The 59th Infantry Division ''(59. Infanteriedivision)'' was a
military 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 ...
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 ...
.
History
The 59th Infantry Division was formed in June 1944 in the
Groß Born
Borne Sulinowo (german: Groß Born; ) is a town in north-western Poland, within the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is a capital of a separate gmina (municipality). As of June 2021, the town has a population of 5,008; the surrounding commune is ...
area. It saw immediate action on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
. It had a serious equipment and training shortage due to its quick formation. It was surrounded at the
Falaise Pocket. A little later after the division was part of
15th Army as it retreated to
BrabantStad
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the wes ...
. In October the division was part of
Army Group B during
The Battle of the Scheldt
The Battle of the Scheldt in World War II was a series of military operations led by the First Canadian Army, with Polish and British units attached, to open up the shipping route to Antwerp so that its port could be used to supply the Allies ...
. In February 1945 the division was stationed on
The Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sou ...
. Later after the
Battle of the Ruhr the division was diminished as a result of the end of the war.
Organization
Structure in early 1944
Organization of the division in 1943:
* 1034th Grenadier Regiment
* 1035th Grenadier Regiment
* 1036th Grenadier Regiment
* 159th Artillery Regiment
* 59th Fusilier Battalion
* 159th Tank Destroyer Battalion
* 159th Engineer Battalion
* 159th Signal Battalion
* 159th Divisional Supply Group
Commanders
The division's commanders were :
*
Generalleutnant Walter Poppe
__NOTOC__
Walter Fritz Rudolf Poppe (8 August 1892 – 17 August 1968) was a German general during the Second World War leading the 59th Infantry Division.
On 12 January 1942, he succeeded Wilhelm Wetzel as command of the 255th Infantry Divisi ...
(July 1944 - February 1945)
*
Generalleutnant Hans Kurt Hoecker (February - April 1945)
References
{{Infantry Divisions of the Wehrmacht
Military units and formations of the Wehrmacht
1944 establishments in Germany