The 561st Volksgrenadier Division (german: 561. Volksgrenadier-Division) was a division of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

active 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 ...

. When it was formed in July 1944, it was originally designated as the 561st Grenadier Division.

History

The 561st Grenadier Division was raised in July 1944 and placed under the leadership of Major General Walter Gorn on 21 July 1944. The division was sent to occupy the central sector of the Eastern Front, which was rapidly diminishing due to the successes of the Soviet's

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

. In October 1944, the division was re-designated the 561st Volksgrenadier Division. In January of 1945 The 561st division took part in the Battle of

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...

and eventually surrendered after the Soviet troops were victorious.

Commanding officers

The following officers commanded the 561st Volksgrenadier Division: * ''Generalmajor'' Walter Gorn: 21 July 1944 * ''Colonel'' Felix Becker: 1 March 1945 – end of war

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