126th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 126th Infantry Division was a military major unit of the Wehrmacht in the German Reich.
History
The division was in mid-October 1940, mainly from parts of the 11th Infantry Division by submitting the III. Battalions of infantry regiments 2, 23 and 44, and the 253rd Infantry Division, also by evaporation of III. Battalions of infantry regiments 453, 464 and 473 as well as from parts of the artillery regiments, the pioneer battalions of tank destroyers departments and the news departments of the two divisions in the military district VI Münster on the military training ground Senne camp situated. As more units the Reconnaissance Battalion of the 16th Infantry Division and the veterinarians, feed and groom masters of the 36th Infantry Division were added, since the two divisions were motorized.
To attack on the Soviet Union, the division went to Memel from the room and came across the Baltic to Ladoga before to go east of the Volkhov in position. The division in late 1941 was replaced by the Spanish Blue Division and moved westward of the Volkhov. The amplified Infantry Regiment 424, for several months by dividing removed, now came to the front Ilmensee and was involved in the capture of the cities of Novgorod, Sinyavino, Schlüsselburg and Lipki.
From the summer of 1942, the 126th Infantry Division participated in the defense of the boiler of Demyansk part until its evacuation in February 1943. Subsequently, the Division was filled and reclassified into a new kind of Division 44.
After heavy fighting on the Volkhov and Leningrad, the division had to avoid during the withdrawal to Latvia. On February 20, 1944, large parts of the 9th Luftwaffe Field Division were incorporated to replenish.
In the fall of 1944, the Division came under the Army Group North in Riga in the Kurland kettle. After heavy losses, the division was performed only as a battle group. On 8 May 1945 the remaining 70 officers and 3000 soldiers laid in the room Preekuln - Vartava south of Libau down their weapons and joined the march in Soviet captivity. Only the Grenadier Regiment 422 could be evacuated with parts of the 11th Infantry Division shipped across the Baltic Sea.
Structure
- Infantry Regiment 422 ( from 1943 Grenadier Regiment with two instead of three battalions )
- Infantry Regiment 424 ( from 1943 Grenadier Regiment with two instead of three battalions )
- Infantry Regiment 426 ( from 1943 Grenadier Regiment with two instead of three battalions )
- Fusilier Battalion 126 (from 1943)
- Artillery Regiment 126
- Engineer Battalion 126
- Tank Destroyer Division 126
- Reconnaissance Battalion 126
- Field Replacement Battalion 126 (from 1943)
- News department 126
- Division supply officer 126