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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 ...

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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 ...

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Ludwig Löweneck Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and ...

Wilhelm Thomas __NOTOC__ Wilhelm Thomas (8 October 1892 – 24 August 1976) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards and decorations ...

Ulrich Liss Ulrich (), is a German given name, derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements '' uodal-'' meaning "(noble) heritage" and ''-rich'' meaning "rich, powerful". Attested from the 8th century as the name of A ...

Karl Sievers

Georg Zwade __NOTOC__ Georg Zwade (5 October 1893 – 1968) was an officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany 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 194 ...

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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

. Between November 1943 and June 1944, it was known as Division Group 321 (german: Divisionsgruppe 321, link=no).

History

321st Infantry Division

The 321st Infantry Division was formed as a static division of the 13th '' Aufstellungswelle'' in the

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...

area in

Wehrkreis XI The military districts, also known in some English-language publications by their German name as Wehrkreise (singular: ''Wehrkreis''), were administrative territorial units in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. The task of military distr ...

. Its initial recruits were drawn, among others, from parts of the 267th and 295th Infantry Divisions, of the fourth and eighth ''Aufstellungswelle'' respectively. The division's initial commander was

. After the division's deployment was completed in April 1941, the 321st Infantry Division was sent to occupation duty in France. It served in the

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...

area from May 1941 until December 1942. It served initially under the XXXVII Army Corps (renamed LXXXII Army Corps later in the war), but was moved to the LXXXI Army Corps in June 1942. On 23 July 1942, the previously incomplete infantry regiments and artillery regiments were brought to full strength. Following a decree on 21 October 1942, the division was restructured from a static division to an assault division and prepared for deployment on the Eastern Front. Starting in January 1943, the 321st Infantry Division, commanded by

since 16 November 1942, was deployed in the central sector of the Eastern Front. The division was heavily battered over the course of the year 1943. The 321st Infantry Division, commanded by

starting on 28 July, by Karl Sievers starting on 22 August, and by

starting on 23 September, effectively stopped existing as a self-reliant fighting force by October 1943. As an emergency solution, the eviscerated division was first attached as a supporting force to the 110th and 211th Infantry Divisions, and subsequently permanently dissolved as an independent division on 2 November 1943. Between January and August 1943, the division had served under the

LVI Panzer Corps LVI Panzer Corps was a panzer corps in the German Army during World War II. This corps was activated in February 1941 as the LVI Army Corps (mot.), for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which commenced on 22 June 1941. Erich von Manstein ...

, but was moved to the LV Army Corps in September.

Successive formations

Division Group 321

After the dissolution of the 321st Infantry Division, its remnants on the Eastern Front were grouped into Division Group 321, which was subsequently assigned to the 110th Infantry Division, a formation that the previous 321st Infantry Division had already fought alongside earlier in the year 1943. Division Group 321, which was formally assembled on 2 November 1943 (the day of the dissolution of the 321st Infantry Division), was destroyed in June 1944 while under command of

Army Group Center 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 for ...

, which was at that time suffering a decisive strategic defeat at Soviet hands (

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration (; russian: Операция Багратио́н, Operatsiya Bagration) was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (russian: Белорусская наступательная оп� ...

Battle Group Normandy (later: 352nd Infantry Division)

Instead of serving with Division Group 321, some veterans of the dissolved 321st Infantry Division were also transferred to the

Saint-Lô Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.

sector in occupied France to assist in the formation of the 352nd Infantry Division, a division that would subsequently become famous as the force that defended

Omaha Beach Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of operation Overlord during the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded German-occupied France with the Normandy landings. "Omaha" r ...

on 6 June 1944. On 12 October 1943, ''Kampfgruppe Normandie'' ('Battle Group Normandy') was formed from veterans of the 321st Infantry Division in preparation to the formation of the 352nd Infantry Division. The formation of the 352nd Infantry Division was ordered on 5 November 1943, and the newly formed division arrived in the Saint-Lô area in December.

Organization

Superior formations

When the 321st Infantry Division was dissolved, its remnants became Division Group 321 and put under control of the 110th Infantry Division.

Subordinate formations

After deployment, the 321st Infantry Division consisted of the following parts: * Infantry Regiment 588 (three battalions).Formed from the third battalions of Infantry Regiment 467 and Infantry Regiment 497, previously known as the ''Erg. Btl. II./12'' and the ''Erg. Btl. II./82'' respectively. Both of the regiments were previously part of the 267th Infantry Division. * Infantry Regiment 589 (three battalions).Formed from the third battalions of Infantry Regiment 517 and Infantry Regiment 518. Both of those regiments were previously part of the

295th Infantry Division The 295th Infantry Division (german: 295. Infanterie-Division) was an Infantry Division, infantry division of the German German Army (1935–1945), Heer during World War II. Operational history Formation The division was formed on 10 February ...

. * Infantry Regiment 590 (three battalions).Formed from the third battalion of Infantry Regiment 487, previously part of the 267th Infantry Division, and the third battalion of Infantry Regiment 516, previously part of the

. * Artillery Regiment 321 (three detachments).Formed from the third detachments of Artillery Regiment 267 and Artillery Regiment 295 (with each regiment carrying the ordinal number of its previous parent infantry division), as well as four additional batteries. * Division Units 321.

Noteworthy individuals

, divisional commander of the 321st Infantry Division (15 December 1940 – 16 November 1942). *

, divisional commander of the 321st Infantry Division (16 November 1942 – 28 July 1943). *

, divisional commander of the 321st Infantry Division (28 July 1943 – 22 August 1943). * Karl Sievers, divisional commander of the 321st Infantry Division (22 August 1943 – 23 September 1943). *

, divisional commander of the 321st Infantry Division (23 September 1943 – 2 November 1943).

Notes

References

{{Subject bar, portal1=Military of Germany, portal2=World War II Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943