The 299. Infanterie-Division was established on 9 February 1940 as part of the eighth mobilization wave in Wehrkreis IX, drawing personnel primarily from Hessen and Thüringen. Its initial combat structure consisted of Infanterie-Regiment 528, Infanterie-Regiment 529, Infanterie-Regiment 530, Artillerie-Regiment 299, and divisional support units. During the Western Campaign in May 1940, it operated in northern France under Generalleutnant Willi Moser, who served as its first commander until late 1942. In June 1941, the division joined Operation Barbarossa with Heeresgruppe Süd, advancing through Ukraine, breaching the Stalin Line near Nowograd-Wolynskij, and capturing Kiev. It subsequently redeployed to Heeresgruppe Mitte, participating in exhausting engagements near Orel, Kursk, and Gomel, during which its infantry regiments were redesignated as Grenadier-Regimenter. Commanding officers throughout these bloody Eastern Front campaigns included Generalleutnant Hans Bergen and Generalleutnant Ralph Graf von Oriola. In June 1944, during the Soviet Operation Bagration near Vitebsk and Minsk, the division was annihilated, leading to its remnants being incorporated into Korps-Abteilung G. Officially reconstituted as 299. Infanterie-Division on 1 September 1944, the unit saw action along the Narew River in Poland under Generalmajor Karl Göbel before retreating into Ostpreußen. In February and March 1945, the division was shattered in the Heiligenbeil pocket, with remnants disbanding near Danzig. Dozens of its soldiers earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, marking its extensive, devastating combat path.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Oberst Hans Fritsche (1909-1993) was born on 24 June 1909 in Tillowitz, Silesia, and joined the Schutzpolizei in 1928 before transferring to the Wehrmacht as Unterfeldwebel on 1 October 1935. Assigned to Infanterie-Regiment 30 and later Infanterie-Regiment 528, he served as Adjutant of the II. Bataillon during the Westfeldzug and was promoted to Oberleutnant as Chef of the 8. Kompanie in October 1940. From June 1941 he led his company on the Eastern Front and was promoted to Hauptmann in February 1942. On 1 October 1942 he took command of the II. Bataillon of Grenadier-Regiment 528 of the 299. Infanterie-Division. During fighting southeast of Orel near Stara Iwanowka in the Liwny area he was deployed against Soviet forces that had penetrated a neighbouring sector; through swift independent action and repeated counterattacks he held off two Soviet rifle regiments for an entire day, preventing a breakthrough and stabilising the flank. For this achievement he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 March 1943 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 528. Promoted to Major and appointed Kommandeur of the I. Bataillon, he distinguished himself again during the summer defensive battles around Orel in 1943 by repeatedly eliminating strong enemy penetrations with small forces while leading from the front. These leadership successes earned him the Eichenlaub on 2 October 1943 as Major and Kommandeur of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 528 (307th award). He later commanded Grenadier-Regiment 528 and from July 1944 Grenadier-Regiment 11, reaching the rank of Oberst in January 1945. Captured by American forces in May 1945 and released in June, he died on 27 May 1993 in Hanau.
Oberst Heinrich Kiesling (1909-1944) was born on 31 May 1909 in Gröppendorf, Saxony, and entered military service in 1930 with Infanterie-Regiment 10, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1933 and to Hauptmann on 1 April 1939; at the outbreak of war he served as an instructor at the Kriegsschule in Dresden before commanding a battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 192 during the 1940 Westfeldzug, for which he was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 16 May 1940 and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 26 July 1940, later receiving the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen, the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber, and the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 on 18 August 1942. Promoted to Major, he took command of III. Bataillon, Grenadier-Regiment 768 of the 377. Infanterie-Division in April 1942 and distinguished himself on the Eastern Front; on 9 February 1943, as the vanguard of the encircled Kampfgruppe Beukemann (elements of the 75., 340., 377. and 323. Infanterie-Divisionen) attempted to break out of the Soviet ring south of Voronezh, Kiesling personally led the seizure of Beslepkino, beginning the assault with only twelve men until the remainder of his Bataillon could be brought forward, an action that proved decisive in enabling the Kampfgruppe’s successful escape and for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 June 1943 as Major and Kommandeur of III./Grenadier-Regiment 768. Later serving as Führer of Grenadier-Regiment 529 of the 299. Infanterie-Division, he again displayed exceptional leadership on 27 September 1943 east of the Sosch near Roslavl when his regiment’s retreat route was blocked by strong Soviet forces; rejecting the safer option of withdrawing through a boggy forest that would have forced the abandonment of all heavy weapons, Kiesling chose instead to break directly through the enemy lines, disengaging that evening and advancing through dense forest until contact was made with the blocking positions around 22:00, whereupon a prolonged and difficult battle ensued that threatened to stall until a German assault element discovered a concealed path to the northwest that allowed the heavy weapons to be preserved, enabling the regiment to slip through the surprised Soviet lines and, after a long night march, to take up defensive positions in the new German front line on the morning of 28 September 1943 with all heavy weapons and vehicles intact. For this exemplary bravery and leadership he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz (321st award) on 7 November 1943 while still a Major, was simultaneously promoted to Oberstleutnant, and advanced to Oberst on 1 April 1944; he was also mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 13 February 1944. Serving as Kommandeur of Grenadier-Regiment 529, Oberst Heinrich Kiesling was reported missing in action on 18 June 1944 in the area of Vitebsk during the Soviet summer offensive.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/299th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)
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