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708th Infantry Division

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708th Infantry Division
ActiveMay 1941 – August 1944
Country Nazi Germany
BranchArmy
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision

The 708th Infantry Division (German: 708. Infanteriedivision) was a German Army infantry division in World War II.[1]

History

The 708th Infantry Division was formed in May 1941 and transferred to France in June to serve as an occupational force in the area around Bordeaux and Royan.

A month after the D-day landings in July 1944, the 708th were moved north-west to Normandy to cut off the Allies' supply lines. Failing to halt the allied advance, the Wehrmacht quickly moved out of France in August. The division's commander, Generalmajor Arndt was killed in Troyes on 24 August during the evacuation. The 708th was destroyed near Le Mans in the evacuation. Survivors were moved into the newly formed 708th People's Grenadier Division (708. Volks grenadierdivision).

Order of battle

1941
  • 728. Infanterie-Regiment
  • 748. Infanterie-Regiment
  • 658. Artillerie-Abteilung
  • 708. Pionier-Kompanie
  • 708. Nachrichten-Kompanie
  • 708. Versorgungstruppen
1944
  • 728. Grenadier-Regiment
  • 748. Grenadier-Regiment
  • 360. Festungs-Grenadier-Regiment
  • 708. Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon
  • 658. Artillerie-Regiment
  • 708. FlaK-Kompanie
  • 708. Feldersatz-Bataillon
  • 708. Panzerjäger-Kompanie
  • 708. Pionier-Bataillon
  • 708. Nachrichten-Abteilung
  • 708. Versorgungstruppen

Commanders

  • Generalmajor Walter Drobnig (3 May 1941 - 1 Mar 1942)
  • Generalleutnant z.V. Hermann Wilck (1 Mar 1942 - 30 July 1943)
  • Generalmajor Edgar Arndt (30 July 1943 - 24 Aug 1944) (KIA) (1)

Operations Officers

  • Major Wilhelm Breidenstein (Sep 1943 - Feb 1944)
  • Oberstleutnant Heinz-Joachim Mueller-Lamkow (Feb 1944 - Aug 1944)

Sources

  1. ^ "708. Infanteriedivision". Axishistory.com. Retrieved 31 July 2010.