76th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

76th Infantry Division
76. Infanterie-Division
Active	26 August 1939 –1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II Odessa Offensive

The 76th Infantry Division was created on 26 August 1939 together with the 23rd Infantry Division in Potsdam.

History

The division was annihilated in the Battle of Stalingrad and reformed by the OB West on 17 February 1943.

In 1944, the 76th ID was involved in heavy fighting with Soviet troops in Ukraine and eastern Romania.
In the defensive battles for Letcani and Iaşi (German: Jassy) the 76th ID suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw across the Bahlui River.
In September and October 1944, the 76th ID was again refreshed with new troops before surrendering in 1945 in Slovakia.

Organization

Structure of the division:^[1]

• Headquarters
• 178th Infantry Regiment
• 203rd Infantry Regiment
• 230th Infantry Regiment
• 176th Artillery Regiment
• 176th Reconnaissance Battalion
• 176th Anti-Tank Battalion
• 176th Engineer Battalion
• 176th Signal Battalion
• 176th Divisional Supply Group

Commanding officers

• General der Artillerie Maximilian de Angelis, 1 September 1939
• Generalleutnant Carl Rodenburg, 26 January 1942 – 31 January 1943, POW

Second formation

• General der Infanterie Erich Abraham, 1 April 1943
• Generalleutnant Otto-Hermann Brücker, July 1944
• General der Infanterie Erich Abraham, August 1944
• Generalleutnant Siegfried von Rekowski, 17 October 1944
• Oberst Dr. Wilhelm-Moritz Freiherr von Bissing, 8 February 1945
• Generalmajor Erhard-Heinrich Berner, 14 February 1945

References

1. German Order of Battle, 1st-290th Infantry Divisions in WWII. p. 85.

• Tessin, Georg (1972). "Die Landstreitkräfte 71—130". Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939—1945 (in German). Vol. 6. Frankfurt/Main: E.S. Mittler. pp. 29–31.