Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn

Last updated
Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
German: Infanterie-Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
Active31 March – 8 May 1945
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Heer
Type Infantry
Size Division

The Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (German : Infanterie-Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn) was an infantry division of the German army during World War II. It was formed in the final weeks of the war, and existed between late March and early May 1945.

The division was named for Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a German gymnastics teacher and nationalist of the early 19th century.

Operational history

The Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was formed on 31 March 1945 as one of the divisions of the 35th and final wave of deployment, along with the divisions Potsdam, Ulrich von Hutten, Scharnhorst, Schlageter, and Theodor Körner. These six formations were drawn from the staff of the Reich Labour Service (RAD) and the Reichsführerschulen (RFS), with RAD and RFS contributing three divisions each. [1] Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was the second of the three RAD divisions, and accordingly also referred to as "2nd RAD Division". [2] The initial commander of the division was Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm von Loeper. [3] Command later passed to Gerhard Klein, who held his post until captured by Soviet forces on 23 April. Franz Weller subsequently held the command from 24 April until 3 May, before Ludwig Zöller took over from 3 May until the end of the war. [4]

The division was initially assembled from RAD personnel as well as from members of the 251st Infantry Division, [2] which had been battered in the Warka bridgehead in January 1945 and all but destroyed during its retreat to West Prussia. [5] The division was initially assembled in Jüterbog, to the southwest of Germany's capital city Berlin. [2]

The division was subdivided into the following formations: [2]

The division was deployed with the 12th Army (Walther Wenck). It reached the Elbe river near Ferchland, where it surrendered to United States Army forces. It was later transferred by the Americans into Soviet captivity. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">75th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 75th Infantry Division was a German infantry division in World War II. It was formed on 26 August 1939.

The 63rd Infantry Division was a fictitious infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. No real division-size unit named 63rd Infantry Division was ever deployed in combat, but the name was given to a far smaller military unit. A reference was first made to the 63rd Infantry Division in a German Schematische Kriegsgliederung document dated 12 April 1945, where the fictitious division was listed among the reserves of Oberkommando West. In truth, the troops dubbed 63rd Infantry Division were the "Regiment Alvensleben". The code name was assigned to the regiment on 22 March 1945.

The 84th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The 89th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The 92nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The 703rd Infantry Division was a fictitious infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The troops designated as the 703rd Infantry Division never came close to the strength of an actual division.

The 219th Infantry Division was a fictitious infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The 249th Infantry Division was a fictitious infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The CI Army Corps, alternatively also referred to as Roman 101st Corps, was a corps-level unit of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It existed only for a few months during the year 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XXVI Army Corps (Wehrmacht)</span> Nazi-era German army corps

The XXVI Army Corps was a Wehrmacht army corps during World War II. It existed from 1939 to 1945. It was also known as Corps Wodrig during the Invasion of Poland.

The LXVI Army Corps, initially known as the LXVI Reserve Corps, was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was formed in September 1942.

The LXVII Army Corps, initially known as the LXVII Reserve Corps, was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was formed in September 1942.

The LXXII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was formed in February 1944. Before October 1944, it carried the designation z. b. V., marking it as a corps 'for special deployment'.

The LXXIV Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.

The LXXXI Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was established in occupied France in 1942 and remained active until 1945.

The LXXXIII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1943. After its dissolution, the personnel of the LXXXIII Army Corps was used to form the staff of the new 19th Army.

The LXXXVIII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1945.

The I Cavalry Corps, initially known simply as the Cavalry Corps, or alternatively as Cavalry Corps Harteneck after its commander, was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1944 and existed until 1945.

The 270th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

References

  1. ↑ Tessin, Georg (1977). "Aufstellung der 35. und letzten Welle". Die Waffengattungen - Gesamtübersicht. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 1. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 102–103. ISBN   3764810971.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tessin, Georg (1977). "Infanterie-Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn". Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände. Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände). Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943-1945. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 14. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 78–79. ISBN   3764810971.
  3. ↑ Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). "Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (2nd RAD Division)". German Order of Battle. Volume Two: 291st-999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Stackpole Books. ISBN   9780811734165.
  4. ↑ Schulze, Henrik (2011). 19 Tage Krieg: Die RAD-Infanteriedivision "Friedrich Ludwig Jahn" in der Lücke zwischen 9. und 12. Armee: Die Mark Brandenburg im Frühjahr 1945 (in German). Hönow Meißler. p. 582. ISBN   9783932566455.
  5. ↑ Tessin, Georg (1973). "251". Die Landstreitkräfte 201–280. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 8. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 212–217. ISBN   3764808721.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.