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90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

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90th Light Infantry Division
90th Light Africa Division insignia.
ActiveAugust 1941 – May 1943
July 1943 – April 1945
CountryNazi Germany Nazi Germany
BranchHeer
TypeInfantry
Light Infantry
Panzergrenadier
Grenadier
SizeDivision
EngagementsNorth African Campaign
Italian Campaign

The 90th Light Infantry Division was a German Army division during World War II.

History

The 90th Light Infantry Division was created in August 1941 as Division z.b.V. Africa, from units already in Africa under the control of Divisions-Kommando z.b.V. Afrika. And through its five-year existence it was redesignated several times, although always known colloquially as the Africa Division. This is because it was the only German combat division to have actually been raised in Africa itself. It fought for the remainder of the North African campaign, finally surrendering to the Allies in Tunisia in May 1943. It was regarded apparently by the 2nd New Zealand Division as their special foe, as the two formations faced each other on several occasions.

As with the other units of the Afrika Korps, replacement units were quickly raised from available troops stationed in Western Europe. As such, the Africa Division was reconstituted as the 90th Panzergrenadier Division in Sardinia during July 1943. Evacuated from Corsica with the Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS to the Italian mainland in October 1943, the division appeared opposite both the Americans and British as they pushed north. It was then very nearly wiped out in the bitter fighting with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division along the Moro River in late November 1943. A short time later it was withdrawn into reserve at Frosinone and redesignated 90th Grenadier Division (Motorized). While still rebuilding, it was deployed piecemeal along the front in response to the Allies spring offensive in 1944 to serve as a rearguard while the balance of the German units in southern Italy fell back to the Winter Line. Shifted southeast from the Franco-Italian border in September 1944, 90th Grenadier was finally listed as destroyed in the fighting south of Bologna. The remainder of its personnel surrendered to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) in Italy capitulation in April 1945.

Lineage

  • Division z.b.V. Africa (August 1941 - November 1941)
  • 90th Light Infantry Division (November 1941 - March 1942)
  • 90th Light Africa Division (March 1942 - May 1943)
  • 90th Panzergrenadier Division (July 1943 - November 1943)
  • 90th Grenadier Division (mot.) (November - 1943 May 1945)

Commanders

Organization

Division z.b.V. Africa

  • Stab
  • Schützen-Regiment 155
  • Infanterie-Regiment 361
  • Sonder-Verband-Regiment 288
  • Artillerie-Abteilung (mot.) 361
  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 605
  • Pionier-Bataillon 900

90th Light Infantry Division

  • Stab
  • Schützen-Regiment 155
  • Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) 200
  • Afrika-Infanterie-Regiment 361
  • Artillerie-Abteilung 361
  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 190

90th Light Africa Division

  • Stab
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 155
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 200
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 361
  • Afrika-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 288
  • Panzer-Abteilung 190 (assigned later in Tunisia)
  • Artillerie-Regiment (mot.) 190
  • Panzer-Aufklärung-Abteilung 580 (later assigned to 21st Panzer)
  • Panzer-Aufklärung-Abteilung 90 (assigned in late 1942)
  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 190
  • Pionier-Bataillon 900
  • Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 190
  • Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 190

90th Panzergrenadier Division

  • Stab
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 155
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 200
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 361
  • Panzer-Abteilung 190
  • Artillerie-Regiment 190
  • Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 242 (retired to the division in October 1943)
  • Panzerjäger-Kompanie 1./190 (only a company, from the October 1943 all the battalion)

See also

References