208th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

The 208th Infantry Division, or 208.Infanterie-Division in German, was a large military unit that served during World War II. Like most German infantry divisions, the bulk of its troops were foot-mobile infantry supported by horse-drawn artillery.

208th Infantry Division
208. Infanterie-Division
Division insignia
Active	August 1939–May 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II Kamenets-Podolsky pocket

The 208th Infantry Division was formed on 26 August 1939. it served in the invasion of Poland of 1939 as a reserve division of Army Group North and was commanded by General Moritz Andreas. During Fall Gelb it was a reserve division allocated to 18th Army and was mainly active in the occupation of northern Belgium. From January 1942 it fought continuously on the Eastern Front.

On 1 January 1945, the 208th Infantry Division (then part of Army Group Heinrici under Army Group A) had a strength of 9,840 men.^[1]: 504

Commanding officers

• Generalleutnant Moritz Andreas, (1 September 1939 – 13 December 1941)
• General der Infanterie Hans-Karl von Scheele, (13 December 1941 – 1 February 1943)
• Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben, (1 February 1943 – ? April 1943)
• Generalmajor Georg Zwade, (? April 1943 – 22 June 1943)
• Generalleutnant Heinz Piekenbrock, (22 June 1943 – 8 May 1945)

Order of battle

1939

• Infantry Regiment 309
• Infantry Regiment 337
• Infantry Regiment 338
• Artillery Regiment 208
• Engineer Battalion 208
• Anti-Tank Detachment 208
• Reconnaissance Detachment 208
• Intelligence Department 208
• Supply Troops 208

1943

• Grenadier Regiment 309
• Grenadier Regiment 337
• Grenadier Regiment 338
• Fusilier Battalion 208
• Artillery Regiment 208
• Pioneer Battalion 208
• Panzerjäger Detachment 208
• Intelligence Department 208
• Supply Troops 208

See also

• German order of battle for Operation Fall Weiss
• List of German Divisions in World War II

References

1. Lakowski, Richard (2008). "Der Zusammenbruch der deutschen Verteidigung zwischen Ostsee und Karpaten". In Müller, Rolf-Dieter (ed.). Die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht. Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. 10/1. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 491–681. ISBN 9783421062376.