251st Infantry Division

The 251st Infantry Division (German: 251. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The division was active in two iterations: the initial 251st Infantry Division was deployed in 1939 and dissolved in November 1943, but another formation by the same name was deployed in September 1944, essentially destroyed in January and formally dissolved in March 1945.

History

First deployment of the 251st Infantry Division, 1939 – 1943

The 251st Infantry Division was formed on the day of German general mobilization, 26 August 1939, as part of the fourth Aufstellungswelle in the Hersfeld area in Wehrkreis IX. It initially consisted of the Infantry Regiments 451, 459, and 471, as well as the Artillery Regiment 251.[1] The initial commander was Hans Kratzert.[2]

  • Infantry Regiment 451 was formed in the Gotha area using the Supplement Battalion 12(S) Hildburghausen as Battalion I, the Supplement Battalion 15 Kassel as Battalion III, and the Supplement Battalion 71 Gotha as Battalion II.[1]
  • Infantry Regiment 459 was formed in the Alsfeld area using the Supplement Battalions 81 Homburg, 88 Hanau, and 106 Aschaffenburg. These supplement battalions were numbered I through III within the regiment.[1]
  • Infantry Regiment 471 was formed in the Butzbach area using the Supplement Battalions 36 Butzbach, 57 Weilburg, and 116 Giessen. These supplement battalions were numbered I through III within the regiment.[1]
  • The four detachments of Artillery Regiment 251, numbered I through IV, were raised in Siegen, Frankfurt am Main, Aschaffenburg, and Fulda.[1]

On 12 December 1939, the 251st Infantry Division passed the 4th Detachment of Artillery Regiment 251, which was motorized, to the army reserves, and in return received the 4th Detachment of Artillery Regiment 239, which was horse-drawn.[1]

On 31 January 1940, the 251st Infantry Division transferred the 3rd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 471 and the 2nd Battery of Artillery Regiment 251 to the newly formed 299th Infantry Division, part of the eighth Aufstellungswelle.[1]

On 1 October 1940, the 251st Infantry Division lost a third of its personnel, including the staff and 3rd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 451, the 3rd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 459, the 3rd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 471, the 1st Detachment of Artillery Regiment 251, and the 4th Detachment of Artillery Regiment 239, to the newly formed 129th Infantry Division. The lost formations were replaced to bring the 251st Infantry Division back to regular strength.[1]

In May 1941, the 251st Infantry Division was transferred to East Prussia in preparation for Operation Barbarossa.[1]

On 6 August 1941, Kratzert was replaced by Karl Burdach as divisional commander.[2]

The 251st Infantry Division was dissolved on 2 November 1943. The division staff subsequently formed the staff of Corps Detachment E. The first battalions of Regiments 451 and 459 joined the Corps Detachment E as Division Group 251, whereas the staffs of Regiments 459 and 471 formed the staffs of Jäger Regiments 54 and 52.[1]

On 10 March 1943, Burdach was replaced by Maximilian Felzmann as divisional commander. He was briefly substituted by Eugen König in early April, then assumed command again until 15 November 1943.[2]

Corps Detachment E

The former and subsequent 251st Infantry Division was known as Corps Detachment E between November 1943 and September 1944.[1]

Second deployment of the 251st Infantry Division, 1944 – 1945

Following a directive on 27 September 1944, Corps Detachment E was once again restructured to once more become the 251st Infantry Division. This second iteration of the division initially contained the Grenadier Regiments 184, 448, and 451, which were formed from the Division Groups 86, 137, and 251, respectively. The personnel of the three regiments hailed from Wehrkreis VI, Wehrkeis XVII, and Wehrkreis IX, respectively. Grenadier Regiment 451 from Wehrkreis IX was the only infantry regiment that served both at the end of the first iteration as well as at the beginning of the second iteration of the 251st Infantry Division. Additionally, the second iteration of the 251st Infantry Division was equipped by the Division Fusilier Battalion 251 and the Artillery Regiment 251.[1] On 10 October 1944, Werner Heucke was appointed divisional commander.[2]

On 1 January 1945, the 251st Infantry Division (then part of 9th Army under Army Group A) had a strength of 11,488 men.[3]: 504 

The 251st Infantry Division was battered in the Warka bridgehead in January 1945 and effectively destroyed during the retreat to West Prussia. In March 1945, the division was dissolved for the final time. Its remaining officers were moved to one of the desperately assembled final formations of the Wehrmacht, the Infantry Division Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.[1] Werner Heucke was still in command until the dissolution of the 251st Infantry Division.[2]

Superior formations
Organizational chart of the 251st Infantry Division[1]
Year Month Army Corps Army Army Group Area
1939 September Army reserves 5th Army Army Group C Eifel
October – December V 4th Army Army Group B
1940 January
May Army Group A Belgium
June OKH reserves Lille
July XXVIII 6th Army Army Group A Brest / Brittany
August Army Group B
September – October Army Group C
November – December Army Group D
1941 January – April
May Army Group reserves Army Group C East Prussia
June XXIII 16th Army Army Group North
July Army Group reserves Daugavpils
August L 9th Army Army Group Center Nevel
September – November XXIII Kalinin
December XXVII Rzhev
1942 January
February – March VI
April XXXXVI
May – July XXVII
August – October VI
November – December XXVII
1943 January
February Corps Burdach
March Army reserves 2nd Panzer Army Oryol
April – June XX
July – August 9th Army
September LVI 2nd Army Desna
October XXXXVI Gomel
November Restructured to Corps Detachment E
November 1943 – October 1944: Corps Detachment E
1944 October – November VIII 9th Army Army Group Center Warka bridgehead
December Army Group A
1945 January
February – March XXVII 2nd Army Army Group Vistula West Prussia

Noteworthy individuals
  • Hans Kratzert, commanding general of the 251st Infantry Division (26 August 1939 – 6 August 1941).
  • Karl Burdach, commanding general of the 251st Infantry Division (6 August 1941 – 10 March 1943).
  • Maximilian Felzmann, commanding general of the 251st Infantry Division (10 March 1943 – April 1943).
  • Eugen König, commanding general of the 251st Infantry Division (April 1943 – 15 November 1943).
  • Werner Heucke, commanding general of the 251st Infantry Division (10 October 1944 – 4 March 1945).

References
  1. Tessin, Georg (1973). "251". Die Landstreitkräfte 201–280. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 8. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 212–217. ISBN 3764808721.
  2. Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). "251st Infantry Division". German Order of Battle. Volume One. 1st-290th Infantry Divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. pp. 247–249. ISBN 9780811734165.
  3. Lakowski, Richard (2008). "Der Zusammenbruch der deutschen Verteidigung zwischen Ostsee und Karpaten". In Müller, Rolf-Dieter (ed.). Die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht. Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. 10/1. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 491–681. ISBN 9783421062376.
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