164. leichte Afrika-Division
| 164th Light Africa Division | |
|---|---|
 Divisional insignia | |
| Active | November 1939 – May 1943 |
| Country |  National Socialist Germany
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry, in Africa motorized |
| Role | Desert warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Josef Folttmann Carl Hans Lungershausen |
The 164. leichte Afrika-Division (English: 164th Light Africa Division) was an infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during World War II and achieved a certain fame in the African campaign (Afrikafeldzug) and the Tunisian campaign (Tunesienfeldzug).
History
On the morning of 16 April 1941, Infanterie-Regiment 382 (part of the 164th Infanterie-Division) under Helmuth Beukemann carried out an amphibious assault on the island of Samothraki in the Aegean Sea, which was allegedly occupied by a combination of Greek and British forces. When five fishing boats carrying German troops landed on the island, several Greek partisans dressed as police officers, who had previously fired on them, disappeared into the mountains. The arrival of the German troops was greeted enthusiastically by the islanders, who gave Beukemann (center) and his men the German salute. The partisans had been terrorizing the people. There was no resistance at all on the island, which during World War I had been used as a staging ground for the Entente military operations at Gallipoli.
Defensive position of a 50 mm PaK 38 (L/60) gun (5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 38 [L/60]) of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125/164. leichte Afrika-Division in El Alamein, Egypt in October 1942. Oberstleutnant Karl Ens (left) inspects the camouflage net that has been draped over the desert rocks and the gun. The Wehrmacht officer was awarded the Knight's Cross on 14 May 1941 as Major and Kommandeur of the II.Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment 125 (motorisiert). In the First World War, Ens became a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1. Badisches Leib-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 109. Ernst's final rank in World War II was Colonel. He was declared MIA on 15 April 1945 near Görlitz, and was finally officially declared dead by Amtsgericht Baiersbronn on 11 December 1957. This photo itself was taken by Kriegsberichter Dohm.
- 164. Infanterie-Division: 27 November 1939
- The 164th Infantry Division was set up on 27 November 1939 at the Königsbrück military training area in Military District IV as a division of the 7th deployment wave made up of replacement troops from Military District IV as a two-unit division. As part of the setup, the following units were formed:
- Infantry Regiment 382 (from Infantry Replacement Battalions 304, 465 and 394)
- Infantry Regiment 433 (with new personnel and the staffs of Infantry Replacement Regiment 56 and Infantry Battalions 173, 475 and 392)
- Light Artillery Department 220 (with 3 batteries from I. Department / Artillery Replacement Department 209)
- After its formation, the division remained in Königsbrück and initially served as a training division in January and February. On 20 January 1940, the personnel were added to the field replacement battalions 4 (Reichenberg), 14 (Leipzig) and 44 (Vienna), and a further expansion into a three-unit division was implemented. This changed the structure:
- Infantry Regiment 382 (with new 2nd Battalion from Field Replacement Battalion 14)
- Infantry Regiment 433 (with new III Battalion from Field Replacement Battalion 44)
- Infantry Regiment 440 (with 1st Battalion from Field Replacement Battalion 4, 2nd Battalion from 2nd Battalion/IR 382 and 3rd Battalion from 3rd Battalion/IR 433)
- Artillery Regiment 220 (with staff from Artillery Regiment 209 and four departments from the light artillery departments 220 and 248, as well as a new heavy department)
- Division Troops No. 220 (pioneers, intelligence troops, anti-tank department, etc.)
- In preparation for the Western Campaign, the division was relocated to the Bitburg area in West Germany as a reserve of the Army High Command. At the end of January 1941, the victorious division moved together with the XXX. Army Corps of the 12th Army (Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List) to Romania in the area of the Southeast Commander. The division took part as part of XXX. Army Corps (50th Infantry Division and 164th Infantry Division) in the Balkan campaign from 9 April 1941.
- The 164th Infantry Division was set up on 27 November 1939 at the Königsbrück military training area in Military District IV as a division of the 7th deployment wave made up of replacement troops from Military District IV as a two-unit division. As part of the setup, the following units were formed:
- Festungs-Division Kreta: 10 January 1942
- From November 1941, the division was transferred to the island of Crete in sea and air transport. During this time it continued to be directly subordinate to the 12th Army. Two months later the division was renamed to Crete Fortress Brigade. From 7 July 1942, part of the division was flown to Tobruk by air transport. Further parts were brought by ship from Crete (Suda) to Tobruk. The German and Italian ship squadron consisted of: Mitragliere, ZG 3, torpedo boats Sirio and Cassiopeia, the submarine hunters 2104, 2107, the steamers Citta di Alessandria, Citta di Savona, Citta di Agrigento, Delos, Santa FeIm. After arriving in Tobruk, the troops were immediately taken to the front in El Alamein and half were assigned to the two German Panzer divisions (Panzerarmee Afrika). The troops that were not transferred to Africa remained with the Crete Fortress Brigades until September 1942. The 440th Infantry Regiment came to the 1st Crete Fortress Brigade. Parts of the 220 Artillery Regiment came to the 2nd Crete Fortress Brigade as the 619 Artillery Regiment.
- Josef Folttmann arrived in Tobruk with the divisional staff on 21 July 1942.
- 164. leichte Afrika-Division: 15 August 1942
- In August 1942, the 164th Light Africa Division was set up analogous to the organization of the Light Infantry Division in the Association of the Panzer Army Africa under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel. The formation of a combat group by the high command of the “Panzergruppe Afrika” had already begun at the end of July 1942. The following units were formed or incorporated into the division:[6]
- Infantry Regiment 125 (motorized) (from army troops in Africa fully motorized at the start of the operation)
- Infantry Regiment 382 (motorized) (from Infantry Regiment 382 of the Crete Fortress Division equipped with bicycles when unloaded in Tobruk/Derna / partially motorized with captured vehicles)
- Infantry Regiment 433 (motorized) (from Infantry Regiment 433 of the Crete Fortress Division equipped with bicycles when unloaded in Tobruk/Derna / partially motorized with captured vehicles)
- Pioneer Battalion (motorized) 220
- Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 220 (with 5 companies (1st (Pz.Späh.)/2nd (Aufkl.Kp)/3rd Heavy Company/4th Assault Gun Company/Staff Company))
- Artillery Regiment (motorized) 220 (from Artillery Regiment 220 and a battery of heavy field howitzers of the army troops (Art.Btr. 903 (motorized)))
- Panzerjäger Battalion 220
- Divisional units No. 220
- The 164th Light Africa Division fought as part of the Panzerarmee Afrika (later the German-Italian Panzer Army) from August to November 1942 in the front line near El Alamein and suffered significant losses during the major offensive of the British 8th Army under General Bernard Montgomery. It was only with difficulty that she was able to break away from the enemy and take part in the army's retreat from Egypt through Libya to southern Tunisia. The last combat missions of the 164th Light Africa Division took place in the formation of the Italian 1st Army under Generaloberst Giovanni Messe from February 1943. In this composition, the unit, together with the German 21st Panzer Division, unsuccessfully defended the narrows, which had already been fortified in Roman times, in March 1943 by Tebaga.
- In the following retreat battles, the 164th Light Africa Division continued to operate in conjunction with the Italian formation until the surrender of Army Group Africa on 13 May 1943 in the battle area north of Tunis. The division was formally disbanded on 30 June 1943 and was not re-established.
- In August 1942, the 164th Light Africa Division was set up analogous to the organization of the Light Infantry Division in the Association of the Panzer Army Africa under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel. The formation of a combat group by the high command of the “Panzergruppe Afrika” had already begun at the end of July 1942. The following units were formed or incorporated into the division:[6]
Structure
1939:
- Infantry Regiment 382 with I.–III. from Infantry Replacement Battalions 304, 465 and 394
- Infantry Regiment 433 with I.–III. from Staff/Infantry Replacement Regiment 56 and the Battalion Staffs 173, 475 and 392
- Light Artillery Division 220 with three batteries from Artillery Replacement Battalion I./209
| 164. Infanterie-Division 1940 |
164. leichte Afrika-Division 1942 |
|---|---|
|
|
| Artillerie-Regiment 220 | |
| Pionier-Bataillon 220 | |
| Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 220 | Aufklärungs-Abteilung 220[1] |
| Feldersatz-Bataillon 220 | |
| Nachrichten-Abteilung 220 | Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 220 |
| Nachschubtruppen 220 | |
Commanders
- 1.12.1939 to 10.1.1940 Oberst/Generalmajor Konrad Haase
- 10.1.1940 to 2.8.1942 Generalmajor/Generalleutnant Josef Folttmann
- 2.8.1942 to 10.8.1942 Oberst Helmuth Beukemann (delegated with the deputy leadership; mstFb)
- 10.8.1942 to 31.8.1942 Oberst Karl Hans Lungershausen (delegated with the leadership; mFb)
- 1.9.1942 to 18.9.1942 Oberst Hans Hecker (delegated with the deputy leadership; mstFb)
- 18.9./1.10.1942 to 8.12.1942 Oberst/Generalmajor Karl Hans Lungershausen
- 21 September 1942 Officially delegated with the leadership with effect from 10 August 1942
- 26 October 1942 Officially appointed commander with effect from 1 October 1942
- 8.12.1942 to 28.12.1942 Oberst Siegfried Westphal (delegated with the deputy leadership; mstFb)
- 28.12.1942 to 16.1.1943 Oberst Kurt Freiherr von Liebenstein (delegated with the leadership; mFb)
- 16.1.1943 to 18.2.1943 Oberst Rudolf Becker (delegated with the deputy leadership; mstFb)
- 18.2.1943 to 13.3.1943 Generalmajor Fritz Krause (delegated with the deputy leadership; mstFb)
- 13.3.1943 to 13.5.1943 Generalmajor Kurt Freiherr von Liebenstein
External links
- 164. leichte Afrika-Division, lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de
- Foto 164. Infanterie-Division / 164. leichte Afrika-Division
- 164. Infanterie-Division / Festungs-Division Kreta / 164. leichte Afrika-Division, EHRI-Portal (Bundesarchiv)
References
- ↑ Renamed to Panzer-Reconnaissance Battalion 220 on 10 October 1942 and to Panzer-Reconnaissance Battalion 164 on 29 April 1943
