The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (''18. Volksgrenadier-Division''; 18. VGD) was a

volksgrenadier ''Volksgrenadier'', also spelt ''Volks-Grenadier'', was the name given to a type of German Army division formed in the autumn of 1944 after the double loss of Army Group Centre to the Soviets in Operation Bagration and the Fifth Panzer Army t ...

division of the

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 ...

(i.e. ''Heer'') during the

Second World War 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 ...

, active from 1944 to 1945. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. Volksgrenadier-Division. Under the command of Günther Hoffmann-Schönborn, the new division absorbed elements of the

18th Luftwaffe Field Division The 18th Luftwaffe Field Division () was an infantry division of the ''Luftwaffe'' branch of Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was set up on 1 December 1942 from surplus Luftwaffe personnel and was deployed in France from Fe ...

. It contained the ''293., 294.'' and ''295. grenadier regiments'', ''Panzerjäger-Bataillon 1818'', ''Pionier-Bataillon 1818'', ''Füsilier-Bataillon 1818'' and ''Artillerie-Regiment 1818''.Axis History Factbook The division fought in the

Ardennes 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 ...

, inflicting on the 106th US Infantry Division the worst defeat suffered by U.S. forces in the

European theatre of World War II The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II, taking place from September 1939 to May 1945. The Allied powers (including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and Franc ...

, when over 8,000 American soldiers surrendered to German troops. On December 21, 18. VGD captured

St. Vith St. Vith ( ; ; ; ) is a city and municipality of East Belgium located in the Walloon province of Liège. It was named after Saint Vitus. The majority language is German, as in the rest of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. On January ...

, winning a great victory. As the offensive steam came to an end in the Ardennes, the division went on the defensive, and there they would stay. Eventually retreating through Germany until the end of the war, when it surrendered. On February 5, 1945 General Walter Botsch took over command of the division. On March 6, 1945, when Botsch was ordered to take command of the LIIIrd Army Corps, the 18. VGD division was absorbed into the 26. VGD led by Heinz Kokott,

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

's brother-in-law.

Knights Cross Holders

* Wilhelm Drueke December 30, 1944 * Gunther Rennhack December 30, 1944 * Friedrich Hadenfeldt March 17, 1945

Notes

References

* Military units and formations established in 1944 Volksgrenadier divisions Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 {{Germany-WWII-stub