The 320. Infanterie-Division was formed on 2 December 1940 in the Wehrkreis X around Lübeck as a static division of the thirteenth Aufstellungswelle, drawing personnel and units from the 58. Infanterie-Division and the 254. Infanterie-Division, and initially comprised the Infanterie-Regiment 585, Infanterie-Regiment 586, Infanterie-Regiment 587 and Artillerie-Regiment 320 under the command of Generalleutnant Karl Maderholz. After completing its organization the division was transferred in May 1941 to occupied France, where it performed coastal defence duties first near Dünkirchen and later, from June 1942, on the Cotentin Peninsula. In late 1942 it was reorganized into an offensive formation and, under Generalleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Postel who assumed command on 2 December 1942, was rushed to the southern sector of the Eastern Front in January 1943 to help stabilize the shattered Second Hungarian Army. It saw its first major action near Isjum in early February 1943, became encircled near Stary Oskol north of Charkow, and fought its way back to German lines after bitter defensive battles between the Don and Donez rivers. The division then participated in the Third Battle of Charkow, took part in Unternehmen Zitadelle around Belgorod in July 1943 under General der Infanterie Kurt Röpke, and after Postel’s return in August 1943 conducted the long fighting withdrawal across the Dnjepr, distinguishing itself at Krementschug and in the Battle of Kirowograd in January 1944. Continuously engaged in the southern Ukraine through the spring of 1944, it received limited reinforcements from elements of the Infanterie-Division Milowitz before being subordinated to the 6. Armee. Under Generalmajor Otto Schell the division was almost completely destroyed during the Soviet Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive in Bessarabia in August 1944, with its last organized resistance ending on 2 September 1944. Formally dissolved on 9 October 1944, its remnants were absorbed into the newly raised 320. Volksgrenadier-Division, which continued fighting on the Eastern Front until the final surrender in May 1945.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCHWERTERTRÄGER
Generalleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Postel (1896-1953) was born on 25 April 1896 in Zittau and entered military service in 1914 as a Fahnenjunker in the Infanterie-Regiment „Graf Schwerin“ (3. Pommersches) Nr. 14 before transfer to the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 134, where he was commissioned Leutnant and fought through the First World War, earning both classes of the Iron Cross. After the war he continued in the Reichswehr with successive promotions to Oberleutnant, Hauptmann, Major and Oberstleutnant, serving in various infantry regiments and as an instructor at the Kriegsschule München. At the outbreak of the Second World War he commanded battalions in the Infanterie-Regiment 109 and Infanterie-Regiment 433 before taking over the Infanterie-Regiment 364 of the 161. Infanterie-Division in July 1940. As Oberst and commander of this regiment he distinguished himself in the defensive battles around Rzhev; on 4 February 1942 he assumed command of all German units near a Soviet penetration south of Wosszino and the following day led a successful counter-attack that sealed the gap in the front, actions for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 9 August 1942. After a period in the Führerreserve he took command of the 320. Infanterie-Division in late 1942, was promoted Generalmajor on 1 January 1943, and led the division through the bitter fighting between the Don and Donez rivers in January–February 1943, conducting a nine-day breakout that destroyed several Soviet battlegroups and later participating in successful counter-attacks toward Charkow; these achievements earned him the Eichenlaub on 28 March 1943. Promoted Generalleutnant on 1 September 1943, he continued to command the 320. Infanterie-Division through the summer battles near Belgorod, the autumn fighting around Charkow and the winter defensive operations of 1943–44 near Krementschug and south of Tscherkassy, for which outstanding leadership he was awarded the Schwerter on 26 March 1944. In July 1944 he assumed command of the XXX. Armeekorps in Bessarabia; after the Romanian capitulation and the Soviet offensive of August 1944 he was taken prisoner by the Red Army on 30 August 1944, later sentenced to twenty-five years of forced labour, and died of tuberculosis on 20 September 1953 in the prisoner-of-war camp at Schachty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Generalmajor Ernst Voß (1899-1943) was born on 3 November 1899 in Timmenrode in the Harz and died on 11 October 1943 near Nowo-Lipiwo on the Dnieper. He entered military service in 1917, took part in the First World War and was discharged as Unteroffizier at its end. He then joined the police, becoming Polizei-Leutnant on 1 April 1928 and serving with the Landespolizei by 1934. In mid-October 1935 he was accepted into the Heer as Hauptmann. Assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 24, he became Kommandeur of its I. Bataillon on 14 September 1939 and led it in the campaign in France. From June 1941 he fought in Russia until severely wounded on 22 October 1941. After recovery he commanded the Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 24, then the Feldersatz-Bataillon 21, and from March 1942 again the I. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 24. Promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 April 1942, he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 17 August 1942. On 2 December 1942 he assumed command of Grenadier-Regiment 585 within the 320. Infanterie-Division and led it through the heavy defensive fighting between the Don and Donez in the winter of 1942–43. Although his men had no prior Eastern Front experience when they arrived in January 1943, the Regiment under his leadership conducted a successful delaying action from 16 to 23 January against a numerically superior enemy lacking flank support and later achieved further successes in the counter-attacks that contributed to the recapture of Kharkov; for these outstanding performances he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 18 April 1943 as Oberst (promoted 1 June 1943) and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 585. Between 5 and 10 October 1943 northwest of Novo-Georgyevsk his weakened Regiment held a wide sector of front against a combined breakthrough attempt by four Soviet divisions. Fighting at the head of his troops, Voß directed a successful defensive battle until he was mortally wounded on 11 October by a Pak shell—his sixth wound on the Eastern Front—and died the same day near Nowo-Lipiwo. For this defensive achievement he was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub (314th award) to the Ritterkreuz on 28 October 1943 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 585 and was later promoted to Generalmajor.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/320th_Infantry_Division
No comments:
Post a Comment