The 340th Volksgrenadier Division 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 ...

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 September 1944, replacing the destroyed 340th Infantry Division, by redesignating the 572. Volksgrenadier-Division, under the command of

Theodor Tolsdorff Theodor Tolsdorff (3 November 1909 – 25 May 1978) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was one of 27 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Charged with the ...

. It contained the 694th, 695th and 696th Grenadier Regiments, and the 340th Artillery Regiment.Axis History Factbook

340th Infantry Division

The 340th Infantry Division was formed on 16 November 1940 in the Wehrkreis X (Schleswig) from elements of the 68th, 170th and 290th Infantry-Divisions, as part of the 14. Welle (14th wave of mobilization). After her training in the area of Hamburg, she was sent in June 1941 to the north of France in the region of Calais as a force for occupation and coastal defense.
In June 1942, she was transferred to the Eastern Front in December 1941 in the Kiev sector where she suffered heavy losses.
She was reinforced by the addition of Divisions-Gruppe 327 in November 1943. The division was destroyed by Soviet forces in the

Brody Pocket The Lvov–Sandomierz offensive or Lvov–Sandomierz strategic offensive operation () was a major Red Army operation to force the German troops from Ukraine and Eastern Poland. Launched in mid-July 1944, the operation was successfully completed ...

in July 1944 and was dissolved on 13 August 1944.

340th Volksgrenadier Division

The surviving elements formed from 15 September 1944 the 340. Volks-Grenadier-Division. The division fought in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

, as part of

I SS Panzer Corps The I SS Panzer Corps () was a German armoured corps of the ''Waffen-SS''. It saw action on both the Western Front (World War II), Western and Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Fronts during World War II. Formation and training The Corps was ...

, and then retreated into Germany as part of

XIII SS Corps The XIII SS Army Corps was formed in August 1944 at Breslau. It was moved to France and the Western Front. By the end of April 1945, some units of the corps operated in Czechoslovakia where they encountered the U.S. 97th Infantry Division. Other ...

before finally being destroyed in the Ruhr pocket in April 1945.

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References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:340th Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht) Volksgrenadier divisions Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945