352.Infanterie-Division

History

The 352.Infanterie-Division was an infantry division in the German Wehrmacht during World War II serving on the Western Front.  Raised in late 1943 and subsequently destroyed several times through the war, the unit would be best known for its defense of what would become Omaha Beach during the D-Day Invasion of northern France on 06 June 1944.  The Division fought in France, in Holland during Operation Market Garden, in Luxembourg during the Ardennes Offensive and to the end of the War within Germany.  

In our reenacting unit, we portray 5.Kompanie, II.Bataillon of the 916.Grenadier Regiment.

UNIT SYMBOL

The 352.Infanterie-Division had no unit symbol like many of the other "elite" German army and SS divisions (e.g. Großdeutschland and Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler).  Sometime after the war, some (most likely war gamers) tried to attribute a symbol to the Division - typically a pegasus jumping over a bridge.  However, during the war, the 352nd did not have an official symbol.  

A soldier from the Division put it best: 

"We had no special insignia, just the white color of the infantry...Oberfeldwebel Winter told us many times: 'Fight well, fight smart and survive.'  this is very true and you know that all those 'fire eaters' with the special patches lost a lot of men, but they did make better looking corpses than those of us with the plain uniforms."

 - Obergrenadier Martin Eichenseer

GR 916 / 352. Inf-Div

For reenacting purposes, we will use the following symbols to identify our unit:

Infanterie Litzen

Tactical Map Symbol

Balkenkreuz

Infanteriesturmabzeichen

FORMATION

The 352.Infanterie-Division (352nd Infantry Division, 352.Inf-Div., 352.ID) was formed when the Oberkommando der Herres (OKH) ordered the creation of 10 infantry divisions in the 21st Callup Wave (21.Welle) on 5 November 1943.  The Division formed at St. Lô, France, (having previously been called Kapfgruppe Normandie) under the command of Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiß.  

A majority of the Division's soldiers and cadre came from decimated Divisions from the Ostfront, especially those in the battle at Kursk.  The Division was initially filled out with approximately 2,000 recruits - most of them coming from Infanterie Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bataillon 480 based in Schlann.   For the rest of its new recruits and replacement personnel, it pulled mainly from Wehrkreis XI (Military District XI), headquartered in Hannover.  

DIVISION COMPOSITION

The Division cadre were formed from the remnants of the following units serving on the Ostfront, namely:

268.Infanterie-Division



History:

321.Infanterie-Division


History:

546.Grenadier Regiment



History:

The survivors from the 546.Grenadier-Regiment formed the cadre for the 1st and 2nd bataillons of the 916.Grenadier-Regiment of the 352.Infanterie-Division.

Because most of the members of the 352nd were Ostfront veterans, they were hardened soldiers - from the officers down to the Obergrenadiers.  A large number of Volksdeutsch recruits were also a part of the Division.  These Volksdeutsch recruits included Polish and Czech Germans, Alsatians (French Germans), and Russians (White-Russians, or POA).  Also, since the core of the Division came from Russia, about 1,500 foreign auxiliary men (Hiwis) served in the Division (Stewart Bryant).  

DIVISION ORDER OF BATTLE

The 352.ID was a large Division, by German standards at the time, but it was by no means a "crack" division.  While  the cadre from the Ostfront formed the leadership of the Division, the bulk of the Landsers were young conscripts and foreign volunteers from the East.  The Division had approximately 29% Russian volunteers, to include Ukrainians, Georgians and Belarusians.  Much of the rest of the Division's Landsers were young boys just out of high school - the class of 1926.  Most of these boys were just 17 years old, and they suffered from malnourishment from food rationing for the War effort. 

December 1943

At its inception on 04 Dec 1943, the 352 Infanterie-Division was to be formed organically and from other units, as shown in its first Kriegsgliederung (Divisional Organization Charts) from the AOK.7 Kriegsgliederung Stand 7.12.1943 (Ref. T312-1599).  Supporting information and compositions was also taken from the Kriegstagebuch der 352.Inf.-Div. Ia vom 20.11.43-9.12.1943 (Ref. T315-2148).

352.Inf-Div. Kriegsgliederung 4.12.43 21.Welle

At its creation, the Division would have 9,876 men.  The plan to form the Division included the following components:

June 1944

By the time of D-Day in June 1944, the Division would have increased it strength to 12,734 men,  which was over slightly over 100% manpower for a Type 44 Division.  Many of its heavy weapons consisted of captured Russian, Belgian and French weapons.  The image below is a Kriegsgliederung of what the composition of the Division likely was on 6.6.44.  It was composed using a number of different source material:

352-Inf.Div Kriegsgliederung 6.6.44

On 6.6.44, the Division's final and largest composition would consist of:

INFANTERIE REGIMENT (KRIEGESTAT 44) 

The Infanterieregiment in the 1944 German army (at this point in the war was also called a Grenadierregiment) was reduced in size from what it was early on in the war.  Early war infantry divisions had three infantry regiments with three battalions each.  By 1944, Germany was facing severe manpower shortages from five years of fighting and heavy losses taken in Russia, in Africa and in Italy.  Accordingly, the Wehrmacht had to adapt to this manpower shortage.  The result was a Type 1944 division (Kriegestat 44), which still had three regiments but reduced the number of battalions from three to two each.  The resulting reduction in manpower was made up for by increasing the number and types of weapons, which maintained the Type 1944 Divison’s combat effectiveness.  

Grenadier-Regiment 916 was formed primarily by the survivors of Grenadier-Regiment 546 from the Ostfront.  The rest of the Regiment was filled out with recruits coming from Grenadier Ersatz Bataillon 396, stationed in Nordheim. 

1944 Infanterie Regiment Nominal Strength

Regiment Personnel:

Officers:

Noncom. Off.:

Enlisted:

Rifles/Carbines:

Pistols:

MPs:

Light MGs:

Heavy MGs:

81-mm Mortars:

120-mm Mortars:

Bazookas:

75-mm AT Guns (motorized):

75-mm Infantry Guns:

150-mm Infantry Guns:

Motor Vehicles:

Motorcycles:

Horse Drawn Vehicles:

Wagons:

Horses:

2,008

48

316

1,644

1,373

350

332

107

24

12

8

36

3

6

2

45

20

242

130

495

Auf dem Wacht. MG 42 with Lafette 42
Model 34 8 cm mortar and crew in action
Grossdeutschland artillerymen with a sIG 33
7,5 cm PaK 40 Anti-Tank Gun
Sources:
  • H.Dv.272.  Muster Für Taktische Zeichen Des Heeres.  24.März 1941.
  • T312 R1559
  • T312 R1566 S165
  • T312 R1570 S645
  • T315 R2148
  • TM-E 30-451.  “Handbook on German Military Forces.”  War Department.  15 March 1945.

INFANTERIE BATAILLON

In the Kriegestat 44 Division, there were two, rather than three, Infanterie Bataillone.  Each infantry battalion maintained four infantry companies (1. - 4. in I.Bataillon and 5. - 8. in II.Bataillon).  (The now eliminated 3rd battalion would have had companies 9-12).  A 13th and 14th company were also present (having kept the numbers 13 and 14 even though there was no more 3rd battalion) – the 13th was an Infantry Anti-Tank company (Infanteriepanzerjägerkompanie) and the 14th was an Infantry Gun company (Infanteriegeschützkompanie). 

1944 Infanterie Bataillon Nominal Strength

Sources:

Bataillon Personnel:

Officers:

Noncom. Off.:

Enlisted:

Rifles/Carbines:

Pistols:

MPs:

Light MGs:

Heavy MGs:

Special(e.g. mortars):

Motor Vehicles:

Bicycles:

Radios:

Wagons:

Horses:

142

2

21

119

96

22

28

13

2

14

14

2

4

26

27

INFANTERIE KOMPANIE (SCHÜTZENKOMPANIE)

The infantry company (Infanterie Kompanie or Schützenkompanie) is slightly reduced in manpower size in the Type 1944 Division.  Almost completely un-motorized, but more heavily armed with small arms, the combat strength of the Schützenkompanie was largely maintained with earlier, larger Divisions.  

The first three companies in a battalion were infantry.  Up through the end of 1943, the fourth company was reserved for a heavy machine gun company.  By May 1944, new Divisional organization was issued (through a Kriegsstärkenachweisung) which changed the heavy machine gun company to simply a “heavy” company – one with half the number of machine guns but introduced more 81mm mortars.  

Of note on other aspects of the company:

1944 Infanterie Kompanie Nominal Strength

Sources:

Kompanie Personnel:

Officers:

Noncom. Off.:

Enlisted:

Rifles/Carbines:

Pistols:

MPs:

Light MGs:

Heavy MGs:

Special(e.g. mortars):

Motor Vehicles:

Bicycles:

Radios:

Wagons:

Horses:

142

2

21

119

96

22

28

13

2

14

14

2

4

26

27

INFANTERIE GRUPPE AND THE SOLDAT

The basic unit of the Infanterie is the Gruppe.  By mid-1943, the Gruppe (Squad) it had dropped from ten to nine men.  It was led by a non-commissioned officer, usually an Unteroffizier (Corporal).  However, unlike Allied or Russian armies, the German Army trained every man in the Gruppe to be able to take command at any time.  The Wehrmacht demanded that every soldier be able to assess situations and make decisions should the command structure be obstructed or destroyed.  This is part of the reason that the Wehrmacht was such a formidable foe long into 1945, when their manpower was all but gone and their war industry was all but destroyed.  

After World War I, Germany redefined the purpose of the Gruppe. The life of the Gruppe is the Machinengewehr – the machine gun.  The Gruppe essentially became two sections within one unit – one that controlled and supported the machine gun and one of riflemen. Once the enemy has been encountered, the Gruppenführer directed its setup and fire, all riflemen (who are carrying 1-2 cans of MG ammunition) drop the ammo at the MG and deploy under the command of the stellv. Gruppenführer.  Once in position and with the enemy size and disposition determined, the MG was directed to lay down suppressive fire.  In the Gruppe, the l.MG’s primary purpose was to pin the enemy to the ground, not necessarily kill them.  After getting the enemy pinned, the riflemen get freed up to flank the enemy and move in for the kill.  

The 1944 Gruppe was a nine man squad, consisting of a leader (Gruppenführer) armed with a rifle or MP, an assistant leader (stellv. Gruppenführer) armed with a rifle, five soldiers (Gewehrschützen) armed with rifles, a light machine gunner (l.M.G.-Schütze 1) armed with an MG42 and pistol and two light machine gun assistants (l.M.G.-Schütze 2 and 3) armed with a rifle and pistol.  Armament of the Gruppe varied – some had MPs, some had semi-automatic rifles, some had rifle launched grenades.  The rifleman carried a K98k Mauser rifle, 60 rounds of 8mm Mauser ammunition, a rifle bayonet and one or two grenades – this was the basic setup throughout the entirety of the war.    

German tactics began with the Gruppe, and set itself apart from the tactics of the British, Russians and Americans.  While their enemies (especially the Americans) had superior weapons, ammunition and supply, the German Gruppe made up for it with tenacity and aggressive movement.  When knocked back, they almost always were known to strike back with a counterattack.  They were smart and seasoned – often being led by veteran with years of experience in the War.  However, the Soldaten’s skill, tactics and aggressiveness alone was not enough to turn the War in Germany’s favor.  The Allies didn’t need to be aggressive with their manpower when they had an endless supply of material power – tanks, naval support, air supremacy and above all, artillery.  These were things to which the Wehrmacht was incapable of responding.  By mid-1944, the German War Economy had long been unable to keep up with American military might.  The Infaterie Soldat didn’t have the support and supply that his enemies enjoyed.  The Soldat  couldn’t put up much of a fight against a strafing plane or incoming artillery shell.  Material might buried the Infanteie of the Wehrmacht and led to Germany's ultimate defeat.  

1944 Infanterie Gruppe Nominal Strength

Gruppenführer


Machinengewehrshutzen


l.M.G. Schütze 1 (Richtschütze)


l.M.G. Schütze 2


l.M.G. Schütze 3


Gewehrschütze


Gewehrschütze


Gewehrschütze


Gewehrschütze


Gewehrschütze, zugleich stellv. Gruppenführer

Sources:
  • H.Dv.130/2a.  “Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Infanterie: Die Schützenkompanie.”  16.3.1941.

Gruppe Personnel:

Officers:

Noncom. Off.:

Enlisted:

Rifles/Carbines:

Pistols:

MPs:

Light MGs:

250 Round Ammunition Cans:

9

0

1

8

7-9

1-3

0-1

1

~10

ARTILLERIE REGIMENT 1352

Batteries 1-9 of the Artillerie Regiment (artillery regiment) had four 10,5 cm leFH 16 howitzers each.  Batteries 10-12 had four 15 cm sFH 18 howitzers each.  None of these batteries were motorized.  The artillery all had one basic load of ammunition.  The 10,5 cm guns had 225 rounds per gun, and the 15 cm guns had 150 rounds each. 

10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16
15 cm sFH 18 on the Ost Front

352. PANZERJÄGER ABTEILUNG

The 352. Panzerjäger Abteilung (tank destroyers/tank hunter battalion) had three companies:

The Division had a Panzerjäger Kompanie that had two Zuge that were tractor motorized (motZ.) and one Zug that was a self-propelled mount (Sfl.).

Marder III Ausf.M
StuG III Ausf G, 222 2nd Vehicle, 2.Zug, 2.Kompanie 352. Panzerjäger Abteilung(Imperial War Museum Film A70 37-3)
Sd.Kfz. 140 FlaKkanzer 38(t)

352. PIONIERE BATAILLON

Flammenwerfer Pioniere training in N. France, 1944 
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-299-1808-15A

The Pioniere Bataillon (combat engineer battalion) had three companies (the third bicycle mounted), with 37 machine guns, 20 flame throwers and six mortars.  The  Pioniere Bataillon also contained motorized rear area signal headquarters.

352. FÜSILIER BATAILLON

Bicycle mounted Waffen-SS ride towards Arnhem, Sep 1944

Type 44 Divisions eliminated the motorized and better armed Aufklärungsabteilung (Recon Battalion) and replaced it with a bicycle-mounted Füsilier Bataillon.  The Füsilier Bataillon was light infantry and was the Type 44 Division's light recon element.  

The 1. Company of 352.Füs.Btl was bicycle mounted.   This battalion was located in the rear, away from the beaches and was more mobile than a regular infantry battalion.  They were equipped  the same as a regular infantry battalion, with 

In a defensive position, like the 352.ID was, the Füsilier Bataillon would be mobile enough to move to protect the Division's most vulnerable flanks and to serve as recon and quick reinforcement. 

As it happened on D-Day, the 352.Füs.Btl was detached and assigned to Kampfgruppe Meyer (GR915), whose mission was to reinforce and counterattack reported airborne forces on the Isigny-Carentan road.  

FELDERSATZ

The Feldersatz Bataillon (field replacement battalion) was a heavily armed battalion composed of five companies with:

Soldaten with the 5cm PaK 38 in Tunisia (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-549-0743-13A)
10,5-cm-leichte Feldhaubitze 18 towed by half-track in Russia (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-290-1116-08)
Soldaten with the 7.5cm PaK 40 (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-297-1723-21A)
Infantry gun in France (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-769-0236-25)

FORMATION AND ORDERS

Originally slated to be sent to the East Front (Ostfront), the Division was trained to fight defensively and was armed with defensive tactics in mind. Officers and NCOs prepared the young men for fighting on the Ostfront - they were trained to be outnumbered, outgunned, surrounded, to never give up ground and to never surrender.  However, as the threat of a cross-Channel invasion by the Western Allies became more imminent, the 352nd was placed on the Atlantikwall under LXXXIV.Armeekorps (under General Erich Marcks), which was part of Armeegruppe B (under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel), which fell under Oberbefehlshaber West (O.B. West, under Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt).  

Leutnantgeneral Dietrich Kraiß
352.Infanterie-Division
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1984-058-20A
General der Artillerie Erick Marcks
LXXXIV.Armeekorps
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L19841a
Generalfeldmarschall Erwin RommelArmeegruppe B
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J16362
Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von RundstedtO.B. West
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S37772

Rundstedt was nominally in charge of protecting the Atlantic coast from and Allied Invasion, however most of the work in preparing the defenses was carried out by Rommel.  Despite the fact that much of the German leadership believed that the main Allied invasion would take place at the Pas-de-Calais, Rommel was convinced that Normandy would be the location of the invasion and put pressure on his commanders to increase the defenses at Normandy.  

The Norman coast stretches over 100 km.  Rommel placed the 352.Inf-Div in the Bayeux Zone, a 47km stretch of coast from roughly the Carentan area on the western edge to the Arromanches area in the east.  This placed the 352nd between the 709.Infanterie-Division to the west and 716.Infanterie-Division to the East.  The 700-numbered Divisions were "static" coastal defense units, considered immobile because of a near complete lack of transportation vehicles and horses.  They were manned by older men and had a large contingent of East Front "Hiwis" or Hilfswilliger (auxiliary volunteers) - often enough to make up several "Ost" battallions.  Most of these Divisions were undermanned by 1941 standards, consisting of only two infantry regiments (rather than the standard three) and had no recon bataillon.  Some of these divisions had fewer than a dozen vehicles.  Artillery in these divisions could not be moved.  

Unlike the Division's neighboring units - the 709th and 716th Infantry Divisions - the 352nd was considered a mobile combat unit.  Like most German units by 1944, the 352.ID was responsible for an unreasonably large area of territory to defend.  According to LXXXIV.Armeekorps orders, it's primary missions were:

Because most  of Germany's resources and support went to the Ostfront, the 352nd had to deal with ration and supply problems from its conception, but it did enjoy the higher quality food and leisure time in France that their counterparts in the East never saw. By June 1944, the Division was nearly at 100% of its allotted strength.  

ATLANTIKWALL

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel believed that the Atlantikwall (Atlantic Wall) did not have enough defensive capability to withstand an Allied invasion.  Rommel, believing that any chance of success of an Allied invasion would be decided on the beaches, made great strives to increase the defenses of the Atlantikwall by increasing physical barriers and bunkers, placing millions of mines, and increasing the manpower on the Wall.

The 352nd began its coastal duty improving the defenses of the Atlantikwall, as directed by Rommel.  They placed beach obstacles, to include mined stakes and anti-landing craft timbers.  They cut the timber from the woods, transported it to the beach, and drove it deep into the sand.

Rommel wanted over 10 million mines to  cover the length of the Atlantikwall, but only 10,000 were available and laid before the Invasion.  Of the 10,000 mines placed, many were not waterproofed, so by the time the D-Day invasion occurred, many of those mines had rusted and corroded because of the salt water, and no longer worked.

The first row of beach obstacles were Belgian Gates and were about 250 yards from the high tide water line.  Belgian Gates (or C-Elements) are heavy steel fences about three meters wide and two meters high used as anti-tank obstacles. 

The second row of obstacles was a band of mined stakes and log ramps, meant to tip or tear out the bottom of landing craft.

Finally, the third row of defenses were Czech Hedgehogs– static anti-tank obstacle defenses constructed of angled iron.

Further up the beachhead, the 352nd occupied slit trenches, eight large concrete bunkers, 35 pillboxes, six mortar pits, 35 Nebelwerfer launch sites and 85 machine gun nests.  The main defenses were clustered into strong points.

Parts of the 916.Grenadier-Regiment was located near Omaha Beach.  One battalion from the 716.Infanterie-Division was subordinated to the 916th.  The 915.Grenadier-Regiment was in reserve southeast of Bayeux, and the 914.Grenadier-Regiment was deployed around Isigny-sur-Mer.

Because most of the Wehrmacht’s supplies were being sent to the fight on the Ost Front, by March 1944, the Division's Landsers only got to execute three live fire events and each Grenadier was only able to throw two live grenades in practice.  Many of the vehicles the Division used were foreign, so when they broke down, there were little, if any, spare parts.  There was little driver training because of a shortage of available fuel. 

A Message From Rommel

This is a teletype message sent from Erwin Rommel to O.B. West on 03 May 1944 regarding the inspection of the Atlantikwall and the disposition of troops along the coast.

During my recent inspection trips along the entire front, I re-examined the defense readiness and the deployment of forces.  Weaknesses were compensated for by temporary help of all kinds, especially regrouping, wherever possible.  From the "Focus on the Channel Coast Front" emphasized by the Führer, no forces can be transferred to Normandy or Brittany, the importance of which I have myself repeatedly pointed out.  A weakening of Holland also does not seem possible and I would like to refer to the report of the W.B. Netherlands.

On the situation in Friesland - 21.Pz.Div., 2. Fallsch.Jg.Korps with 3. and 5. Fallsch.Jg.Div. will bring a certain concentration of the occupation of Normandy and Brittany, even if the 5. Fallsch.Jg.Div. (currently around 8000 men) cannot be considered a combat-effective unit due to its armament and training.  The additional reinforcement of the peninsulas desired by the Führer is possible by bringing in, and if necessary subordinating, the OKW reserves.  By moving these units to the Lisieux - Flers - Renne - Alencon area to the east, reinforcements and deployment measures could be taken in every direction in good time.

Rommel, Field Marshal

Northern France

"Lage West 6.6.44" 

O.B. West's Situation Map, snippet of Northern France and the Channel Coast

German Divisional Dispositions, June 1944

D-Day 06 June 1944 - the Allied Invasion of Europe

German Regimental Dispositions, June 1944

Widerstandsnester 

A bulk of the Gren.Rgt.916 was stationed along the coast in the Vierville - St. Laurent - Colleville sector.  Interspersed in this sector were elements of Gren.Rgt.726 of 716.Inf-Div.  352.Inf-Div occupied a number of strong points, known as Widerstandsnester along the coast - WN59 through WN74.  These resistance nests contained machine guns, mortars, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, tank turrets and rocket positions.  

Learn more about each of the resistance nests.  

II./916  WN59  WN60  WN61  WN62  WN63  WN64  WN65  WN66  WN67  WN68  WN69  WN70  WN71  WN72  WN73  WN74

THE 352nd IN BATTLE IN FRANCE

Aerial reconnaissance photos of the Normandy coastline on 3 June, days before the invasion, indicate that elements of an unidentified infantry unit have relocated to positions along the Calvados coast, just east of the Vire estuary.  Allied intelligence suspects it to be the 352nd Infantry Division, although the 352nd had thought to have been located further south.  No reports have been received from resistance groups in France as to the 352nd relocating to the coastline. 

In fact, a French resistance group did try to notify the Allies of the 352nd's presense on the beaches weeks before via carrier pigeons.  Two pigeons were sent with the same message (to increase the chances of delivery), but the Germans manning the Atlantikwall along the coast, aware that resistance groups used carrier pigeons, managed that day to shoot both birds carrying the message as they were flying out to the English Channel.  

Allied intelligence decided that major commands should be notified of the unaccounted German strength in the area.  Unfortunately, notification took more than 48 hours to be delivered to the pertinent commands.  By the time General Bradley, commander of the U.S. First Army, received this intelligence, he and his command have already put out to sea - just four hours before the naval bombardment is to begin.  The U.S. 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions, under Bradley's command will not know until it's too late that their beach (codenamed "Omaha") has been fortified and reinforced by a fully manned German Infantry Division.

D-Day Invasion - Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach Landing Zones.

The U.S 116th Infantry Regiment (29th Infantry Division) and 16th Infantry Regiment (1st Infantry Division) came ashore in the Vierville - St. Laurent - Coleville sector.  

Once the invasion began on 6 June 1944, the 352nd quickly realized it was facing the brunt of the Invasion.  352nd's command immediately absorbed all troops within its sector, to include Luftwaffe Flak troops and RAD (Labor Service) personnel.  Once it became clear to LXXXIV Armeekorps that the main Allied invasion force was coming ashore in Normandy, all available units were rushed to the front.  Hardened bunkers (Winderstandsnester) on or near the beach opened fire and continued to fire until they depleted their ammunition or all the men inside were dead.  Artillery Regiments 1352 and 1275 had pre-sighted every inch of the landing areas on the beach and rained shells down upon the landing Allied forces.  They, too, continued to fire until they had run out of ammo or were in danger from being encircled.

The 352.Inf-Div headquarters was busy on 06 June 1944 - click the image for the phone transcript from the 352.Inf-Div. on the "day of days."

The following excerpts are from U.S. soldiers fighting the 352nd in Normandy:

"...We had a bad break tactically because the German 352nd Infantry Division was on a counter-attack training exercise at Omaha [Beach].  So instead of a fortress battalion -- you know, with kind of second-rate troops -- we had a whole damned infantry division in front of us.  We hit the sand...behind the bodies of the amphibious engineers...and tried to advance a bit, but there was a large German bunker in front of us, and its machine gun fire hit us every time we tried to move.  We didn’t have any comm with the American destroyer behind us because...the naval officer had been killed, his driver too, and the radio set destroyed...so we planned an assault.  But before we could get organized, there were huge demolitions around the bunker.  Thank God we hadn’t moved out yet: an American destroyer had moved in and was firing direct with 4-inch guns into the bunker." 

-Capt Edward McGregor, US 1st Infantry Div

"Assault units disintegrating. Very heavy losses.  Enemy fire prevents crossing of the beach line.  Landing units bunching up in a very confined area.  Engineers unable to clear paths through minefields and cannot destroy beach obstacles.  Elements of the...352nd Infantry Division identified." 

-Battle Report, US 5th Corps,

08:30a.m. June 6, 1944

"...The Regiment started to engage the enemy immediately behind the beach line defenses and identified units of the 726th Infantry Regiment of the 716th Infantry Division and members of the #17 Pioneer Battalion fighting as infantry.  Also, members of the #7 Company 915th Infantry Regiment of the 352nd Infantry Division and the labor battalion (Russian and Italian) attached to the 352nd Infantry were identified...From beach defenses to the Inundated Area the enemy action consisted mainly of small delaying groups and snipers from the 1714th Artillery Battalion, #17 Pioneer Battalion, 12th Battery #IV Battalion, 352nd Infantry Division Artillery...Crossing of inundated area was strongly opposed by German defense at eastern end, at COLOMBIERES and at BOIS de CALET at south of causeway by units of 914th, 915th and 916th Grenadier-Regiments.  Snipers and small delaying units were identified as Schnelle Brigade #30. 2nd Battalion was attacked at Le CARRETOUR by units of the 352nd Division Artillery...The approach to, and the crossing of the Elle River was opposed by units of three (3) battalions of the Schnelle Brigade #30, units of the 352nd Grenadier Division and an unknown SP gun unit.  Documents indicated that parts of the 5th Paratroop Regiment were in these defensive positions...The following units were identified from the Elle River to July 1st 1944.

914 Gr. Regts, 915 Gr. Regts and 916 Gr. Regts of the 352nd Infantry Division.

II Bn 943 Gr Regt 353 Inf Div

Eng Bn 353 of 353 Inf Div

9th Regt of 3rd Parachute Div

513, 517, 518 Bns of Schnelle Brigade #30

353 Fu Bn" 

-ALFRED V. EDNIE, Colonel,

115th Infantry Division

After Action Report June 1944

Oberst Ernst Goth,Commander, 916.Inf Reg 

The 352nd Infantry Division took heavy losses, both in causalities and by being captured, from the oncoming ground attack as well as from enemy Jabos (Fighter-Bombers).  American and British Jabos would attack any daytime ground movement, even individual men unfortunate enough to be out in the open.   It became nearly impossible to move in the daylight, which meant front-line units quickly ran out of food, ammunition and other supplies.  The front-line troops became exhausted from constant fighting and having no reinforcements.  

The 916.Grenadier-Regiment saw action on D-Day opposing the 1st and 29th U.S. Divisions at Omaha Beach.  The 352nd fought for several hours, inflicting many casualties, before being overwhelmed and overrun.  Oberst Ernst Goth was the ranking German commander opposing the Omaha Beach landings.  He personally led several counterattacks to regain lost ground in the initial days of the invasion.  The 916th retreated on the morning of 07 June after Regiment Commander Oberst Goth couldn’t hold the positions that they had just taken back on the previous night.  The rest of the Division saw heavy fighting in the bocage (hedgerow) country while falling back to and defending the area around St. Lô on 08 June.

According to wartime documents, the losses suffered by the Division on 06 June were 200 killed, 500 wounded and 500 missing.  Part of the Division retreated to and remained in the area southeast of Isigny, while a majority fell back towards St. Lô.

Because of constant fighting, most of the Division wasn’t able to eat or sleep until 10 June.  A total absence of motorized transport meant that all movement was by foot or bicycle.  By the time the Allies had put armor on the beaches and started their advance, there wasn’t much the 352nd could do to stop it.  By this time, most of the fighting ability of the Division was either killed or captured.  A few isolated units continued to fight, or were absorbed into other neighboring units. 

On 16 June, the Division suffered 3,000 casualties.  Despite these heavy losses, the Division kept fighting, but continued to be beaten back and they continued to lose men - The Allies' complete control of the air and their material superiority were just too great.  From 6 – 24 June, casualties were 5,407 officers and men.  By 11 July, the 352nd incurred 2,479 more casualties, and from 1 – 25 July, the Division had 123 officers and men killed, 464 wounded, and 110 missing. 

By the end of July, the Division was in very poor shape.  The 352.Inf-Div. was the only German division in Normandy to have been on the attack or under attack every single day since 06 June.  After literally fighting itself out, the Wehrmacht declared all battalions of the 352nd abgekämpft (no longer combat worthy with each battalion having less than 100 combat-ready men) on 30 July.  By the time the Division had been disbanded, it had subordinated the following units, all of which ended up worse off than the Division’s original units:

Some members of the Division ended up being caught in the Falaise Pocket at the end of July and the beginning of August.  They, along with members of the 2.SS-Panzer Division inflicted heavy casualties on the Polish 1st Armored Division while in the pocket, but were eventually beaten back.  The pocket ultimately was sealed off.  Approximately 15,000 Germans were killed in the fighting and about 50,000 were taken prisoner.  The collapse of the Falaise Pocket was a major turning point in the battle on the West Front - two major German Armies were captured and destroyed in the pocket, severely depleting German strength in the West.

After the first of August, the 352nd Infantry Division was withdrawn to refit in the area southeast of Alençon.  The 352nd was only there for a little over a week before American forces closed in.  Elements of the Division engaged in rear guard action along the axis of Le Mans and Dreux.  Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiß, the 352.ID commander, was injured in an attack on 4 August 1944.  He died of his injuries two days later.  Oberst Heyna was the interim commander of the Division as they pulled out of the front-line in France.

The link provides an account of the 352nd from its Chief of Staff, Oberstleutnant Fritz Ziegalmann.  Oberstleutnant Ziegalmann wrote a history of the 352nd in Normandy for the United States War Department’s Foreign Military Studies after the conflict as a Prisoner of War.  Special thanks to Stewart Bryant for his work translating Oberstleutnant Ziegalmann's writing's and providing them on the internet.

THE 352nd IN BATTLE IN HOLLAND

Generalmajor

Eberhard von Schuckmann

Despite their condition and circumstances, the 352nd fought well in France against much larger and much better supplied Allied Troops.  Soldier for soldier, the German army was equal or stronger than Allied armies, but the Allies' overwhelming air power, naval firepower along the coast and vast material superiority is what played a major role in defeating the Germans in Normandy.  The 352nd Infantry Division was sent to southern Denmark for refitting after being pulled out of the front lines in France.

What was left of the 352.Infanterie-Division was placed under the command of Generalmajor Eberhard von Schuckmann on 01 August 1944.  

While refitting, the 352nd was called back into action when the Allies launched Market Garden.  The Division was attached to the 10.SS and the 363.Infanterie-Division.  They helped prevent the Allied XXX Corps from linking up with the British 1st Airborne Division, which landed at Arnhem, Holland. Elements of the 352nd engaged the U.S. 101st Airborne at Nijmegen.

The 352.ID was not a completely refitted division while in Holland, and was withdrawn to Germany to be refitted and reformed once again.

The remnants of the 352nd Infantry Division were merged with the remnants of the 581.Volkgrenadier-Division and a few Marine detachments (formerly coastal artillery) to form the 352.Volksgrenadier-Division on 21 September 1944 as part of 32.Welle.

Soldaten moving near Arnhem

Operation Market Garden: Nijmegen 1944

Nijmegen after the Battle, 28 September 1944

Volksgrenadier-Divisions are slightly different than regular Infanterie-Divisions.  These Divisions had only six infantry battalions instead of the standard nine battalions of a full Infanterie-Division; this was already a common occurrence in most other Infantry Divisions at the time.  Volksgrenadier-Divisions emphasized defensive strength rather than offensive strength.  Standard infantry weapons typically consisted of light machine guns, light automatic weapons, and the Panzerfaust (single shot anti-tank weapons).  The Züge (platoons) and Gruppen (groups) of Volksgrenadier-Divisions were formed around hardened veterans to inspire and properly lead whatever personnel was used to fill out the Division.  The bulk of these Divisions were commonly filled out with "jobless" Wehrmacht personnel from the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and Luftwaffe (Air Force), wounded soldiers returning to duty, as well as men and boys considered too old or young for peacetime military service.

The 352.Volksgrenadier-Division itself was made up of several "jobless" Kriegsmarinemänner (Navy men).  Their morale was high, but their limited experience as infantry in ground operations showed in their poor fighting and maneuvering ability.  The newly reformed Division had the same three Infanterieregimenter - 914., 915., and 916. Grenadier-Regiements. 

On November 7, 1944, the division was relocated to the Bitburg area in the Eifel.  It arrived there on 16 November 1944 and became the reserve of O.B. West.  The Division engaged the enemy on the Sauer river.  Parts of the Division were relocated to the Schweich, Herforst and Speicher areas.  On November 24, the division received orders to relieve the 353.Inf-Div in the Vianden-Echternach area.

THE ARDENNES OFFENSIVE (DIE WACHT AM RHEIN)

This newly reformed Volksgrenadier-Division, now under Oberst Erich Schmidt as of 6 October 1944, was a part of LXXXV. Armeekorps, and fell under 7.Armee.  The 7.Armee was under the command of General der Panzertruppe Erich Brandenburger.   The 7.Armee made the southern most push during the Ardennes Offensive ("Die Wacht am Rhein" or better known as the Battle of the Bulge) towards Luxembourg.  The main objective of the southern push was to reach Luxembourg and protect the flank from any Allied counterattacks.  

The 7.Armme makeup consisted of:

7.Armee

LXXXV. Armeekorps

5. Fallschirmjäger-Div.

352. Volksgrenadier-Div.

LXXX. Armeekorps

276. Volksgrenadier-Div.

212. Volksgrenadier-Div.

LIII. Armeekorps

Festungs Infanterie-Bataillon 999

Festungs MG Bataillon 44

General der Panzertruppe 

Erich Brandenberger 

Oberst Erich Schmidt, Commander, 352.Volksgrenadier-Division

The 352.VGD was deployed for the Ardennes offensive between Vianden and Echternach, flanked by the 276.Volksgrenadier-Division and 5. Fallschirmjager-Division.  The 352nd was at near full strength, but only had six Hetzer tank-destroyers in its Panzerjagerabteilung.  Because it was near 100% strength and morale was high, Oberst Schmidt considered it fit for battle. 

The three Infantry Divisions of 7.Armee made good progress initially. especially considering no motorization of any kind, pushing west 4 miles before meeting stiff resistance from the U.S. VIII Corps on 22 December 1944.  The 5.Fallschirmjäger-Div. managed to get 12 miles west on the inner flank of the push.  

7.Armee Movement in the Ardennes Offensive

German Soldiers Consult Their Maps

The 352.Volksgrenadier-Division's major engagements in the Offensive occurred  in and around Diekirch and Ettelbruck. 

The push in the south, although stopped initially, managed to move again by the second week of the offensive and posed a threat to Allied lines.  There was no armored support for 7.Armee, so the advance was stopped fairly easily by American troops.  

Oberst Schmidt was wounded while leading an assault at Diekirch.  Command of the division was taken over by Generalmajor Bazing.

The U.S. counteroffensive to relieve Bastogne began on 22 December.  The U.S. 80th Division hit the 915.VGR in its flank on the  Ettelbruck-Pratz road, which forced the Division to go onto the defensive.  As it withdrew from the road, it had to abandon most of its heavy equipment.

While falling back on 23 December 1944, there was heavy fighting in Merzig and a large portion of the Division was captured or destroyed there.  Only when the U.S. 80th Infantry Division was reinforced with armor from the U.S. 702nd Tank Battalion were the Germans defeated on the southern front of the Offensive.

Ultimately, the Ardennes Offensive, Germany's last offensive gamble, failed.  Again, the 352nd was destroyed.   

Grenadiere fighting in the Ardennes near Luxembourg

Soldaten of 914.Inf-Reg. / 352.Volksgrenadier-Div. surrender in Merzig after the Ardennes Offensive, 24 Dec 1944

THE 352nd IN BATTLE IN GERMANY

After the defeat in the Ardennes, what was left of the 352.Volksgrenadier-Division was recalled to Germany to be refit and resupplied.  It was officially placed under the command of General Bazing (who had taken over during the Ardennes Offensive when Oberst Schmidt was injured).  It was refitted with men from the 66.Volksgrenadier-Regiment, 99.Sicherheits-Regiment and what was left of the 9.Infanterie-Division.  Its next deployment  was to defend the area around Trier (Germany) and Moselle (France).  Fighting and Allied bombing effectively destroyed what was left of the Division again.  Only a small remnant of the Division (a single Kampfgruppe) escaped across the Rhine at Worms in March 1945 as American forces advanced.

The 352.Volksgrenadier-Division was partially reconstructed one last time as a small battle group in mid-April and deployed to defend Darmstadt, south of Remagen.  Its last battles were during the Allies' Rhineland Campaign, as they pushed towards the south to reach the Elbe.  Despite being destroyed numerous times, the 352.Volksgrenadier-Division survived as a fighting unit until the War.  The Division laid down its arms in the Rhineland, surrendering to American forces near Nürnberg in May 1945. 

The Friedensplatz in Darmstadt, 1944

Amis cross a bridge in Trier, 1945

SOURCES