The 60th Infantry Division was formed in late 1939, from Gruppe

Eberhardt Eberhardt is a Germanic surname. It may refer to: People * Andrei Eberhardt (1856–1919), Russian naval officer * Charles Eberhardt (1871-1965), American diplomat * Cliff Eberhardt (b. 1954), American contemporary folk singer and songwriter *Erich ...

, a collection of SA units that had been engaged in the capture of Danzig during the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

. This division was unusual in that its manpower was largely drawn from the SA and the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

History

This division participated in the invasion of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

(1940) as part of the

1st Army First Army may refer to: China * New 1st Army, Republic of China * First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War * 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China Germany * 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Arm ...

, and was in July 1940 transferred back to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

where it was upgraded to 60th Infantry Division (motorized). During this upgrading it was reduced to two regiments (the Inf.Rgt 92 and Inf.Rgt 244) and the other regiment (Inf.Rgt 243) was reassigned.
In January 1941 the division was moved to

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

and in April took part in the invasion of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. This division 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 ...

, advancing through

Uman Uman ( uk, Умань, ; pl, Humań; yi, אומאַן) is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the historical region of the eastern Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River ...

and across the

Dnieper River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...

as part of the 1st Panzergruppe (commanded by General Von Kleist). It took part in the attack and occupation of

Rostov Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population: While ...

until it was pulled back along with other German troops to the

Mius River The Mius (, ) is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Миус

. In a series of defensive battles during the winter of 1941–42 it managed to hold its position and then in March 1942 took part in the battles of

Kharkov Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

. Later in 1942 the division took part in the drive on Stalingrad. During the latter part of 1942 it was involved in the bitter battles for this city, and then in early 1943 was encircled at Stalingrad, and destroyed. In mid-1943, the division was reformed as a

panzergrenadier ''Panzergrenadier'' (), abbreviated as ''PzG'' (WWII) or ''PzGren'' (modern), meaning '' "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier"'', is a German term for mechanized infantry units of armoured forces who specialize in fighting from and in conjun ...

formation called Panzer-Grenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle, as a part of the ''Feldherrnhalle'' organisation. For more information, see also Panzerkorps ''Feldherrnhalle''.

Commanders

* Generalleutnant Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt (15October 1939 - 15 May 1942) * Generalleutnant

Otto Kohlermann __NOTOC__ Otto Kohlermann (17 February 1896 – 27 February 1984) was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Awards * Knight's Cross ...

(15 May - November 1942) * Generalmajor Hans-Adolf von Arenstorff (November 1942 - 2 January 1943) : POW

Orders of Battle

60. Infanterie-Division, May 1940 - Battle of France

* Division Stab * Infanterie-Regiment 92 * Infanterie-Regiment 243 * Infanterie-Regiment 244 * Artillerie-Regiment 160

60. Infanterie-Division (mot), August 1942 - Fall Blau

* Division Stab * Infanterie-Regiment (mot) 92 * Infanterie-Regiment (mot) 120 * Kradschützen-Bataillon 160 * Panzerjäger-Abteilung 160 * Aufklärungs-Abteilung 160 * Artillerie-Regiment 160 * Nachrichten-Abteilung 160 * Pionier-Battalion (mot) 160

References

Note: The Web references may require you to follow links to cover the unit's entire history. * Pipes, Jason
60.Infanterie-Division
. Retrieved April 2, 2005. *

. German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved April 2, 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:60th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) 0*060 German units at the Battle of Stalingrad Military units and formations established in 1939 1939 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1943 Military units and formations of Germany in Yugoslavia in World War II

History

Commanders

Orders of Battle

60. Infanterie-Division, May 1940 - Battle of France

60. Infanterie-Division (mot), August 1942 - Fall Blau

See also

References