The 26th Infantry Division (german: 26. Infanterie-Division) was a pre-

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 ...

German

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

Division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the 1st

mobilisation Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...

wave (''1. Welle''). It was mobilised for

on September 26, 1939, disbanded on September 10, 1944, near

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the seat of a separate Radom Voivodeship (1975–1 ...

and reformed as the 26th Volksgrenadier Division (''26. Volksgrenadier-Division'') on September 17, 1944, near

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

by absorption of the new 582nd Volksgrenadier Division of the 32nd mobilisation wave (''32. Welle''). Remnants of the Division entered

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

captivity in the

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

region in 1945.

Commanding officers

*''General der Infanterie'' Sigismund von Förster, 1 September 1939 *''Generaloberst''

Walter Weiß __NOTOC__ General Walter-Otto Weiß, also spelt Weiss (5 September 1890 – 21 December 1967), was a German general during World War II. In 1945 he became commander in chief of Army Group North on the Eastern Front. He was a recipient of the Kni ...

, 15 January 1941 *''General der Infanterie''

Friedrich Wiese Friedrich Wiese (5 December 1892 – 13 February 1975) was a German general in the Wehrmacht who commanded the 19th Army. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Awards and decorations * Iron ...

, 15 April 1942 *''Generalleutnant''

Johannes de Boer Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, ''Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' Yeh ...

, 5 August 1943 *''Generalmajor'' Heinz Kokott, 10 August 1944

Operational history

The 26th Infantry Division spent the early war years on the Western Front, taking part in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

in May/June 1940, first under the command of the Sixteenth Army (''16. Armee'') and later the Twelfth Army. The division was transferred to the Eastern Front in June 1941 to serve 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 ...

(''Heeresgruppe Mitte''). It participated in the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...

in July 1943. After this action the 26th Infantry Division absorbed the 174th Reserve Division (''174. Reserve-Division''). The division was disbanded after casualties were sustained near

Kowel Kovel (, ; pl, Kowel; yi, קאוולע / קאוולי ) is a city in Volyn Oblast (province), in northwestern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kovel Raion (district). Population: Kovel gives its name to one of the oldest runi ...

on September 10, 1944; surviving troops were transferred to the 253rd Infantry Division (''253. Infanterie-Division''). A new 26th ''Volksgrenadier'' Division was formed on September 17, 1944, in the

Warthelager Biedrusko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Suchy Las, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies on the Warta river, approximately north of the regional capital Poznań. In 2006 the vi ...

(now Biedrusko in west central Poland), near

by absorption of the 582nd ''Volksgrenadier'' Division and remnants of the old 26th Infantry Division. This new division spent the rest of the war on the Western Front under

Army Group B Army Group B (German: ') was the title of three German Army Groups that saw action during World War II. Operational history Army Group B first took part in the Battle of France in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The second formation of ...

(''Heeresgruppe B'') until it entered U.S. captivity in the Harz in 1945.

Organisation

1939

* ''Infanterie-Regiment 39'', I-III Battalions * ''Infanterie-Regiment 77'', I-III Battalion

* ''Infanterie-Regiment 78'', I-III Battalions * ''Artillerie-Regiment 26'', I-III Battalions plus the Ist Battalion of ''Artillerie-Regiment 62'' * ''Aufklärungs-Abteilung 26'' * ''Panzerjäger-Abteilung 26'' * ''Pionier-Abteilung 26'' * ''Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 26'' * ''Feldersatz-Bataillon 26''

1944

* ''Füsilier Regiment 39'', I and II Battalions * ''Grenadier Regiment 77'', I and II Battalions * ''Füsilier Regiment 78'', I and II Battalions * ''Artillerie-Regiment 26'', I-IV Battalions * ''Divisions-Füsilier-Kompanie 26 '' (later expanded to Füsilier-Bataillon 26) * ''Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 26'' * ''Pionier-Abteilung 26'' * ''Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 26'' * ''Feldersatz-Bataillon 26''

References