The 329th Infantry Division () was an

infantry division A division is a large military unit or Formation (military), formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically mak ...

of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

during

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 ...

. It existed between 1941 and 1945.

Operational history

The 329th Infantry Division was formed on 17 December 1941 as a ''valkyrie division'' of the 17th wave of deployment. Initially assembled at Groß-Born in Wehrkreis II, its staff personnel was drawn from the staff of the 526th Infantry Division, which had been formed in October 1939 from frontier guard units. Its initial commander was Helmuth Castorf. The division initially consisted of three infantry regiments (551, 552, 554), with Infantry Regiment 551 consisting of three battalions and the other two regiments of two battalions each, for a total of seven infantry battalions. Additionally, the division possessed the Artillery Regiment 329 with two detachments and the Division Units 329. The division was deployed near Lyck and marched to the Eastern Front on foot. There, it began fighting in the

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sector around March 1942. On 7 March 1942, Bruno Hippler took command of the division. Hippler was in turn replaced by

Johannes Mayer Johannes Mayer (6 September 1893 – 7 August 1963) was a German General of the Infantry in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Promotions *9. ...

on 23 March. The 1st Bn Inf Regt 551 had to be dissolved as a result of casualties on 8 May 1942; 3rd Bn was later redesignated 1st Bn. Until 1943, the Artillery Regiment 329 was strengthened from two up to four detachments, and a Fusilier Battalion was formed on divisional level. As a result, the 329th Infantry Division now approximated a division following the ''Division neuer Art 44'' archetype.

Paul Winter Paul Winter (born August 31, 1939) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He is a pioneer of world music and earth music, which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz and world music. The ...

briefly took command of the division on 9 August 1943, before Mayer returned to his post in September. On 18 July 1944, Werner Schulze took command of the 329th Infantry Division. He was succeeded by Konrad Menkel on 20 October before returning to his post on 1 January 1945. Menkel again took command of the division later in early 1945, and served as the final divisional commander.

Unit insignia

The unit symbol of the 329th Infantry Division showed a hammer, giving it the nickname ''hammer division,'' or ''hammer infantry division''.

Legacy

Former members of the division formed a tradition association after the war, publishing a divisional history in 1968. A memorial to the division was erected in

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

at Lauheide cemetery. The memorial gained public attention in 2019, when a neonazi group used the memorial as a venue for one of their rallies.

Notable individuals

* Helmuth Castorf: Commander of the 329th Infantry Division between 19 December 1941 and 7 March 1942. * Bruno Hippler: Commander of the 329th Infantry Division between 7 March 1942 and 23 March 1942. *

: Commander of the 329th Infantry Division between 23 March 1942 and 9 August 1943 and again between September 1943 and 18 July 1944. *

: Commander of the 329th Infantry Division between 9 August 1943 and September 1943. * Werner Schulze: Commander of the 329th Infantry Division between 18 July 1944 and 20 October 1944 and again between 1 January 1945 until somewhen later that year. * Konrad Menkel: Commander of the 329th Infantry Division between 20 October 1944 and 1 January 1945 and again starting in early 1945.

References

{{Numbered infantry divisions of the Wehrmacht Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945