The Infantry Division Hamburg (German: Infanterie-Division Hamburg) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. It was assigned the ordinal number 324, but was no longer known as the 324th Infantry Division after 10 March 1945. The division existed only in early March 1945.
History
editInfantry Division Hamburg was formed as an emergency formation on 4 March 1945 in Wehrkreis X. It initially consisted of the Grenadier Regiments 588 and 589 (formerly Grenadier Regiment Hamburg 1 and Grenadier Regiment Hamburg 2, respectively), consisting of two battalions each, as well as the Division Fusilier Battalion 324, the Artillery Regiment 324 (two artillery detachment), and the Division Units 324.[1] The division's only commander during its history was Walter Steinmüller.[2]
Deployment was completed by 8 March 1945, and the division was rushed into the Wesel sector. Upon arrival in the region on 10 March, the fighting formations of the division were immediately folded into local units, whereas the staff and signals detachment remained nominally independent. The staff was subsequently renamed Division z.b.V. 618. In April 1945, the staff served under LXIII Army Corps, Army Detachment Lüttwitz, Army Group B.[1]
All formations of Infantry Division Hamburg were destroyed in the Ruhr Pocket.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Tessin, Georg (1974). "324". Die Landstreitkräfte 281–370. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 9. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 154–155. ISBN 3764808721.
- ^ Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle. Volume Two: 291st-999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Stackpole Books. p. 233. ISBN 9780811734165.