14th Infantry Division (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The 14th Infantry Division (German: 14. Infanterie-Division; nickname: the Sächsische Division or Saxonian Division) was a German
military unit which fought during World War II
.
was formed in 1934 in Leipzig
, by expanding the 11th (Saxonian) Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division of the old Reichswehr
. As this was a direct breach of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
, its existence was initially concealed; it was formally designated as the 14th Infantry Division in October 1935. This history, particularly of Infantry Regiment 11, made it one of the prestige infantry divisions of the Wehrmacht
.
Mobilised in the 1st wave in 1939, the division was involved in the German invasion of Poland
, where it attacked towards Częstochowa
and Lublin
, and the following year's invasion of France
. In October 1940 it was 'motorised', i.e. provided with motor transport as opposed to the usual horse and foot mobility of Wehrmacht infantry divisions, as the 14. Infanteriedivision (mot.), with the following organisation:
During Operation Barbarossa
, the division was involved in the encirclement of Minsk. In the winter of 1942/3 it was intended to reform the division as the 14th Panzergrenadier
Division, but this process was stopped; in 1943 the formation was demotorised, having the following organisation:
During this period the 14th Infantry Division was mostly assigned to Ninth Army
, with Army Group Centre
on the Eastern Front; it suffered heavy losses during the Battles of Rzhev
, and then in the defence against Operation Suvorov.
1944 saw the division transferred to 3rd Panzer Army. In the summer of 1944 it was one of Army Group Centre's few reserve formations, and in this capacity was rushed into the line near Orekhovsk on 25 June in a desperate attempt to hold back the breakthrough of several Soviet divisions at Orsha
during the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration. Some elements made a last stand around Bogushevsk before being overwhelmed; Infantry Regiment 11 was left as a rearguard on the road to Minsk
. Only a handful of troops were able to retreat to the German lines.
By the end of the year the remainders of the formation had been transferred to Second Army
and was in the area of Ostrolenka, Poland
; during the Soviet East Prussian Offensive
of January 1945, the rebuilt 14th was one of the divisions pushed north and trapped in the Heiligenbeil pocket
, where it attempted a breakout near Wormditt
, before falling back on Braunsberg. The division was eventually destroyed in fighting in the kessel, most of its surviving troops entering Soviet captivity, while a few were evacuated via the Frisches Haff.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military unit which fought during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History and Organisation
The divisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
was formed in 1934 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, by expanding the 11th (Saxonian) Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division of the old Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
. As this was a direct breach of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, its existence was initially concealed; it was formally designated as the 14th Infantry Division in October 1935. This history, particularly of Infantry Regiment 11, made it one of the prestige infantry divisions of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
.
Mobilised in the 1st wave in 1939, the division was involved in the German invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, where it attacked towards Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
and Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
, and the following year's invasion of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. In October 1940 it was 'motorised', i.e. provided with motor transport as opposed to the usual horse and foot mobility of Wehrmacht infantry divisions, as the 14. Infanteriedivision (mot.), with the following organisation:
- Infanterie-Regiment 11 (mot.)
- Infanterie-Regiment 53 (mot.)
- Artillerie-Regiment 14 (mot.)
- Kradschützen-Abteilung 54
- Divisionstruppen 14
During Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the division was involved in the encirclement of Minsk. In the winter of 1942/3 it was intended to reform the division as the 14th Panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier
is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
Division, but this process was stopped; in 1943 the formation was demotorised, having the following organisation:
- Infanterie-Regiment 11
- Infanterie-Regiment 53
- Infanterie-Regiment 101
- Artillerie-Regiment 14
- Füsilier-Bataillon 14
- Kradschützen-Bataillon 54
- Divisionstruppen 14
During this period the 14th Infantry Division was mostly assigned to Ninth Army
German Ninth Army
The 9th Army was a World War II field army.The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command.-1940:The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line when it was involved in the invasion of France...
, with Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
on the Eastern Front; it suffered heavy losses during the Battles of Rzhev
Battles of Rzhev
Rzhev Battles is a general term for a series of World War II offensives launched during January 8, 1942—March 31, 1943 by the Soviet Red Army in the general directions of Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma against a German salient in the vicinity of Moscow, known as the "Rzhev meat grinder" for...
, and then in the defence against Operation Suvorov.
1944 saw the division transferred to 3rd Panzer Army. In the summer of 1944 it was one of Army Group Centre's few reserve formations, and in this capacity was rushed into the line near Orekhovsk on 25 June in a desperate attempt to hold back the breakthrough of several Soviet divisions at Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
during the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration. Some elements made a last stand around Bogushevsk before being overwhelmed; Infantry Regiment 11 was left as a rearguard on the road to Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
. Only a handful of troops were able to retreat to the German lines.
By the end of the year the remainders of the formation had been transferred to Second Army
German Second Army
The 2nd Army was a World War I and World War II field army.-First World War:The 2nd Army during World War I, fought on the Western Front and took part in the Schlieffen Plan offensive against France and Belgium in August 1914...
and was in the area of Ostrolenka, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
; during the Soviet East Prussian Offensive
East Prussian Offensive
The East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May...
of January 1945, the rebuilt 14th was one of the divisions pushed north and trapped in the Heiligenbeil pocket
Heiligenbeil Pocket
The Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron was the site of a major encirclement battle on the Eastern Front during the closing weeks of World War II, in which the Wehrmacht's 4th Army was almost entirely destroyed during the Soviet Braunsberg Offensive Operation...
, where it attempted a breakout near Wormditt
Orneta
Orneta is a town in northern Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 9,859 .- History :Wormditt, a village of Old Prussians, was first mentioned in 1308...
, before falling back on Braunsberg. The division was eventually destroyed in fighting in the kessel, most of its surviving troops entering Soviet captivity, while a few were evacuated via the Frisches Haff.
Commanders
- Lieutenant-General Peter Weyer (1 September 1939)
- Major-General Lothar RendulicLothar RendulicGeneraloberst Lothar Rendulic was an Austro-Hungarian and Austrian Army officer of Croatian origin who served as a German general during World War II. He commanded the 14. Infanterie-Division, 52. Infanterie-Division, XXXV Armeekorps, 2. Panzer-Armee, 20...
(15 June 1940) - Lieutenant-General Friedrich Fürst (6 October 1940)
- Lieutenant-General Heinrich Wosch (1 June 1942)
- Lieutenant-General Walther KrauseWalther KrauseWalther Krause was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(1 October 1942) - Lieutenant-General Rudolf HolsteRudolf HolsteRudolf Holste was a German officer during World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(1 January 1943) - Lieutenant-General Hermann FlörkeHermann FlörkeHermann Flörke was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 14th Infantry Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(15 May 1943) - Lieutenant-General Erich Schneider (15 December 1944)
- Major-General Paul von Below (?)
- Colonel Kirch (?)
- Major-General Werner SchulzeWerner SchulzeWerner Schulze was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(?)
See also
- Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, Military unit, List of German divisions in WWII - HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...