The 81st Infantry Division (german: 81. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

History

It was formed on 1 December 1939 at Truppenübungsplatz Neuhammer as part of the 6th wave ( Austellungswelle). During the Toropets-Kholm Offensive of late 1941, the division brought in by rail during the last days of December. Its first

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

—the 189th Infantry under Colonel Hohmeyer together with the 2nd

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

Regiment 181 and the 3rd

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

of the Engineer Battalion 181—was immediately ordered to detrain at

Toropets Toropets (russian: Торо́пец) is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomennoye. Population: History In 1074, when the town was first mention ...

and

Andreapol Andreapol (russian: Андреа́поль) is a town and the administrative center of Andreapolsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Valdai Hills on the left bank in the upper course of the Western Dvina. Population: 12,000 (1 ...

. From there, it advanced to Okhvat where it was encircled and completely destroyed on 14 January. 1,100 dead were later found in a forest near Okhvat, including the regimental commander who was posthumously promoted to

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. A total of 40 survivors from the artillery battalion made it back to the German lines. The move into action and collapse was so swift that the regiment was not even identified on German situation maps.

Order of battle

1939

*Infantry Regiment 161 *Infantry Regiment 174 *Infantry Regiment 189 *Artillery Regiment 181 *Engineer Battalion 181 *Anti-Tank Detachment 181 *Infantry Divisions Message Detachment 181 *Infantry Divisions Supply Leader 181

1944

*Grenadier Regiment 161 *Grenadier Regiment 174 *Grenadier Regiment 189 *Divisions Fusilier Battalion 61 *Artillery Regiment 181 *Engineer Battalion 181 *Panzerjäger Detachment 181 *Infantry Divisions Message Detachment 181 *Infantry Divisions Supply Leader 181

Commanding officers

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...

Friedrich-Wilhelm von Loeper Friedrich-Wilhelm von Loeper (3 August 1888 – 7 October 1983) was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was marr ...

(1 December 1939 – 5 October 1940) *

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-s ...

Hugo Ribstein (5 October 1940 – 8 December 1941) *Generalleutnant Erich Schopper (8 December 1941 – 1 March 1943) *Generalleutnant Gottfried Weber (1 March 1943 – 13 March 1943) *Generalleutnant Erich Schopper (13 March 1943 – 1 June 1943) *Generalleutnant Gottfried Weber (1 June 1943 – 30 June 1943) *Generalleutnant Erich Schopper (30 June 1943 – 5 April 1944) *Generalleutnant

Vollrath Lübbe Vollrath Lübbe (4 March 1894 – 4 April 1969) was a German general in the Wehrmacht. A veteran of World War I, he rose to command several divisions during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by Naz ...

(5 April 1944 – 1 July 1944) *Generalmajor der Reserve Dr.

Ernst Meiners __NOTOC__ Ernst Meiners (13 June 1893 – 11 June 1959) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Awards and decorations * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knigh ...

(1 July 1944 – 10 July 1944) *Generalleutnant Franz-Eccard von Bentivegni (10 July 1944 – 8 May 1945)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:81st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) 0*081 Military units and formations established in 1939 1939 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1945