719th Infantry Division (Germany)

German 719th Infantry Division, (German: "719. Infanterie Division") was founded in early May 1941 and spent most of World War II stationed in the Netherlands and Antwerp until the Allied invasion of Normandy. The 719th fought in several defensive battles until being destroyed in April 1945.Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=719th Infanterie Division
dates=May 1941-April 1945
country=Germany
branch=Army
type=Infantry

History

The Division was formed on May 3, 1941 and was transferred to occupation activity in the Netherlands. Until July 1942 the division was part of the Command of the German Troops in the Netherlands. In July 1942 it was transferred to LXXXVIII Korps, Niederlande Armee, Armeegruppe D. The LXXXVIII Korps was transferred to Armeegruppe B in May 1944. The division remained there until September 7, 1944 when it was transferred to Antwerp as part of the LXXXVIII Korps, 1. Fsch Armee, Armeegruppe B. This move was to prepare for the Allied advance. Within a month, the division was again transferred to LXVII Korps, 15. Armee, Armeegruppe B, active in the Netherlands. It fought at Fort Merxem, Woensdrecht, Breda before being transferred to the Saarpfalz region in February 1945. In the Saarpfalz, the division was a part of LXXXV Korps, 1. Armee, Armeegruppe G. It fought at Œting at Saarlautern and in the Palatinate region before being destroyed. It is possible that the Division zbV 405 a small unit (zbV, German "zur besonderen Verwendung" indicates a special purpose unit, often very small), may have been reformed as 719th Division. If so, this unit would have been too small and unorganized to have had any significance at the end of the war.

Organization

1941

* Infanterie-Regiment 723
* Infanterie-Regiment 743
* Artillerie-Abteilung 663
* Aufklärungs-Kompanie 719
* Panzerjäger-Kompanie 719
* Pionier-Kompanie 719
* Nachrichten-Kompanie 719

1944

* Grenadier-Regiment 723
* Grenadier-Regiment 743
* Grenadier-Regiment 766
* Artillerie-Regiment 1719
* Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 719
* Panzerjäger-Abteilung 719
* Pionier-Bataillon 719
* Nachrichten-Abteiliung 719
* Sanitäts-Abteilung 719
* Feldersatz-Bataillon 719

ee also

*Heer Order of Battle
*Wehrmacht
*Waffen-SS
*List of German divisions in World War II

External links

* [http://www.feldgrau.com/InfDiv.php?ID=312 Feldgrau Division Histories]