The 263rd Infantry Division (german: 263. Infanterie-Division) was an

infantry division A division is a large military unit or Formation (military), formation, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically mak ...

of the German Heer 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 opposin ...

Operational history

The 263rd Infantry division was formed on 26 August 1939 with reserve unit personnel in Wehrkreis XII at

Idar Oberstein Idar-Oberstein () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a ''Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' (large city belonging to a district), it assumes some of the responsibilities that for smaller municipalities in ...

as part of the 4. Welle (4th wave of mobilization). It participated in operations on the Western Front in May 1940, advancing from the Eifel through Belgium with the 4th Army. Then it fought in France in June 1940 first under the 6th Army and later under the 7th Army with which it advanced towards Bordeaux, where it remained until April 1941, before being moved in Poland. In June 1941, it participated in

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

in the 4th Army under

Army Group Centre Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army fo ...

and advanced to the gates of Moscow. Throughout 1942, it fought defensive battles in the

Yukhnov Yukhnov (russian: Ю́хнов) is a town and the administrative center of Yukhnovsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Kunava River (Oka's basin) northwest of Kaluga, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: Histor ...

Spas-Demensk Spas-Demensk (russian: Спас-Де́менскА. М. Прохоров. "Большой энциклопедический словарь". Москва, 1997, p. 1135.) is a town and the administrative center of Spas-Demensky District in ...

and

Velizh Velizh (russian: Ве́лиж) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Velizhsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Daugava River, Western Dvina, from Smolensk, the adminis ...

areas until August 1943, when the division was transferred to

Army Group North Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II. The German Army Group was subordinated to the ''Oberkommando des Heeres'' (OKH), the German army high comma ...

in the sector around Nevel under the 16th Army. The division suffered serious casualties in the Battle of Nevel in Autumn 1943. It retreated from Leningrad and throughout the Baltics to be cut off in the

Courland Pocket The Courland Pocket (Blockade of the Courland army group), (german: Kurland-Kessel)/german: Kurland-Brückenkopf (Courland Bridgehead), lv, Kurzemes katls (Courland Cauldron) or ''Kurzemes cietoksnis'' (Courland Fortress)., group=lower-alpha ...

, resisting attacks by the Red Army. It remained there for the rest of the war and surrendered to the Soviets on 9 May 1945.

Commanders

* Generalleutnant Franz Karl (August 1939 - October 1940) * Generalleutnant

Ernst Haeckel Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. He discovered, described and named thousands of new sp ...

(October 1940 - March 1942) * Generalleutnant

Hans Traut Hans Traut (25 January 1895 – 9 December 1974) 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. Traut surrendered to the Red Army troops in the course of the ...

(June 1942 - April 1943) * Generalleutnant

Werner Richter __NOTOC__ Werner Richter (21 October 1893 – 3 June 1944) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Werner Richter was wounded on 21 May 1944 and died in Riga on 3 June 1944. Awards ...

(April 1943 - May 1944) * Generalmajor

Rudolf Sieckenius Rudolf Sieckenius (16 May 1896 – 28 April 1945) was a German Generalmajor during World War II who commanded the 16 Panzer Division during Operation Avalanche (Salerno Landings) in September 1943. Despite his widely acknowledged success, which ...

(May 1944 - September 1944) * Generalleutnant

Alfred Hemmann Alfred Hemmann (13 October 1895 – 26 September 1957) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Hemmann surrendered to Soviet forces in May 1945 in the ...

(September 1944 - May 1945)

Sources

263. Infanterie-Division on Lexikon-der-wehrmacht
{{Subject bar, portal1=Military of Germany, portal2=World War II Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945