297th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

German 297th Infantry Division 297. Infanteriedivision
297. Infanterie Division Vehicle Insignia
Active	February 1940 - January 1943 April 1943 - May 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	Battle of Stalingrad
Commanders
Notable commanders	General of the Artillery Max Pfeffer

The 297th Infantry Division (German: 297. Infantrie-Division) was an Infantry Division within the German Army, active during the Second World War. It was one of the components of the 6th Army during its failed attack on Stalingrad.

The 297th Infantry Division was activated on January 31, 1940 and raised in March as part of the eighth wave of Wehrmacht divisions, assembled from the men of Military district "WK VII", which is now Bruck an der Leitha and the surrounding Lower Austrian areas, out of men from the 27th; 44th; 45th; 57th and 268th Infantry Divisions. The divisions of the eighth wave were referred to by some as the "class of 1918", as they consisted largely of young men born in that year, who would be the ages of 21 and 22 upon being called-up.

The division served as an OKH reserve division throughout the Western Campaign of 1940, later being re-stationed in Poland in July 1940 as the initial preparations for Operation Barbarossa were made.

The 297th Infantry Division attacked through Ukraine as part of Army Group South to meet its objective in conquering Kiev. The division first aided in the capture of Zhytomyr in July, followed by Uman the following month before taking out Kiev in September. It then proceeded to go through a war-torn Kharkov and into Rostov before the year ended. During the take-over of Ukraine, the division served as part of the 6th Army's XLIV Corps, under General of the Infantry Koch.