342nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

342nd Infantry Division
342. Infanterie Division Vehicle Insignia
Active	19 November 1940 – April 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II in Yugoslavia (1941–1942) Battles of Rzhev Operation Bagration Vistula–Oder Offensive Battle of Halbe
Commanders
Notable commanders	Walter Hinghofer Paul Hoffman Heinrich Nickel

The 342nd Infantry Division (German: 342. Infanterie-Division) was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. Established on 19 November 1940, it was formed from elements of two existing divisions. It first served as part of the occupation forces in France between June and September 1941 and was then largely responsible for the brutal repression of resistance in eastern parts of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia between September 1941 and February 1942.

The division was then transferred to Army Group Centre on the Eastern Front where it distinguished itself in the fighting throughout 1942–1944. After heavy losses, it underwent a brief period of re-organisation in April 1944 and returned to the front in May 1944 to fight throughout the retreat to Germany. It was almost destroyed in the fighting on the Vistula, and was encircled in the Halbe pocket at the end of the war, but some elements of the division managed to surrender to the United States Army at Travemünde. Nineteen officers and men of the division were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross while serving with the division, and its last commander, Generalleutnant Heinrich Nickel was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross while commanding the division.

The division was formed on 19 November 1940 in Wehrkreis (military district) XII with its home station at Landstuhl. One third of the original strength was transferred from the 72nd Infantry Division and one third from the 79th Infantry Division. This meant that part of the divisional strength originated from around Koblenz in the Rhineland, and part from around Linz in Austria. It was a Category 14 division, which were established with the usual three infantry regiments, but with only 12 companies per regiment instead of the usual 14. It included an artillery regiment, but had a reduced complement of equipment in all areas, and its soldiers were between 27 and 32 years of age. Its commander from formation was Generalmajor (Brigadier) Rudolf Wagner. Following its formation it was first deployed as part of the occupation forces in France between June and September 1941. On 2 July 1941, Wagner was replaced by Generalleutnant (Major General) Dr. Walter Hinghofer, an Austrian-born career officer who had served the whole of World War I fighting the Russians on the Eastern Front. On 14 September 1941, the division was ordered to deploy to Belgrade in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia where it was to come under the command of LXV Corps. This was the result of repeated requests for reinforcements from the Wehrmacht Commander Southeast, Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List due to a growing insurgency in the eastern parts of the partitioned Kingdom of Yugoslavia.