03 Juni 2010
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The
352nd Infantry Division's symbol, shown to the left, is a Pegasus
leaping over a bridge.
There is no known information as to the history behind the
Division's symbol or why it was chosen. The picture to the right shows Soldaten in front of one of the few trucks belonging to the Division. The Division's crest can be seen on the truck's door. In mythology, the Pegasus was sired by Poseidon and foaled by Medusa. Wherever the Pegasus' hoof struck the earth, an inspiring spring would burst forth. Bridges often represent strength. The Division might have chosen this symbol to represent their primary responsibility - a strong defense of the beaches, and if an invasion did come, to pour forth an inspired and mighty assault. |
 Soldaten of the 3532.ID in front of a truck with the Division's symbol |
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The 352.Infanterie Division (352nd Infantry Division, 352.Inf. Div., 352.ID) was formed on 5 November 1943 at St. Lô under the command of Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiß, as part of the Wehrkreis XI (Military District XI), headquartered in Hannover. A majority of the Division's soldiers came from decimated Divisions from the Ost Front, especially those in the battle at Kursk. The 352nd was placed in Armeegruppe B under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Rommel was in charge of protecting the Atlantic coast from and Allied Invasion. 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. Rommel placed the strong 352nd at Normandy to push the invading force back into the sea. The cadre of the Division were Ost Front survivors. The Division was initially filled out with approximately 2,000 recruits - most of them coming from Infantrie Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bataillon 480 based in Schlann. The rest of the Division was filled out when it was assigned to Wehrkreis XI in Hanover. Initially, Officers and NCOs of the Division thought that the Division's destination would be to the East Front, so training was planned accordingly - they were trained to be outnumbered, out gunned, surrounded and to never step back and to never surrender. However, in January 1944, the Division was placed on defensive action in the area around St. Lô. Unlike the Division's neighboring units - the 709th and 716th Infantry Divisions - the 352nd was considered a combat unit. The 709th and 716th were defensive units, and were considered immobile. The 352.ID was responsible for large areas of territory (almost unreasonably large). It's primary missions were:
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The Division cadre were formed from the remnants of the following units serving on the Ost Front:
268.Infanterie
Division
History:
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321.Infanterie Division
History:
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546.Grenadier
Regiment
History:
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The survivors from the 546.Grenadier Regiment formed the cadre for the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 916.Grenadier Regiment of the 352.Infanterie Division.
Because most of the members of the 352nd were Ost Front 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).
The makeup of the 352nd Infanterie Division was as follows:
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914.
Grenadier
Regiment
-
2 x 15 cm sIG 33
- 6 x 7.5 cm leIG - 3 x 7.5 cm PaK 40 |
915.
Grenadier
Regiment
-
2 x 15 cm sIG 33
- 6 x 7.5 cm leIG - 3 x 7.5 cm PaK 40 |
916.
Grenadier
Regiment
-
2 x 15 cm sIG 33
- 2 x 7.5 cm leIG - 3 x 7.5 cm PaK 40 |
 An SS-Landser in fighting around Caen in 1944. The MG-42 is configured in a light support role, with folding bipod and detachable drum magazine |
 Model 34 8 cm mortar and crew in action |
 Grossdeutschland Division artillerymen loading a sIG 33 |
 7,5 cm PaK 40 Anti-Tank Gun |
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352.
Artillerie
Regiment
-
1-9.Batterie - 36 x 10,5
cm leFH 16
- 10-12.Batterie - 12 x 15 cm sFH 18 |
 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 |
 15 cm sFH 18 on the Ost Front |
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352.
Panzerjäger Abteilung
-
14 x Marder II and Marder
III variant Panzerjäger
- 10 x StuG III Ausf. G assault guns - 9 x FlaKPanzer 38 Self-Propelled Flak |
 Marder III Ausf.M |
 Stug III Ausf G |
 Motorized FlaK 3,7 |
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352.
Pioniere
Battaillon
-
20 x Flammenwerfer
- 6 x 8 cm Granatwerfer |
The Pioniere Battaillon (combat engineer battalion) had three companies, with 37 machine guns, 20 flame throwers and six mortars.
 A Flammenwerfer Pioniere in action in Northern France, 1944 |
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352.
Füsilier Battaillon
-
1. Kompanie bicycle
mounted
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 Bicycle mounted Waffen-SS Soldaten ride towards Arnhem, September 1944 |
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352.
Feldersatz Battaillon
-
6 x 8 cm Granatwerfer 34
- 1 x 5 cm PaK 38 - 1 x 7,5 cm PaK 40 - 1 x 10,5 cm Feldhaubitze - 1 x Infanterie Geschütz - 2 x Flammenwerfer |
 Soldaten with their PaK 38 in Tunisia |
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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.
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first row of 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 916th Regiment was located near Omaha Beach.
One battalion from the 716th
Infantry
Division was subordinated to the 916th.
The 915th Regiment was in
reserve southeast of Bayeux, and the
914th was
deployed around Isigny.
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"...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.
 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).
The 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 units quickly ran out of food, ammunition and other supplies. 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. The 916th retreated on the morning of 7 June after Regiment Commander Oberst Ernst 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 defending the area around St. Lô. |
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According to wartime documents, the losses suffered by the Division on 6 June were as follows: 200 killed, 500 wounded, 500 missing. The Division retreated to and remained in the area southeast of Isigny. |
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| The Formation of the
Falaise Pocket, 8-17 August 1944 |
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On 16 June, the Division suffered 3,000 casualties. From 6 – 24 June, casualties were 5,407 officers and men. Despite these heavy losses, the Division kept fighting, but continued to be beaten back and they continued to lose 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 30 July, the Division was in very poor shape. The Wehrmacht declared all battalions of the 352nd abgekämpft (no longer combat worthy) on that date, which means that each battalion had less than 100 combat-ready men. 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:
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The
following
link provides an account of the 352nd from its Chief of Staff, Lt. Col.
Fritz Ziegalmann. Lt.
Col. 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 Lt. Col. Ziegalmann's
writing's and providing them on the internet.
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Despite their condition and circumstances, the 352nd fought well in France against much larger and much better supplied Allied Troops. The 352nd Infantry Division was sent to Denmark for refitting after being pulled out of the front lines in France. While refitting, the 352nd Infantry Division was called back into action during Operation Market Garden. The Division was attached to the 10th-SS and 363rd Infantry Divisions. 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. |
 Operation Market Garden: Nijmegen 1944 |
Nijmegen after the Battle, 28 September 1944 |
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 Erich Brandenberger (left) with Erich von Manstein in North Russia, 1941 |
| The 352.Volksgrenadier
Division itself was made up of several "jobless" Kriegsmarinemänner
(Navy men). Their morale was high, but their limited
experience in ground operations as soldiers showed in their poor
fighting and maneuvering ability. The newly reformed Division
had the same three Infanterieregimenter
- 914., 915., and 916. Infanterie Regiements, but with only 6 Infanteriebataillone
total.
This newly reformed Volksgrenadier Division was a part of LXXXV. Armeekorps, and fell in with the 7.Armee. The 7.Armee was under the command of General der Panzertruppe Erich Brandenburger. 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 Battaillon 999 Festungs MG Battaillon 44 |
 7.Armee Movement in the Ardennes Offensive |
| The 7.Armee made the southern most push
during the Ardennes Offensive
(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
three Infantry
Divisions of 7.Armee pushed west 4 miles before meeting stiff
resistance from the U.S. VIII Corps. The 5.
Fallschirmjäger Div. managed to get 12 miles west on the inner
flank of the push. There was no armored support for 7.Armee,
so the initial advance was stopped fairly easily by American troops.
The 352nd Volksgrenadier Division's major engagements in the Offensive occurred in 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. On 23 December 1944, there was heavy fighting in Mezig, Luxembourg, and a large portion of the Division was captured or destroyed. Only when the U.S. 80th Infantry Divison 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 as a whole failed, and again, the 352nd was decimated by losing men to casualties and being captured as prisoners. |
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 Grenadiere fighting in the Ardennes near Luxembourg |
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After
the defeat in the Ardennes, the 352nd Volksgrenadier Division was
recalled to Germany to be refit and resupplied. It was then
placed under the command of General Bazing. It was refitted
with men from the 66th Volksgrenadier Regiment, 99th Security Regiment
and what was left of the 9th Infantry Division. It's
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 by
mid-March 1945. Only a small remnant of
the Division escaped across the Rhine at Worms as American forces
advanced.
The 352nd was partially reconstructed one last time as a small battle group in mid-April and deployed to defend Darmstadt, south of Remagen. It's last battles were during a part of the Rhineland Campaign, as the Allies pushed in the south to reach the Elbe. The 352nd Infantry Division's career as a fighting unit ended in the Rhineland at the end of the War. They surrendered to American forces near Nuremberg in May 1945.
 The Friedensplatz in Darmstadt, 1945 |
 Amis cross a bridge in Trier, 1945 |
