12th Infantry Division (Germany)
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12th Infantry Division
12th Volksgrenadier Division
The German 12th Infantry Division was formed in 1934 under the cover name of Infanterieführer II, and did not assume its bona-fide designation until the creation of the Wehrmacht was announced in October 1935. In 1939 it fought in the invasion of Poland and in 1940 it participated in the invasion of France, and remained on occupation duty there until May of 1941.
In June of 1941 the division joined Operation Barbarossa under Army Group North, and remained under that command until the end of 1943. At the beginning of 1944 it was transferred to Army Group Center, and during the summer it surrendered to the Soviets after being caught in a pocket by the Soviet Operation Bagration.
It was reconstituted as the 12th Volksgrenadier Division in October of 1944, and fought the rest of the war in the west under Army Group B. It participated in the defense of Aachen, the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. In April 1945 it surrendered at Wuppertal upon the collapse of the Ruhr Pocket.
[edit] References
Note: The Web references may require you to follow links to cover the unit's entire history.
- Wendel, Marcus (2004). "12. Infanterie-Division". Retrieved May 10, 2005.
- Wendel, Marcus (2004). "12. Volksgrenadier-Division". Retrieved May 10, 2005.
- "12. Infanterie-Division". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved May 10, 2005.
[edit] See also
- Volksgrenadier, Infantry
- Division (military), Military unit
- Heer, Wehrmacht, List of German divisions in WWII
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