20th Infantry Division (Germany)

20th Infantry Division (Germany)

20th Infantry Division
20th Motorized Infantry Division
20th Panzergrenadier Division

The German 20th Infantry Division was established in 1934 under the cover name "Reichswehrdienststelle Hamburg", and did not assume its bona-fide designation until the creation of the Wehrmacht was announced in October 1935. In the fall of 1937 it was upgraded to a fully motorized division. (Most German divisions during the World War II era had no transport for the infantry and used horses to tow their artillery; German industry could not turn out sufficient motor transport while also trying to meet other military requirements.)

As the 20th Motorized Infantry Division the unit took part in the invasion of Poland as part of Heinz Guderian's XIX Corps. During that campaign the motorized divisions were found to be somewhat unwieldy, so afterward the 20th and other motorized divisions were reorganized to reduce their size by about a third, leaving them with six motorized infantry battalions organized into two regiments, plus ordinary divisional support units.

In May 1940 the division took part in the invasion of France, and remained there on occupation duty until April 1941, except for one brief period on reserve in Germany. In June 1941 it joined Operation Barbarossa under Army Group Center. In September it was transferred to Army Group North, and it spent most of 1942 on the Volkhov Front. In December it was transferred back to Army Group South for the relief attempt at the Battle of Velikiye Luki.

In July 1943 it was redesignated as 20th Panzergrenadier Division; by that time it had been given an assault gun battalion to support its infantry. It remained on the Eastern Front for the remainder of the war, switched frequently between army groups in the role of a mechanized "fire brigade", and ended the war fighting along the Oder River in Silesia.fact|date=March 2007

See also

* Panzergrenadier, Infantry
* Division (military), Military unit
* Heer, Wehrmacht, List of German divisions in WWII

References

*Cite book| author=Guderian, Heinz | title=Panzer Leader (abridged) | publisher=First Ballantine Books Edition, 1957. New York: Ballantine Books | year=1952 | id=ISBN 0345253299
* Pipes, Jason. " [http://www.feldgrau.com/InfDiv.php?ID=20 20.Infanterie-Division] ". Retrieved May 10 2005.
* Wendel, Marcus (2004). " [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1012 20. Infanterie-Division (mot)] ". Retrieved May 10 2005.
* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/20ID-R.htm 20. Infanteriedivision] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved May 10 2005.
*" [http://www.20pzgrendiv.eu 20. Panzergrenadierdivision] ", comprehensive website about "The 20th".


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 20th Panzer Division (Germany) — The 20th Panzer Division was formed on October 15, 1940 in Erfurt, Germany. As part of Hitler s plans to double the number of Panzer Divisions the 19th Infantry Division and a number of other units were canibalized for men and material, and then… …   Wikipedia

  • 33rd Infantry Division (Germany) — The 33rd Infantry Division (later 15th Panzer Division and 15th Panzergrenadier Division) was a unit in the German Army during World War II.HistoryThis unit was created as the 33rd Infantry Division in 1936, and mobilized in 1939, but it did not… …   Wikipedia

  • 5th Guard Infantry Division (Germany) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=5th Guard Infantry Division ( 5. Garde Infanterie Division ) dates=1917 1919 country=Germany branch=Army type=Infantry size=Approx. 15,000 battles=World War I: Second Battle of the Aisne, Cambrai, Spring Offensive …   Wikipedia

  • 99th Light Infantry Division (Germany) — The German 99th Light Infantry Division was raised in November 1940 and remained in training at Bad Kissingen until the summer of 1941. In June it took part in Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of the Soviet Union and operated in Poland… …   Wikipedia

  • 20th Armored Division (United States) — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 20th Armored Division caption=Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 20th Armored Division dates= 1943 1946 country= United States allegiance= branch= U.S. Army type= Armored division role= size= command… …   Wikipedia

  • 111th Infantry Division (German Empire) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=111th Infantry Division ( 111. Infanterie Division ) dates=1915 1919 country=Germany branch=Army type=Infantry size=Approx. 12,500 battles=World War I: Battle of Loos, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Arras (1917),… …   Wikipedia

  • 9th Panzer Division (Germany) — The German 9th Panzer Division ( Neunte Panzerdivision ) came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940.The 4th Light Division (sometimes described as Light Mechanized or Light Panzer to distinguish it from the later …   Wikipedia

  • 20th Division — In military terms, 20th Division or 20th Infantry Division may mean:; Infantry divisions :* 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) (Germany) * 20th Infantry Division (Germany) * 20th Division (German Empire) * 20th Infantry… …   Wikipedia

  • 4th Infantry Division (United States) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=U.S. 4th Infantry Division caption=4th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia country=United States of America allegiance=United States Army type= branch=Regular Army dates=December 10, 1917 – September 21,… …   Wikipedia

  • 2nd Infantry Division (United States) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=2nd Infantry Division caption=2nd Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia country=United States of America allegiance= type=Division branch=Regular Army dates=October 26, 1917 – present specialization= Infantry… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”