161st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
| 161st Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 December 1939 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division, 15,000 Personnel |
| Garrison/HQ | Troop training Area Arys |
| Engagements | |
| Disbanded | October 1944 |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
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The 161 Infantry Division was a major unit of the German Wehrmacht. It fought in the Battle of France, and then later on in the Eastern Front.
The division was formed in December 1939 as part of the 7th wave of German mobilisation, and used the replacement battalions in Werkrise 1, East Prussia, to form its combat units. The 161st was organised as a standard triangular infantry division with 3 Infantry Regiments, with 9 battalions and 1 Artillery Regiment plus supporting units.
It was a sign of the Wehrmacht's rapid expansion that the division was short of artillery with only 6 medium batteries instead of 9 and no heavy artillery. It was also short of motor transport, and had a small mixed battalion of an anti-tank company and a bicycle company instead of an anti-tank battalion and a reconnaissance battalion.
By the start of the Russian campaign the equipment shortages had been resolved and the division had a full complement of 36 105mm howitzers and 12 heavy 150mm howitzers. It also now had a 3 company anti tank battalion, greater capacity in its supply units and a field replacement battalion. However it was still missing a reconnaissance battalion, instead it only had a bicycle squadron.
By 1 December the division had reorganised its infantry regiments into 2 battalions each, instead of three, due to manpower shortages
In November 1942 the division was posted to France to recover and refit.
Parts of the division were incoperated into the Korps Abteilung A, with each regiment contributing a battalion sized unit as a 'regiment gruppe'. The expedient of forming these Korps Abteilung was to rebalance the ratio of staff and service troops to combat troops. The excess staff and support specialists could then be used to build new formations in Germany.
Many of the Korps Abteilung were later reformed into infantry divisions, and this is true of Korps Abteilung A, which was converted into a second incarnation of the 161st infantry in July 1944. The new division did not last long and was destroyed in the following month. Its surviving personnel were used to refresh the 76th Infantry Division and in the reformation of the 15th Infantry Division.
In 1940 the 161st took part in a short-lived attack on the Maginot Line on 21 June. After a single day's assault that achieved little, the attack was called off by Colonel General von Leeb as unnecessary.
On 22 June 1941 the 161st attacked the Soviet Union as part of Army Group Centre's 9th Army, commanded by Colonel General Adolf Strauß.
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