215th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
|
215. Infanterie-Division German 215th Infantry Division |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 26 August 1939 – 9 October 1944 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | |
The German 215th Infantry Division (215.Infanterie-Division) was a major military unit of the German Army that served in World War II.
The 215th Infantry division was mobilized in September 1939 as a division of the 3rd wave in military district V. Its personnel was composed mostly of older men, many who were veterans of the first world war, and reserve troops with limited training.
The division was almost immediately sent to the west and took up defensive positions in the dank and damp bunkers of the west-wall, in winter temperature that sunk to below freezing. After some weeks it was withdrawn into training areas behind the front for further training and reorganization and many of the older troops and junior offices were replaced by younger men. By Mid March 1940 it was returned to the front in the Saar where it set about improving defensive positions under desultory French artillery fire.
The division only took part in the later stages of the invasion of France, when the campaign had essentially already been decided, attacking the Maginot line on 19 July 1940.
In spite of the rough terrain of the Vosges mountains its chances of successful attack were elevated by the French removal of interval troops, withdrawn to meet the German breakthroughs elsewhere. The lack of interval troops meant that the German assault teams had a much higher chance of closing on the French defenses, surrounding them and blasting them out from close range. One advantage the French defenders did retain was fire from two artillery forts anquering their line in the Vosages, the Grand-Hohékirkel and Four-à-Chaux
For the assault, the 215 division formed two battle groups based on Infantry Regiments 380 and 435, reinforced with pioneers and proceeded by a heavy 2 hour long bombardment from divisional and attached heavy artillery. Dive bomber support was also available from the Luftwaffe. In the initial attack, battle group 380 captured 2 blockhouses by clambering on their roofs and dropping explosive charges into their embrasures. Utilizing the gap in the line, further casements were outflanked and attacked from the rear, by nightfall 6 blockhouses had been captured in its sector. The fortress of Four-à-Chaux consistd of six blocks of which four had artillery pieces, its 75mm gun had the longest range and covered the blockhouses to its left. It also had shorter range 81mm and 135mm weapons. These weapons poured fire on the 435th Regiment attack, whilst the further blockhouses were covered by the more distant 75mm gun turret of the Grand Grand Hohékirkel. The Germans had found the French artillery support heavy but hampered by lack of direct observation ineffective. The assault group from the 435 Infantry Regiment had similar success, so that the division was poised to exploit the breaches the following morning.
...
Wikipedia