11th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

11th Infantry Division
11. Infanterie-Division
Division badge
Active	October 1934 — 8 May 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Allegiance	Adolf Hitler
Branch	Germany Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
HQ	Wehrkreis I
Nickname(s)	"Fire-Fighter Division"
Engagements	Second World War Invasion of Poland Western Front Battle of Belgium Battle of France Siege of Lille Eastern Front Operation Barbarossa Baltic Invasion Siege of Leningrad Sinyavino Offensive Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive Battle of Narva Operation Bagration Baltic Offensive Courland Pocket
Commanders
Notable commanders	Hellmuth Reymann

The 11th Infantry Division (German language: 11. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the Wehrmacht which participated in World War II. The division was one of the few pre-war divisions which had existed under the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht.

History

Formation

In October 1934, the old 2nd Infantry Regiment (2. Infanterie Regiment) of the Reichswehr was expanded to division size under the cover name Infanterieführer I or Infantry Leader I in Allenstein, East Prussia. Because of the Treaty of Versailles' limit on the size of the German Army, new names were given to full division to hide the Wehrmacht's large expansion during the mid 1930s. The structure of the division on formation as Infanterieführer I was as follows:

• Headquarters
• Allenstein Infantry Regiment (3 x battalions)
• Rastenburg Infantry Regiment (3 x battalions)
• Allenstein Artillery Regiment (4 x battalions)
• Lyck Engineer Battalion
• Allenstein Supply Battalion

On 15 October 1935 was redesignated as the 11th Infantry Division. The new division was organised as follows upon expansion to a division:

• Division Headquarters, in Allenstein
• 2nd Infantry Regiment, in Allenstein
• 23rd Infantry Regiment, in Rastenburg
• 44th Infantry Regiment, in Bartenstein
• 11th Artillery Regiment, in Allenstein (3 x battalions)
• 1st & 2nd Battalions, 47th Artillery Regiment
• 11th Divisional Supply Group, in Allenstein

Poland & France

On 18 August 1939, the division was mobilised and organised as follows:

• Division Headquarters
• 11th Signals Battalion
• 11th Reconnaissance Squadron
• 2nd Infantry Regiment (3 x battalions)
• 23rd Infantry Regiment (3 x battalions)
• 44th Infantry Regiment (3 x battalions)
• 11th Field Replacement Battalion
• 11th Artillery Regiment (2 x field and 1 x heavy battalion)
• 1st Battalion, 47th Artillery Regiment
• 11th Panzerjäger Battalion
• 11th Anti-Aircraft Battalion
• 11th Engineer Battalion
• 11th Divisional Supply Group

From September 1939, the division was attached to the I Army Corps and operated in East Prussia and Poland during the Invasion of Poland. In December it was transferred to Army Group B in the Lower Rhine, joining the 6th Army in January 1940. As part of the 6th Army, the division advanced through Belgium and Lille, France, and in June joined the I Army Corps again and engaged in operations along the Somme river and Loire river. In July, the division was based along the Atlantic Coast in preparation for Operation Sea Lion (the planned invasion of the United Kingdom). In September, the division transferred to the 7th Army, and in November joined the XXXI Army Corps. In January 1940, the 2nd Field Battalion or Feldbataillon II became the 2nd Battalion, 364th Infantry Regiment while the 2nd Battalion, 44th Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 291st Infantry Division and replaced in October 1940.

Soviet Union

In March 1941, the division was transferred back to East Prussia and joined the 18th Army in preparation for Operation Barbarossa (Invasion of the Soviet Union). In April, the division re-joined the I Army Corps, and in June was engaged in the Invasion near Wolchow. By September, the division was around Lake Ladoga, and in May 1942 transferred to the XXVIII Army Corps, though joined the XXVI Army Corps in February 1943. During its time in the region, the division was engaged in the Siege of Leningrad, and notably the Battle of Zoltsy and fighting to the north of Lake Ladoge and helped repulse the failed Soviet Sinyavino offensive to the south of the lake.

After the failed offensive, the division was sent to Greece to reorganise and rebuild, reducing from nine to six battalions with the loss of the 3rd battalion in each regiment. In October 1943, the division was in Leningrad, and in February 1944 joined the L Army Corps during its retreat towards Pskov. In March, it joined the XXVI Army Corps as it retreated towards Narva in Estonia, and in June joined the XXXXIII Army Corps. In July 1943, it was transferred again to the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps and continued its retreat from Narva to Pärnu, then to Riga in Latvia.

Courland Pocket

With the formation of the 126th Infantry Division in the 11th Wave, the Staff, and 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Regiment and 3rd Battalions of the 23rd and 44th Infantry Regiments were transferred out. These units were then replaced on 2 October 1943. Subsequently the division re-joined the I Army Corps, now in Courland. In December however it was transferred to X Army Corps. By September 1944, the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 44th Infantry Regiment were transferred out of the division. At the same time the 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron was redesignated as the 2nd Füsilier Battalion.

By the end of 1944, the division was reorganised as now organised as follows:

• Division Headquarters
• 11th Signals Battalion
• 2nd Grenadier Regiment (2 x battalions)
• 23rd Grenadier Regiment (2 x battalions)
• 44th Grenadier Regiment (2 x battalions)
• 11th Füsilier Battalion
• 11th Artillery Regiment (2 x field and 1 x heavy battalion)
• 1st Battalion, 47th Artillery Regiment
• 11th Panzerjäger Battalion
• 11th Anti-Aircraft Battalion
• 11th Engineer Battalion
• 11th Divisional Supply Group

In January 1945, the division re-joined the I Army Corps, then transferred in February to II Army Corps, and finally in March once more join L Army Corps. In 1945, the division was encircled in the Courland Pocket and captured by the Soviets. However, a few days after Adolf Hitler's suicide, much of the division alongside the 14th Panzer Division were evacuated by order of Colonel General Karl Hilpert for the division's outstanding service. At was here he gave the division its nickname, the "Fire-Fighting Division" for their defense of the Courtland Pocket and repulse of six attacks. However, the remainder of the division surrendered on 8 May 1945 to the Soviets.

Commanders

Commanders of the division included:

Rank	Name	Tenure	Next Appointment
Major General, later Lieutenant General	Günther von Niebelschütz	1 October 1935 – 1 April 1937
Lieutenant General	Max Bock	1 April 1937 – 26 October 1939
Major General, later Lieutenant General	Herbert von Böckmann	26 October 1939 – 26 January 1942
Colonel, later Major General, later Lieutenant General	Siegfried Thomaschki	26 January 1942 – 10 July 1943
Major General	Karl-Albrecht von Groddeck	10 July 1943 – 30 July 1943
Lieutenant General	Siegfried Thomaschki	30 July 1943 – 7 September 1943
Lieutenant General	Karl Burdach	7 September 1943 – 1 April 1944
Lieutenant General	Hellmuth Reymann	1 April 1944 – 18 November 1944
Major General, later Lieutenant General	Gerhard Feyerabend	18 November 1944 – 8 May 1945

Sources

References

• Tessin, Georg (1974). "Vol. 3 – Die Landstreitkräfte 6–14" (in de). Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945. Frankfurt am Main, West Germany: Biblio-Verlag. 
• Pettibone, Charles D. (2006). The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II. I – Germany. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1412074988. 
• Mitcham, Jr., Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle. Stackpole Military History Series. I: 1st–290th Infantry Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0811746540. OCLC 1022785896.