The 86. Infanterie-Division was established on 26 August 1939 as part of the second mobilization wave (2. Welle) in Wehrkreis VI, drawing personnel primarily from Westphalia and the Lower Rhine. Structurally centered on Infanterie-Regiment 167, Infanterie-Regiment 184, Infanterie-Regiment 216, Artillerie-Regiment 186, and Divisionseinheiten 186, the formation initially manned border defenses along the Westwall before taking part in the 1940 Western Campaign across Luxembourg, Belgium, and northern France. Following occupation duties along the French Atlantic coast, the formation transferred east for Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 under Heeresgruppe Mitte, advancing through Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Smolensk. Led initially by Generalleutnant Joachim Witthöft, the division pushed toward the outskirts of Moscow during Operation Typhoon, fighting fierce autumn actions around the Volga reservoir before holding off violent Soviet winter counteroffensives. On 1 January 1942, Generalmajor Helmuth Weidling assumed command, leading the division through intense, grueling attrition in the Rzhev salient throughout 1942 and early 1943, where soldiers earned numerous Knight’s Cross decorations documented on tracesofwar.com. In July 1943, the division participated in Operation Zitadelle as part of the northern pincer of 9. Armee near Ponyri and Olkhovatka, suffering crippling losses against dense Soviet fortifications. Subsequent retreats across the Dnieper and brutal defensive actions around Gomel shattered its remnants. Consequently, on 3 November 1943, the High Command formally disbanded the battered division, reallocating its surviving combat elements into Divisionsgruppe 86 under Korps-Abteilung E, while divisional staff and support troops were redeployed to form 361. Infanterie-Division. Through years of bitter conflict, the 86. Infanterie-Division exemplified the trajectory of German infantry units, evolving from early successes to catastrophic destruction on the Eastern Front.
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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER
Generalleutnant Otto Schünemann (1891-1944) was born on 6 October 1891 in Doberan and entered military service in 1906 as a volunteer at the Unteroffiziervorschule Jülich, later serving with the 3. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß. He rose through the ranks during the First World War to Offiziersstellvertreter and after 1918 transferred to the police service, returning to the Wehrmacht in 1936 as Major. Promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1938 and to Oberst on 1 December 1940, he took command of Infanterie-Regiment 184 of the 86. Infanterie-Division at the outbreak of war. During the campaign in the East his outstanding leadership proved decisive when, on 15 July 1941, his regiment seized the city of Polozk by a bold strike from the north; this success opened the road for the LVII. Armee-Korps (mot.) to advance toward Newel and Velikiye Luki. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 20 December 1941 as Oberst and Kommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 184. He also received the Ehrenblattspange des Heeres on 28 August 1941 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 11 February 1943. On 1 October 1942 he assumed command of the 337. Infanterie-Division, being promoted to Generalmajor on 1 November 1942 and to Generalleutnant on 1 May 1943. Under his leadership the division conducted prolonged defensive battles south of the Dnieper beginning in April 1943 on both sides of Wassiljewo, then west of Krassnyj southwest of Smolensk from mid-August, and finally south of Ljady in October. For this excellent divisional command he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 28 November 1943 as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur of the 337. Infanterie-Division. In late June 1944, during Operation Bagration, he was temporarily entrusted with the leadership of the XXXIX. Panzerkorps after the death of General der Artillerie Robert Martinek. On 29 June 1944 Schünemann was killed in action near Pagost east of the Beresina while leading his corps. He was named in the Wehrmachtbericht of 3 July 1944.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)
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