379th Infantry Division

379th Infantry Division
German: 379. Infanterie-Division
Active15 March 1940 – 15 August 1940
Country Nazi Germany
BranchArmy (Wehrmacht)
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQLublin, German-occupied Poland

The 379th Infantry Division (German: 379. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German army during World War II. It existed between March and August 1940.

History

The 379th Infantry Division was formed as one of the Landesschützen divisions of the ninth Aufstellungswelle on 15 March 1940 in Lublin (German-occupied Poland). Its staff was drawn from the personnel of the Divisional Staff z.b.V. 424, which had been assembled on 24 October 1939 in Wehrkreis XIII. Initially, the 379th Infantry Division consisted of three infantry regiments, one artillery battery, one bicycle squadron and a signals company. The infantry regiments were numbered 653, 654 and 655.[1]: 23  The initial commander of the 379th Infantry Division was Ludwig Müller (not to be confused with another Wehrmacht general by the same name).[2] The personnel of the division was mainly drawn from older conscripts that had been called up during general mobilization in September 1939.[3]: 252 

Between November 1939 and May 1940, the 379th Infantry Division served as part of Grenzschutzabschnittskommando Mitte, the frontier guards in the central border sector of German-occupied Poland towards the Soviet Union.[4]: 205f. 

Having served in German-occupied Poland, the division was prepared after the stunning German victory over France in June 1940 for immediate dissolution, as military priorities no longer required the various Landesschützen divisions. Autonomous home guard battalions (German: Heimat-Wach-Bataillone) were formed from the various battalions of the three regiments of the 379th Infantry Division. These home guard battalions received designations as Landesschützen battalions 617, 619 through 624 and 636 through 638.[1]: 23 

The division itself was formally dissolved on 15 August 1940 at Friedberg and Butzbach in Wehrkreis IX; the divisional staff went on to form the Oberfeldkommandantur 379, again headquartered in Lublin.[1]: 23  The final divisional commander had been Wilhelm von Altrock, who had taken command from his predecessor Müller on 28 May 1940.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Tessin, Georg (1975). Die Landstreitkräfte 371–500. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945. Vol. 10. Biblio.
  2. ^ a b Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). "379th Infantry Division". German Order of Battle: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811734370.
  3. ^ Mitcham, Samuel W. (1985). Hitler's Legions: The German Army Order of Battle, World War II. Stein and Days Publishing. ISBN 0812829921.
  4. ^ McCroden, William T.; Nutter, Thomas E. (2019). German Ground Forces of World War II: Complete Orders of Battle for Army Groups, Armies, Army Corps, and Other Commands of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, September 1, 1939 to May 8, 1945. Savas Beatie. ISBN 9781611211092.