290th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

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290th Infantry Division
290. Infanterie-Division
290th Infantry Division Logo 2.svg
Division Insignia
Active6 February 1940 – 8 May 1945
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Part of Army Group North
Nickname(s)Sword Division
Engagements Battle of France
Operation Barbarossa
1941 Baltic offensive
Siege of Leningrad
Demyansk Pocket
Operation Bagration
Courland Pocket
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Theodor Freiherr von Wrede

The 290th Infantry Division was a German infantry division in World War II. It was formed in the Munster Training Area in Wehrkreis X on 6 February 1940 and surrendered to Soviet forces at the end of the war as part of Army Group Courland.

Contents

History

Offensive of the Red Army south of Lake Ilmen 7 January-21 February 1942. Demjansk Einkesselung.png
Offensive of the Red Army south of Lake Ilmen 7 January–21 February 1942.

The division participated in Fall Rot as part of Army Group B, and later performed occupation duties in France until February 1941, when it was sent to East Prussia during the buildup prior to Operation Barbarossa. It served in various sectors on the Eastern Front as part of Army Group North, later Army Group Kurland, for the remainder of the war.

In the winter of 1941 the division was trapped in the Demyansk Pocket along with the 12th, 30th, 32nd and 123rd infantry divisions, and the SS-Division Totenkopf, as well as RAD, Police, Todt organization and other auxiliary units, for a total of about 90,000 German troops and around 10,000 auxiliaries. Their commander was General der Infanterie Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, commander of the II. Armeekorps (2nd Army Corps).

Commanding officers

Order of battle

1940

1944

References