131st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
| 131st Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | October 1940 – February 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Hanover, Germany |
The 131st Infantry Division (German: 131. Infanteriedivision) was a German Army infantry division in World War II.
Operational history
The 131st Infantry Division was activated in October 1940, primarily out of other divisions - it included soldiers from the 31st and 269th Infantry Divisions, and cavalry from the 19th.[1]
The division participated in Operation Barbarossa and fought during the entire war on the Eastern Front. In January 1945, the division was driven into the so-called Heiligenbeil Pocket, were it was destroyed in March 1945.
Order of battle
- 431st Infantry Regiment
- 432nd Infantry Regiment
- 434th Infantry Regiment
- 131st Reconnaissance Battalion
- 131st Tank-destroyer Battalion
- 131st Engineer Battalion
- 131st Signal Battalion
- 131st Divisional-Resupply Troops
Commanders
- Lieutenant General Heinrich Meyer-Buerdorf (Oct 1940-Jan 1944)
- Lieutenant General Friedrich Weber (Jan-Oct 1944)
- Major General of Reserves Werner Schulze (Oct 1944-Jan 1945)
- Colonel Nobiz (Jan-April 1945)
Sources
- ^ Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle: 1st-290th Infantry divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. pp. 182–183.