The 708th Volksgrenadier Division (708th People's Grenadier Division, german: 708. Volksgrenadierdivision), formerly the
708th Infantry Division
The 708th Infantry Division (German: ''708. Infanteriedivision'') was a German Army infantry division in World War II.
History
The 708th Infantry Division was formed in May 1941 and transferred to France in June to serve as an occupational forc ...
() was a German army division 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 ...
. It took part in ''
Operation Northwind
Operation Northwind (german: Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in the Battle of the Bulge, which by December ...
'', where it was subsequently destroyed.
Operational history
The 708th Infantry Division was formed from men around Strasbourg in Wehrkreis VIII.
Reactivation
The 708th Division was reactivated in September 1944 as a new ''Volksgrenadier'' division, and placed under the leadership of ''Major'' Hans-Ludwig Kuhlenkampff on the 10th. The division was sent to occupy and defend
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
from the Soviet advance. After two months, the division was sent to the western front as part of the LXIV Army Corps, with ''Lieutenant Colonel'' Johannes Marahrens taking over as commanding officer the following January. The division was destroyed the following month in the "
Colmar Pocket
The Colmar Pocket (french: Poche de Colmar; de , Brückenkopf Elsass) was the area held in central Alsace, France, by the German Nineteenth Army from November 1944 to February 1945, against the U.S. 6th Army Group (6th AG) during World War II. ...
".
Commanders
*Colonel/Major General Walter Drobenig (May 1941 – March 1942)
*Lieutenant General Hermann Wilck (March 1942 – July 1943)
*Major General Edgar Arndt (July 1943 – August 1944)
*Colonel Bruno Gerlock (Acting commander, August 1944)
*Colonel
Wilhelm Bleckwenn __NOTOC__
Wilhelm Bleckwenn (21 October 1906 – 10 May 1989) was a German 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 with Oak Leaves ...
(November 1944 – February 1945)
See also
*
List of German divisions in World War II
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:708th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)
Volksgrenadier divisions
Military units and formations established in 1941
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945