1944, 277.ID was considered to be fully equipped with personnel and material, although a lack of mobile antitank defences was keenly felt in the months to come. With regards to personnel, the formation was considered to be 'entirely fit for defence' being made up of one third Eastern campaign veterans, one third of 'indespensible' troops (i.e. men yet to be called for active service by virtue of their criticality to the civilian economy) and one third were new recruits. Geographically, one third of the officers and two thirds of other ranks were Austrian.
In anticipation of Allied landings from Africa and Corsica, the Division was put on alert, but orders were subsequently received to transport the Division by rail to Normandy in the middle of June.
Harassing air raids placed strict limitations on the ability to move men by rail and the distance to Normandy was covered by marching formations. 277.ID detrained south of the Loire River and covered the remaining 200 km on foot to Le Mans where the Divisional H.Q. was established.
The Division saw action in Normandy until it too, like 276.ID, was destroyed as a fighting formation in August 1944 in Argentan. Remnants of the Division were formed into the 277th Volksgrenadier Division (277. Volksgrenadier-Division) which was formed on September 4, 1944 in Hungary by redesignation of the newly formed 574th Volksgrenadier Division (574. Volksgrenadier-Division) of the 32nd mobilisation wave (32. Welle).
The Division surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr pocket in April 1945.
During Operation Pomegranate the 277 Infantry Division opposed 176 and 177 Brigade of 59th (Staffordshire) Division.
General der Nachrichtentruppe
Commanding Officer of 276. Infanterie-Division
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