18th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

German 18th Infantry Division

• From September 1939 until May 1940 the division fought in Invasion of Poland and then made up part of the occupation force.
• From May 1940 until November 1940 the division fought in the Battle of France and then made up part of the occupation force when it was redesignated 18th Motorised Infantry Division.

  German 18th Motorized Infantry Division

• Part of the occupation force in France from November 1940 until June 1941.
• Fought on the Eastern Front, central sector from June 1941 until January 1942.
• Fought on the Eastern front, northern sector from January 1942 until June 1943 when it was redesignated 18th Panzergrenadier Division.

  German 18th Panzergrenadier Division

• Fought on the Eastern front, northern sector from June 1943 until October 1943.
• Fought on the Eastern front, central sector from October 1943 until September 1944. It was devastated in the Soviet 1944 summer offensive.
• The remnants of the Division fought in Eastern Prussia and in the Battle of Berlin. The survivors tried to fight their way out of Berlin on 2 May 1945 when Berlin surrendered to the Soviets.

  Commanding officers

18. Infanterie-Division

• Generalleutnant Hermann Hoth, 1 October 1934 – 1 April 1938
• Generalleutnant Erich von Manstein, 1 April 1938 – 26 August 1939
• Generalleutnant Friedrich-Carl Cranz, 26 August 1939 – 1 November 1940

  18. Infanterie-Division (mot.)

• Generalleutnant Friedrich-Carl Cranz, 1 November 1940 – 24 March 1941
• General der Infanterie Friedrich Herrlein, 24 March – 15 December 1941
• General der Infanterie Werner von Erdmannsdorff, 15 December 1941 – 23 June 1943

  18. Panzergrenadier-Division

• General der Infanterie Werner von Erdmannsdorff, 23 June 1943 – 9 August 1943
• Generalleutnant Karl Zutavern, 9 August 1943 – 14 April 1944
• General der Artillerie Curt Jahn, 14 April 1944 – 24 May 1944
• Generalleutnant Karl Zutavern, 24 May 1944 – 6 July 1944
• Generalleutnant Dr. Hans Boelsen, 6 July 1944 – 1 January 1945
• Generalmajor Josef Rauch, 1 January – 8 May 1945