Formed in October 1936 in Ludwigsburg within Wehrkreis V, the 25. Infanterie-Division originated as a standard infantry formation before evolving into one of the Wehrmacht’s most heavily engaged motorized units. During the 1939 invasion of Poland, it served under Generalleutnant Christian Hansen in reserve and border securing roles before actively proving its combat worth in the 1940 French campaign, advancing through the Ardennes, crossing the Aisne, and driving toward the Loire under Generalleutnant Erich-Heinrich Clößner. In late 1940, the division was motorized as 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.), restructuring its core around Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 35, Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 119, and Artillerie-Regiment 25. Committed to Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 under Heeresgruppe Süd, the motorized division fought across Ukraine, driving past Kiev toward the Sea of Azov before transferring to Heeresgruppe Mitte for the push toward Moscow. It spent 1942 in grinding defensive battles near Orel and Bolkhov, during which General der Infanterie Anton Graßer took command. Redesignated as 25. Panzergrenadier-Division in June 1943, the division received Panzer-Abteilung 8 alongside modernized elements like Panzerjäger-Abteilung 125. The division fought around Smolensk and Vitebsk until the catastrophic Soviet summer offensive of 1944, Operation Bagration, where the formation was encircled east of Minsk and virtually annihilated while led by Generalleutnant Paul Schürmann. The remnants were reorganized in Autumn 1944 via Panzer-Brigade 107 in Mielau. Re-formed as a full division, it engaged American forces in the Saar-Palatinate and Alsace during Operation Nordwind. In January 1945, under Generalleutnant Arnold Burmeister, it returned to the Eastern Front, defending along the Oder, counterattacking near Küstrin, and resisting north of Berlin before surrendering to Western Allied forces along the Elbe.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
General der Infanterie Anton Grasser (1891-1976) was a German officer who rose to the rank of General in the Wehrmacht, beginning his military service on 1 October 1913 as an Einjährig-Freiwilliger in the 1. Unter-Elsässisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 132, fighting on the Western Front in the First World War where he was promoted to Leutnant, wounded, and awarded the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 18 June 1915 and I. Klasse on 6 June 1916 along with the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber; after the war he served in the Baden police rising to Polizeimajor before transferring to the Wehrmacht in 1936, becoming Oberstleutnant on 1 March 1938 and commander of I. Bataillon then of Infanterie-Regiment 119 of the 25. Infanterie-Division on 6 February 1940. During the Battle of France he distinguished himself in the fighting around Laon on 19-20 May 1940 by breaking a tank-supported enemy defense through a skillfully launched attack with minimal losses that contributed to German tactical success, then on 5 June 1940 led his regiment in securing a penetration of the grimly defended Weygand Line along the Aisne-Oise canal by an irresistible assault that captured the Malmaison farm on the Chemin des Dames, and on 9-10 June 1940 as commander of a strong Vorausabteilung on the left wing of an Armeekorps he ruthlessly pursued the enemy to and across the Marne, his bold leadership motivating infantry and artillery so that the unit greatly influenced the overall situation, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 June 1940 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 119; promoted to Oberst on 1 March 1941 he led the regiment into the Eastern campaign, took command of the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.) on 25 January 1942 becoming Generalmajor on 1 April 1942 and Generalleutnant on 1 January 1943, the division being redesignated 25. Panzergrenadier-Division, and was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 11 March 1943, the Ostmedaille, Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber and Spangen to his Iron Crosses. For the defensive achievements of his 25. Panzergrenadier-Division in late summer 1943, which fended off all hostile attacks along the Zarewitsch line northeast of Smolensk and later during the retreat toward the Panther Line, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz (344th award) on 5 December 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 25. Panzergrenadier-Division; thereafter he briefly led the LVI. Panzerkorps, was promoted to General der Infanterie on 1 May 1944, commanded the XXVI. Armeekorps, the Armeeabteilung Narwa (later Armeeabteilung Grasser) during the Battle of Narva, and finally the LXXII. Armeekorps before entering captivity in May 1945, being released in 1947, later serving as first Inspekteur of the Bundesgrenzschutz from 1951 until retirement in 1953, his last rank remaining General der Infanterie.
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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER
Oberst Josef Rettemeier (1914-1997) was born on 17 September 1914 in Niederdollendorf and entered the Reichswehr on 1 April 1934, serving initially with Kraftfahr units before becoming a Leutnant in 1936 and later an Oberleutnant; he fought in the Westfeldzug with Panzerjäger-Abteilung 50, transferred to Panzer forces, and in early 1942 joined Panzer-Regiment 5 in North Africa where he was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 February 1942 and appointed Chef of the 2. Kompanie. After a severe wound he recovered and in September 1943 took command as Kommandeur of Panzer-Abteilung 5 on the Eastern Front. The actions that earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 December 1943 occurred in mid-November 1943 near Witebsk in the sector of Heeresgruppe Mitte: on 14 November his Abteilung on the left wing of the division west of Kirijewa successfully recaptured the old main battle line; over the next two days the unit destroyed or disabled 38 Soviet tanks (24 on the 15th and 14 on the 16th); on 17 November, deployed to close a one-kilometre gap near Novo Selo where infantry had abandoned their weapons in the mud and lost their officers, Rettemeier ordered his tanks to hand over machine guns, submachine guns, grenades and ammunition to the infantrymen and personally led them in a counterattack that restored the main line, after which three successive Soviet assaults from Novo Selo were repulsed. He was named in the Wehrmachtsbericht on 1 March 1944. The Eichenlaub (425th award) followed on 13 March 1944 for further decisive leadership: on 2 March 1944 Panzer-Abteilung 5 supported the 267. Infanterie-Division in the defensive battle near Stary Bychoff north of Rogatschew against eight Soviet divisions; the German defenders prevented any breakthrough, smashed every attack and destroyed 20 Soviet tanks, with Rettemeier’s Abteilung playing a crucial role that prompted the division’s recommendation. Promoted to Major on 1 April 1944, he later commanded the I. Abteilung of Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130 in the West, was severely wounded in Lorraine, received the Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold, and ended the war after serving as a training course commander at the Panzerschule in Erlangen. His other awards included the Eisernes Kreuz II. und I. Klasse, Panzerkampfabzeichen II. Stufe and Ärmelband Afrika. After the war he joined the Bundeswehr in 1956 as Major, rose to Oberstleutnant the same year, commanded panzer units and served as deputy commander of the 2. Panzergrenadierdivision, retiring as Oberst in 1972; he later acted as a military adviser in Taiwan and received the Bundesverdienstkreuz I. Klasse. Rettemeier died on 19 December 1997 in Bad Nauheim.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25th_Panzergrenadier_Division
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