Formed in Karlsruhe within Wehrkreis V on August 26, 1939, during the fourth Aufstellungswelle mobilization wave, the 260. Infanterie-Division originally comprised Infanterie-Regiment 460, Infanterie-Regiment 470, Infanterie-Regiment 480, and Artillerie-Regiment 260. Initially deployed to the Upper Rhine under the leadership of Generalleutnant Hans Schmidt, the formation spent the 1940 Western campaign primarily held in reserve before serving on occupation duty across northern France. In July 1941, the division transferred east to join Heeresgruppe Mitte for Operation Barbarossa, distinguishing itself during heavy engagements across Bobruisk and the bridgehead over the Desna at Kisselewka before joining the offensive push toward Moscow. During the bitter winter crisis along the Protva and Kremenki positions, severe attritional combat battered the division, leading Generalleutnant Walther Hahm to assume command in January 1942 as its infantry battalions were progressively reorganized and reduced. Renamed Grenadier-Regiment units in late 1942, its combat elements later endured fierce defensive attritional battles around Spas-Demensk, Roslavl, and the Dnieper through 1943, where soldiers like Hauptmann Felix Ostermann mounted daring counterattacks against superior Soviet armor. By early 1944, the division stood deployed along the Pronya sector in eastern Belarus attached to the XXXXVII. Panzerkorps and later the XII. Armeekorps under the 4. Armee. When the massive Red Army Operation Bagration struck on June 22, 1944, the division fell back toward the Berezina under suffocating encirclement pressure. Commanded by Generalmajor Günther Klammt, remnants made a final desperate breakout effort alongside Grenadier-Regiment 470 rearguards east of Minsk, where the division was shattered, its commander captured, and the formation officially dissolved.
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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER
General der Infanterie z.V. Hans Schmidt (1877-1948) was born on 28 April 1877 in Ulm and died on 5 June 1948 in Stuttgart. He entered the Württembergische Armee on 11 July 1895 as Fahnenjunker in the Infanterie-Regiment „Alt-Württemberg“ (3. Württembergisches) Nr. 121, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1896. During the First World War he served as Bataillonskommandeur and later as Major on the staff of the 9. Infanteriedivision, earning the Eisernes Kreuz II. and I. Klasse, the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern, the Bayerischer Militärverdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern und mit Krone, the Ritterkreuz I. Klasse des Friedrichs-Orden mit Schwertern, the Württembergisches Dienstehrenzeichen I. Klasse, the Hanseatenkreuz Hamburg and the Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration. Retained in the Reichswehr, he advanced to Oberstleutnant in 1922, Oberst in 1926 and Generalmajor in October 1929 before retiring in 1931 with the Charakter as Generalleutnant. Reactivated in 1939, he became the first Kommandeur of the 260. Infanterie-Division, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse on 31 December 1939 and I. Klasse on 4 July 1940; he was promoted Generalleutnant zur Verwendung on 1 September 1940. In the opening phase of the campaign in the East the division under his command became the first large formation to reach the Desna on 1 September 1941; despite threatened flanks Schmidt ordered Infanterie-Regiment 470 to force a night crossing and establish a bridgehead at Kisselewka near Chernigov, expanding it the following day by the capture of Wibli and thereby establishing the link with Heeresgruppe Süd, an achievement for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 22 September 1941 as Generalleutnant zur Verwendung and Kommandeur of the 260. Infanterie-Division. He relinquished the division at the turn of 1941/42 and on 1 January 1942 assumed command as Kommandierender General of the IX. Armeekorps, being promoted General der Infanterie in February 1942. For continued distinguished leadership he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 6 November 1942. During the hard defensive fighting of the summer of 1943 around Spas-Demensk and Newel the IX. Armeekorps under his direction held its positions against repeated Soviet assaults; this successful defensive performance earned him the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (334th award) on 24 November 1943 as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General of the IX. Armeekorps. Placed in the Führerreserve in October 1943 and formally retired, he was later recalled and ended the war as Oberbefehlshaber of the 24. Armee.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/260th_Infantry_Division
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