LXXXVIII corps units, Holland 1944

[MadDog]

I am in the process of collecting information on various units of the LXXXVIII Corps that fought in Holland, 1944. Does anyone have any combat strength or equipment lists for the following units (I already have the theoretical structures):

711th division
712th division
719th division
245th division
331st division
KG Chill (very confusing - no 2 sources seem to agree)
559 s.Pz.Jg.Abt. (supposedly had a few Jg.Panthers, but I dont have a good idea on stug strength)

thanks,

Mad Dog

[Doug Nash]

Mad Dog -
email me and I'll send you an account the Canadian Army wrote in 1954 that goes into great detail concerning the German retreat into Holland 23 Aug - 8 Nov 1944 and the fighting at Arnhem. It treats the LXXXVIII in some detail, as I recall.
Regards,
Doug Nash

[Shadow]

Greetings “Mad Dog”!!

As well as Doug’s excellent reference, which I have now read, you might be interested in the following:

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1951

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... IKorps.htm

http://home.hetnet.nl/~conny-rene/Korps ... I%20AK.htm

Best regards,

[Jan-Hendrik]

More on Pz.Jg.Abt.559 in Nederland



Jan-Hendrik

[MadDog]

Thanks Jan-Hendrik, but I already have those links. I am also in one of those threads ("Tom").

thanks,

Mad Dog

[Rich]

Thanks Jan-Hendrik, but I already have those links. I am also in one of those threads ("Tom").

thanks,

Mad Dog

Hope this helps some. Approximate organization of WBN and LXXXVIII A.K. circa 1 June 1944. I'm afraid not as much detail as in some other entries, except for those units that went to Normandy (my interest focus). I may have some other things from later in the campaign more related to your period of interest though.

Wehrmacht Befehlshaber Niederlande (W.B.N.)
Gefechtsstand – Amsterdam
Kdr: General der Flieger Friedrich Christiansen
Chef des Stabes Generalleutnant Heinz-Hellmuth von Wühlisch
Ia: Oberst Leon Müller
IIa: Oberstleutnant Schulz
Kommandeur der Armee-Nachschubtruppen 588
Nachschub-Stab z.b.V. 266
Feldkommandantur 674 – Groningen
Feldkommandantur 724 – Utrecht
Kreiskommandantur 772 – Almelo
Feldgendarmerie-Trupp 828
Ortskommandantur 215 – Breda
Ortskommandantur 778 – Arnhem
Ortskommandantur 782 – Zwolle
Ortskommandantur 783 – Groningen
Ortskommandantur 784 – Rotterdam
Ortskommandantur 868 – Schiedam
Ortskommandantur 869 – Nijmegen
Ortskommandantur 870 – Venlo
Ortskommandantur 871 – s’Hertogenbosch
Ortskommandantur 872 – Dordrecht
Ortskommandantur 873 – Leiden
Ortskommandantur 874 – Leeuwarden
Ortskommandantur 875 – Gouda
Ortskommandantur 876 – Gorinchem
Ortskommandantur 877 – Den Helder
Ortskommandantur 878 – Roermond
Ortskommandantur 879 – Venlo
Ortskommandantur 880 – Amersfoort
Ortskommandantur 881 – Tilburg
Ortskommandantur 938 – Utrecht
Geheime Feldpolizei Gruppe 3
Gefechtsstand – Amsterdam (?)
Geheime Feldpolizei Gruppe 9
Gefechtsstand – Schevening
Fest.-Pi.-Kdr. XIV
Fest.-Pi. Stab 12
Fest.-Pi.-Btl. 12
1.-3. (Bau) Kp
Fest.-Pi.-Stab 15
Fest.-Pi.-Btl. 15
1.-3. (Bau) Kp.
19. Pz.-Div. (refitting)
Kdr: Generalleutnant Hans Källner
IIa.: Hauptmann Wilhelm Buschmann
Sich.-Regt. 26
I. Btl (Ls.-Btl. Niederlande)
1.-4. Kp.
II. Btl. (Ls.-Btl. 277)
5.-8. Kp.
Flak-Abtl. (Flak-Abtl. Niederlande)
1.-2. Kp.
LXXXVIII Armeekorps (A.K.)
Gefechtsstand – Utrecht
Kdr: General der Infanterie Hans-Wolfgang Reinhard
Chef des Generalstabes: Oberst Curt von Eichert-Wiersdorff
Ia: Major Rudolf Siefart
IIa: Major Graf von Pleesen-Cronstern
Korpstruppen
Korps-Nachr.-Abtl. 488
Kommandeure der Korps-Nachschubtruppen 488
Festungs-Stammtruppen LXXXVIII A.K.
ARKO 119 (bo)
le.Art.-Abtl. 555 (beh-mot)
Gefechtsstand – Den Haag
1.-3. Bttr. (four 12.2cm s.FH 396 (r) each)
Pz.Jg.-Abtl. 657
Pz.Jg.-Kp. 612
Pz.Jg.-Kp. 613
Pz.-Kp. 222
Ost-Tragtier-Btl. 1000 (Turkestanisches)
Schnelle-Brigade (Sch.-Brig.) 20
Gefechtsstand – Loenen
Kdr: Oberst Helmuth Wachsen
Regt. Stab von Fritschen
Sch.-Abtl.503
Sch.-Abtl.504
Sch.-Abtl. 506
Regt. Stab von Glasow
Sch.-Abtl.509
Sch.-Abtl.510
Sch.-Abtl.511
Sch.-Abtl. 512
347. Inf.-Div. (bo) – (W.B.N. Küstenverteidigungabschnitt (K.V.A.)-Schagen)
Gefechtsstand – Ijmuiden
Kdr: Generalleutnant Wolf Trierenberg
Ia: Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Schäfer
Festung Ijmuiden
Verteidigungsbereich (V.B.) Den Helder
Ost-Btl. 787 (Turkestanisches) (IV./Gren.-Regt. (861)
Ost-Btl. 803 (Nordkaukasisches) (IV./Gren.Regt. 860)
16. Feld-Div. (LW) (bo) (W.B.N. K.V.A.-Amsterdam)
Gefechtsstand – Unknown
Kdr: Generalmajor Karl Sievers
Feld-Div. (LW) Nachr.-Kp. 16
Feld-Div. (LW) Nachschub-Btl. 16
Feld-Div. (LW)Verwaltungs-Btl. 16
Feld-Div. (LW) Sanitäts-Btl. 16
Feld-Div. (LW) Veterinär-Kp. 16
Feld-Div. (LW) Feldpost 16
Feld-Div. (LW) Feldgendarmerie-Tr. 16
Jg.-Regt. (LW) 31
I Btl.
1.-4. Kp.
II Btl.
5.-8. Kp.
14. (Pz.Jg.) Kp. (six 7.5cm s.Pak)
Jg.-Regt. (LW) 32
I Btl.
1.-4. Kp.
II Btl.
5.-8. Kp.
14. (Pz.Jg.) Kp. (six 5cm m.Pak)
Jg.-Regt. (LW) 46
I Btl.
1.-4. Kp.
II Btl.
5.-8. Kp.
14. (Pz.Jg.) Kp. (six 5cm m.Pak)
Art.-Regt. (LW) 16
I Abtl.
1.Bttr. (no guns)
2.-3. Bttr. (four 7.62cm le.FK(r))
II Abtl.
4.Bttr. (four 7.62cm le.FK(r))
5.Bttr. (no guns)
6.Bttr. (four 7.62cm le.FK(r))
III Abtl.
7.-9. Bttr. (four 12.2cm s.FH (r) each)
Pz.Jg.-Abtl. (LW) 16
1. Kp. (mot) (three 5cm m.Pak and six 7.5cm s.Pak)
2. Kp. (two Stu.G.)
3. Kp. (mot) (12 2cm Flak)
Pi.-Btl. (LW) 16
1.-3. Kp.
Füs.-Btl. (LW) 16
1.-4. Kp.
Ost-Btl. 822 (Georgisches)
719. Inf.-Div. (bo) (W.B.N. K.V.A.-Doordrecht)
Gefechtsstand – Doordrecht
Kdr: Generalmajor Carl Wahle
IIa.: Major Erich Schröder
Festung Hoek van Holland
Ost-Btl. 812 (Armenisches) (IV./Gren.Regt. 743)
Ost-Btl. 826 (Wolgatatarisches) (IV./Gren.Regt. 723)

[MadDog]

Rich, thanks for the information. I have this filed away. It looks like this is from the LXXXVIII analagen - to July ?

thanks,

Mad Dog

[MadDog]

One odd thing I wonder about: I found a reference to 19th Pz in the anlagen and your post, and I have to wonder why the Germans didnt use it considering the desperate situation.

Mad Dog

[Rich]

One odd thing I wonder about: I found a reference to 19th Pz in the anlagen and your post, and I have to wonder why the Germans didnt use it considering the desperate situation.

Mad Dog

From one of my notes, "The division began arriving on 24 May for refitting, then returned to the Ostheer beginning on 16 July." You could as easily ask why 9., 11., and 116. Panzer weren't committed immediately, or 1. and 2. SS-Panzer? What was committed were those divisions that were fully operational, Lehr, 2., and 21. Panzer, and 12. SS-Panzer and 17. SS-Panzergrenadier.

[Piet Duits]

Maddog,

There could be two very valid reasons for this
1) the 19. Panzer-Division was in a (very) bad shape and needed the rest
2) the situation on the eastern front was far worse because of the opening of Bagration.

Piet

[Shadow]

Maddog,
There could be two very valid reasons for this
1) the 19. Panzer-Division was in a (very) bad shape and needed the rest
2) the situation on the eastern front was far worse because of the opening of Bagration.
Piet

Greetings “MadDog” !!

As indicated by the data below it’s obvious that Germany was scraping the bottom of the barrel at this time for any and all replacement units they could find that were even semi-combat ready to fill the gaps caused by the destruction of some 28 divisions under the Soviet steam-roller. It’s obvious that (as noted by by my esteemed colleague Mr. Duits) the 19th , as well as the other Divisionen that were sent west for badly needed refitting in May, were definitely in NO condition to take part in stemming Operation Bagration - especially while attempting to do what little they could to halt the Allied advance from the beaches of Normandy.

HGrp. Mitte Reinforcement Schedule from 22 June (start of Operation Bagration) until the end of July 1944:

23 June 44 (dispatched from HGrp. Nord) =
24th Infantry Division (with attached 909th StuG.Bde)

24 June 44 (dispatched from HGrp. Nord) =
212th and 290th Infantry Divisionen

24 June 44 (dispatched from HGrp. Nord Ukraine) =
5th Panzer Division

28 June 44 (dispatched from Germany) =
12th Panzer Division

29 June 44 (dispatched from HGrp. Nord) =
132nd and 170th Infantry Divisionen

29 June 44 (dispatched from HGrp. Nord Ukraine) =
7th Panzer Division and 28th Jager Division (with 209th + 1028th StuG.Bdes attached)

02 July 44 (dispatched from HGrp. Nord) =
50th Infantry Division

02 July 44 (dispatched from Germany) =
6th Panzer Division

02 July 44 (dispatched from Hungary) =
3rd SS-Panzer Division

02 July 44 (dispatched from HGRP. Nord Ukraine) =
367th Infantry Division

30 July 44 (dispatched from Germany) =
(These new "Grenadier" Divisionen began forming on July 18th and were on their way to the front twelve days later (the 30th). Of these units, HGrp. Mitte received:

541 542 543 546 547
548 549 551 552 558
561 562

For a total of 12 Grenadier Divisionen, which were upgraded to Volksgrenadier Divisionen in August 1944.

Also from 22 June to the end of July, Hitler and the OKH transferred the following units from HGrps. Nord Ukraine (which FM Model also commanded at this time) and Sud Ukraine to stabilize Model’s shattered front from the Soviet flood:

Stab XL (40) PzK
Stab XXXIX (39) MtnK

3rd Pz Div
14th Pz Div
23rd Pz Div
“GD” PzGR Div
97th Jag. Div
304th Inf Div

FWIW:
Best regards,

[MadDog]

Spring 1944 was a bad time to be in the German army. : )

Mad Dog

[Shadow]

Spring 1944 was a bad time to be in the German army. : )
Mad Dog

"MadDog":

That's an understatement !!

Between 22 June and the end of August 1944, the Wehrmacht lost:

HGrp. Mitte: 28 Divisions destroyed during Operation Bagration.
OB West: 18 Divisions destroyed by the time of the surrender at Falaise on 21 August.
HGrp. Sud Ukraine: between 18 and 21 Divisions destroyed fighting in Rumania.

This equates to a total destruction of between 64 and 67 Divisions in a period of approximately 70 days [22 June - 31 August] !!

It amazes me, to this day, that the German Army was able to recoup these loses and continue the war until May of 1945 !!