The 183rd Volksgrenadier Division (german: 183. Volksgrenadier-Division) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

unit during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

History

In September 1944 the 183 Volksgrenadier Division was formed of what was left of the 183rd Infantry Division, complemented by non-fighting military personnel (from navy and air force) and civilians. The 183rd Infantry Division had come into existence on 15 September 1944, having been formed from the so-called Schatten-Division Döllersheim. At the end of November Grenadier-Regiment 330 was destroyed at

Geilenkirchen Geilenkirchen (, Ripuarian: ) is a town in the district Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Wurm, approx. 15 km (9.3 mi) north-east of Heerlen and 20 k ...

during a massive allied offensive against the German positions between the rivers

Wurm The Wurm (; nl, Worm ) is a river in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. It rises in the Eifel mountains and flows for 57 kilometres before discharging into the Rur. Geography The Wurm is a left (western) tributary of th ...

and Ruhr, between Geilenkirchen and

Linnich Linnich is a town in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the River Rur (Roer river), approx. 10 km north-west of Jülich. Economy Linnich is the home of SIG Combibloc, the specialist fo ...

. Aim of the

Ninth US Army The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM). Activated just eight weeks be ...

was the Rur crossing at Linnich, which would open the way to

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

. The offensive was called

Operation Queen Operation Queen was an American operation during World War II on the Western Front at the German Siegfried Line. The operation was aimed against the Rur River, as a staging point for a subsequent thrust over the river to the Rhine into Germa ...

and was launched on 16 November. The 330th Infantry Regiment of the 183rd Volksgrenadier Division was holding the front line at Floverich, Loverich and Setterich, where the Americans attacked with the 2nd Armored Division. During the afternoon 330th Regiment was virtually wiped out, more than five hundred "grenadiers" being captured from the regiment's possible strength of one thousand men. The total killed and wounded could not be estimated but it is believed that not over 250 men remained in the unit. The offensive would eventually last until mid-December, which the Germans called "the third battle of Aachen" (Dritte Schlacht um Aachen) . In this period the German units in the area counterattacked continuously. By 21 November, after five days of serious combat, the number of casualties within 183 Volksgrenadier Division had risen beyond an acceptable level, and the division was unable to continue fighting as an independent unit. Remaining troops of the 183rd were divided among the other German divisions, the

9th Panzer Division The 9th Panzer Division was a panzer division of the German Army during World War II. It came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940. The division was headquartered in Vienna, in the German military district Weh ...

and 15th Panzergrenadier Division that were present in the area east of Geilenkirchen.

Organisation

The 183rd Division included Grenadier Regiments 330, 343 and 351, each of two battalions, as well as Artillery Regiment 219, consisting of four battalions. The composition of the division was enhanced on 19 October 1944 by the absorption of the XVI Landwehr-Festungs-Battalion and Festungs-MG-Battalion 42. Part of the division was made up of raw and ill-trained Austrians.

Commanders

The 183 Volksgrenadier Division was under command of Generalmajor Wolfgang Lange since 15 September 1944. Lange also commanded the 49 Infanterie Division during their actions in the

battle of Aachen The Battle of Aachen was a combat action of World War II, fought by American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 2–21 October 1944. The city had been incorporated into the Siegfried Line, the main defensive network o ...

. He received the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz) on 14 May 1944. On 25 February 1945 command of the 183 Volksgrenadier Division was taken over by Generalmajor

Hinrich Warrelmann __NOTOC__ Hinrich Warrelmann (16 April 1904 – 9 October 1980) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Awards and decorations * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd ...

Footnotes

External links

New Plans To Drive to the Rhine
(US Army in WW II - European Theater of Operations; Chapter XVII) {{Subject bar , portal1=Military of Germany , portal2=World War II Military units and formations established in 1944 1*183 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945