The 167th Volksgrenadier Division (German: ''167. Volksgrenadierdivision''), formerly the 167th Infantry Division (German: ''167. Infanteriedivision'') was a

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

infantry division in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Operational history

Formation and France

The 167th Infantry Division was formed in the Bavarian capital of Munich in November 1939, absorbing the 7th; 27th and 34th Field-Replacement Battalions from their respective divisions in January. It was also at this point that its commanding officer, Colonel Gilbert, was promoted to major general, shortly before his replacement by Lieutenant General Oskar Vogl. The division took part in the initial 1940 invasion of France with

Army Group C Army Group C () was an army group of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. In its first deployment between 1939 and 1941, its main assignment was the defense of the Franco-German border during the Phony War and the Western Campaign, after whi ...

, capturing Ouvrage Kerfent and Ouvrage Bambesch - two components of the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (; ), named after the Minister of War (France), French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by French Third Republic, France in the 1930s to deter invas ...

- between 20–21 June. The division remained in occupied France until February 1941, when it returned to its garrison in Bavaria. In August 1940, Major General Hans Schönhärl took over as commanding officer, being promoted to lieutenant general in December.

Barbarossa and the Soviet Union

In June 1941, the division was transferred to the occupied Polish capital of

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

as the Axis forces began their assault on the Soviet Union in

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

. In August, Schönhärl was replaced as commanding officer by Major General Verner Schartow, himself replaced by Major General Wolf Trierenberg. On December 17,

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

forces succeeded in punching a hole in the 167th's sector, only to be forced back by support from the 112th Infantry, with some tank support. Later the Division took part in the

Battle of Moscow The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II, between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated H ...

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...

, and finally against the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, where the 167th Infantry Division was disbanded due to heavy losses in January 1944.

Second formation as 167th Volksgrenadier Division (October 1944)

The re-created division, now designated ''167. Volksgrenadierdivision'', took part in the

Ardennes Offensive The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

. On New Years Day, it, along with the 5th Parachute Division, aided the panzers in defending the area around the Belgian town of Lutrebois in

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

. While the three were able to hold off the approaching Americans and dealt heavy casualties to their enemies, the situation elsewhere in the Ardennes was different and the 167th was ordered to fall back.

Commanders

*''Major General'' Martin Gilbert (1 December 1939 – 10 January 1940) *''Major General'' Oskar Vogl (10 January – 2 August 1940) *''Lieutenant General'' Hans Schönhärl (2 August 1940 – 11 August 1941) *''Major General'' Verner Schartow (11 August 1941) *''Lieutenant General'' Wolf-Günther Trierenberg (11 August 1941 – 25 November 1943) *''Colonel''

Hans Hüttner __NOTOC__ Hans Hüttner (19 November 1885 – 11 September 1956) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who held commands at the division and corps levels. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. At ...

(25 November 1943 – 1 February 1944) *''Lieutenant General''

Hanskurt Höcker Hanskurt Höcker (2 August 1894 – 10 August 1961) was a German general during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Biography Hanskurt Hermann Höcker was born ...

(17 October 1944 – 4 April 1945)

Area of Operation

*Germany (December 1939 – May 1940) *France (June 1940 – February 1941) *Germany (March – May 1941) *Eastern front, Central section (June 1941 – April 1942) *Netherlands (May 1942 – February 1943) *Eastern front, Southern section (March 1943 – February 1944) *Ardennes and Eifel (December 1944 – April 1945)

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:167th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht) Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 1939 establishments in Germany