462nd Volksgrenadier Division

Last updated
Division No. 462
462nd Infantry Division
462nd Volksgrenadier Division
Division Nr. 462
462. Infanterie-Division
462. Volksgrenadier-Division
Active1942–1944
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Army
TypeVolksgrenadier
Size Division
Engagements Second World War

The 462nd Volksgrenadier Division (German : 462. Volksgrenadier-Division) was a Volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1942 to 1944. It was initially known as Division Nr. 462 and subsequently became the 462nd Infantry Division before assuming its Volksgrenadier designation in late 1944.

Contents

Operational history

The 462nd Volksgrenadier Division was originally formed in October 1942 as a replacement division in the French town of Nancy, in the French Region of Lorraine Province, under the command of Generalmajor [Note 1] Otto Schilling. It took responsibility for many of the units of the former 182nd Reserve Division and was expanded with various fortress and training troops stationed at Luxembourg, Saarburg and Metz. After D-Day it was designated as a Volksgrenadier division and reorganized for combat and was dispatched to the frontlines in August 1944. [1]

At the start of November 1944, now commanded by Generalleutnant [Note 2] Vollrath Lübbe, the division, less the 1216th Grenadier Regiment which had been transferred to the 19th Volksgrenadier Division, was defending the town of Metz from the United States Third Army. At this stage of the war, the division numbered 7,000 personnel. It surrendered the town on 28 November, having lost two commanders during the siege; Lübbe had suffered a stroke and his replacement, Generalmajor Heinrich Kittel, was wounded in action on 22 November. Over 1,000 men evaded capture by virtue of being evacuated as wounded prior to the fall of Metz. The division was disbanded shortly afterwards. [1]

Commanders

Notes

Footnotes
  1. In the Wehrmacht , the rank of generalmajor is equivalent to that of brigadier general in the United States Army. [2]
  2. Equivalent to the rank of major general in the United States Army. [2]
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 Mitcham 2007a, pp. 128–129.
  2. 1 2 Mitcham 2007b, p. 197.

Related Research Articles

The 164th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during World War II. Formed in November 1939, the division took part in the invasion of Greece in April 1941. In January 1942, consolidating the Axis seizure of the island during the Battle of Crete, the 164th was reorganized as Fortress Division Kreta (FDK). In mid-1942 the division was transferred to North Africa and re-designated as 164th Light Afrika Division. It surrendered in May 1943 in Tunisia at the end of the North African Campaign.

The 9th Luftwaffe Field Division was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus ground crew of the Luftwaffe and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to June 1944. It was badly mauled during the Soviet offensive of January 1944 near Leningrad. It was later merged with the 225th Infantry Division.

The 4th Luftwaffe Field Division was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus ground crew of the Luftwaffe and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to June 1944 when it was destroyed during Operation Bagration.

The 6th Luftwaffe Field Division was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus ground crew of the Luftwaffe and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to June 1944 when it was destroyed during Operation Bagration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">87th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 87th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1939 to 1945.

The 3rd Luftwaffe Field Division was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus ground crew of the Luftwaffe and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to early 1944 at which time it was disbanded.

Vollrath Lübbe was a German general in the Wehrmacht. A veteran of World War I, he rose to command several divisions during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise successful military leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">38th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 38th Infantry Division was a German Army infantry division in World War II. Formed in July 1942, it existed for a little over 15 months before being effectively destroyed in fighting on the Eastern Front in November 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">39th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 39th Infantry Division was a German Army infantry division in World War II. Formed in July 1942, it existed for a little over 15 months. Reduced to battle group size by October 1943 in fighting during the Battle of the Dnieper on the Eastern Front, it was disbanded in November 1943. Its surviving troops were absorbed by other German army formations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">710th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 710th Infantry Division was a German Army infantry division in World War II. Formed in May 1941, it spent the majority of the war in occupation duties in Scandinavia before being transferred to the Italian Front in late 1944. It participated in fighting against the Soviet Union in Hungary before it withdrew into Austria and surrendered to the Americans in May 1945.

Johannes Bäßler was a German officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II who also served in the army of Imperial Germany during World War I. During World War II, he commanded two panzer divisions on the Eastern Front. He later commanded the 242nd Infantry Division which was stationed in the south of France. He died from wounds received during the Battle of Toulon.

The 361st Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1943 to 1945. It was redesignated as a Volksgrenadier division in 1944. It saw active service on the Eastern Front when the Soviets launched Operation Bagration, during which it suffered significant losses. It later fought in France before being absorbed by the 559th Volksgrenadier Division on 10 March 1945.

The 362nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1943 to 1945. Formed in Italy, it participated in the Italian Campaign for the entire duration of its war service. It was implicated in the massacre of 97 civilians in what is known as the Benedicta massacre, which occurred at Piedmont in April 1944.

The 335th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1940 to 1944. It saw active service in France and on the Eastern Front and was destroyed in fighting in Romania in August 1944.

The 336th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1940 to 1944. It saw active service in France and on the Eastern Front. Largely destroyed during the Crimean Offensive, it surrendered to the Soviets at Sevastopol in May 1944.

Johann Joachim Stever was a German officer in the Heer branch of the Wehrmacht during World War II who also served in the army of Imperial Germany during World War I. During World War II, he commanded the 4th Panzer Division for a period of time in 1940. He later commanded the 336th Infantry Division and was then a military area commander in occupied Russia. Promoted to generalleutnant in 1941, he retired from active duty in 1944. He fell into Soviet custody as they advanced into Germany in 1945 and, having not been seen since, is believed to have died shortly thereafter.

The 347th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1942 to 1945. Initially based in the Netherlands, it saw active service on the Western Front and was redesignated as a Volksgrenadier division in May 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">387th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 387th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1942 to 1944. It saw active service on the Eastern Front and was destroyed in fighting in Romania in August 1944.

The 5th Luftwaffe Field Division was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus Luftwaffe ground crew and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to mid 1944, when was disbanded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">376th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 376th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during World War II, active from 1942 to 1944 in two separate instances.

References