The 159th Infantry Division (German: 159. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. The unit, at times designated Commander of Reserve Troops IX (German: Kommandeur der Ersatztruppen IX), 159th Division (German: 159. Division), Division No. 159 (German: Division Nr. 159), and 159th Reserve Division (German: 159. Reserve-Division), was active between 1939 and 1945.
History
Previous formations
The Commander of Reserve Troops IX was formed in Kassel as part of German general mobilization on 26 August 1939.[1] Its initial purpose was to form a command staff for reserve units in the ninth Wehrkreis (military district). This military district was headquartered in Kassel and included most of Hesse as well as parts of Thuringia. The 159th Division was formed as a result of the redesignation of the Commander of Reserve Troops IX on 9 November 1939. The 159th Division was redesignated Division No. 159 on 1 January 1940. The division was deployed from Kassel to Frankfurt am Main on 11 January 1940.[2]
159th Reserve Division
The Division No. 159 was split in two as a result of the restructuring of the Replacement Army on 1 October 1942. While one part of the division became the 189th Reserve Division, the rest retained the ordinal number 159 and became the 159th Reserve Division.[2] Subsequently, it was made ready for its first deployment outside of Germany.[1]
The division was placed under the supervision of the LXVI Army Corps and deployed to Bourg in France. The division consisted of the Reserve Infantry Regiments 214 (nicknamed Brunhilde, infantry battalions 106, 367, 388) and 251 (infantry battalions 36, 81, 205, 471). The Brunhilde Reserve Infantry Regiment 214, now designated Grenadier Regiment 870, was soon passed to the 356th Infantry Division. In turn, the 159th Reserve Division received the Reserve Grenadier Regiment 9 from the 189th Reserve Division.[2] In November 1942, the 159th Reserve Division, which now consisted of the Reserve Grenadier Regiments 9, 52 and 251, participated in Case Anton, the de facto annexation of Vichy France by Germany.[1]
In December 1943, the 159th Reserve Division consisted of the following units:[2]
On 9 October 1944, the army command of the 19th Army ordered the remainders of the 159th Reserve Division reorganized into an infantry division of the 32nd Aufstellungswelle.[2]
The planned composition for the 159th Infantry Division in October 1944 consisted of the following units:[2]
This planned strength was never fully realized, as the retreat from France resulted in constant attrition and combat losses. Furthermore, the Regiment 1211 was not fully deployed until January 1945, weeks before the division's destruction.[2]
The 159th Infantry Division, which had participated in Operation Nordwind in January 1945, was trapped in the Colmar Pocket starting on 20 January and destroyed by early February.[2]
Superior formations
Between February 1943 and March 1945, the 159th Reserve Division and 159th Reserve Infantry Division were subordinate to the following formations:[2]
Obfähnr. G. Müller, staff and personnel of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 159
References
^ abcdefghijkMitcham, Samuel W. (2007). "159th Infantry (Formerly Reserve) Division". German Order of Battle: 1st-290th Infantry divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN9780811734165.
^ abcdefghiTessin, Georg (1972). Die Landstreitkräfte 131-200. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 7. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 113–117. ISBN3764808721.
